Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara

At the top of the Glória hill, above the roofs of the Bairro Alto, the terrace garden of São Pedro de Alcântara opens one of Lisbon’s classic panoramas: the Baixa below, the castle on its hill opposite, and the river beyond — a view framed by fountains and marble busts since the nineteenth century.

A garden over the city

The garden was laid out in the nineteenth century as a promenade in front of the convent of São Pedro de Alcântara, on two terraced levels. The lower terrace is a formal garden of fountains and mythological busts; the upper one opens the wide view, where an azulejo panel maps the city laid out below, helping visitors read Lisbon from above.

The funicular and the kiosk

The historic Glória funicular climbs to the garden from the Restauradores square, making the terrace one of the easiest viewpoints to reach in the city. Kiosks serve drinks under the trees at dusk, when the castle walls catch the last light — and the A Brasileira of the Chiado waits a short walk down the hill.

What to see

• The panorama over the Baixa and the castle
• The fountains and busts of the lower garden
• The azulejo map panel of Lisbon
• The Glória funicular arriving from Restauradores
• The kiosks and gardens at dusk

Practical information

The garden stands at the top of Rua de São Pedro de Alcântara, between the Bairro Alto and the Restauradores square, in central Lisbon — reachable on foot uphill or by the Glória funicular. It is open through the day; evenings are the busiest and the most beautiful.

Image credit: Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara by Jorge Franganillo — CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.