Travel Photos: What Is It With Viewpoints In Lisbon?

As the sun set, the castle was bathed in a rosy glow.  Sipping cocktails, we looked out across the city, over rows of houses to the towers and battlements that crowned the hilltop.  From our vantage point, we could also see the Santa Justa Lift.  A constant stream of tourists arrived at the observation deck atop this wrought-iron tower.  Lively music drifted up from the street below where buskers were entertaining the lengthy queues snaking around the base of the lift.  Despite queueing for so long, most just snapped a few photos of the castle before quickly moving on.  We began to wonder why viewpoints in Lisbon are so popular.

Arriving at Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara, we were surprised to find it so busy.  It was Christmas morning but still there were people everywhere: couples strolling, tourists snapping selfies and flag-waving guides herding their tour groups around.  Half of the tiny park was closed off for renovations and temporary chain link fences blocked the path to the lower terraces.  However, despite our surroundings, the view was spectacular.

Tall houses in white, pink and yellow filled the valley below us.  Grand terraced buildings surrounded Lisbon's main plazas and church spires pierced the horizon.  The highlight was Sao Jorge Castle on the next hill.  Surrounded by trees, it was a refreshingly verdant blemish on the pastel-coloured cityscape.

From the lofty heights of the turrets at Sao Jorge Castle, we could see all over Lisbon.  They had a camera obscura where we were given a guided tour around the city from the comfort of one of the towers.  Watching the real-time image on the table in front of us, we saw everything from street art on a distant building to cars whizzing across the bridge.  The only problem was, the castle itself didn't feature in any of the views.

Nearing Miradouro de Santa Catarina one evening, we noticed clear plastic bags of marijuana being quite openly traded in the street.  Unlike many other places in Lisbon though, on this occasion we weren't offered any as we passed.  As we reached the viewpoint at the end of the street, we began to understand where their market was.

The smell of weed hung heavily in the air while the smokers reclined on the grass.  Everyone was chilled out, listening to the mellow strumming of a guitar.  It was the perfect place to watch the sun set behind the iconic suspension bridge that spans the river.

Viewpoints feature heavily in any Lisbon guidebook.  Built over several hills and bathed in sunshine for much of the year, it is a very picturesque city.  However, we think that the viewpoints in Lisbon are simply overvalued because there is little else to draw tourists to the city.

For the best view, visit Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara.  This is a good place to get a view of Sao Jorge Castle.

For an attractive viewpoint, visit Miradouro de Santa Luzia.  However, the view from Miradouro das Portas do Sol, just around the corner, is better.

There are a lot of rooftop bars in Lisbon.  This is a good way to relax with a drink while enjoying the view.  We liked Topo Chiado, behind the ruined church at Carmo Convent.  A glass of wine there was cheaper than a ticket for the Santa Justa lift and the view is the same.