Palmayachts Meeting Point - Gate 1
Created by Cottinelli Telmo (1897–1948) and the sculptor Leopoldo de Almeida (1898–1975), Padrão dos Descobrimentos was first erected in 1940, in a temporary form, as part of the Portuguese World Exhibition, built with perishable materials. It had a light iron and cement frame, while the moulded sculpture had a light iron and cement frame, while the moulded sculpture was made of gypsum (formed of plaster and burlap, and reinforced by a wooden and iron structure). The monument was reconstructed in 1960 to mark 500 years since the death of the Infante Dom Henrique (Henry the Navigator). This time it was made of concrete and rose-tinted Leiria stone masonry, with the sculptures made of Sintra limestone masonry. The Centro Cultural das Descobertas was opened in 1985. Architect Fernando Ramalho remodelled the interior, giving the monument a viewpoint, auditorium and exhibition hall.
The Belém Tower was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983 and is an identity symbol of the city of Lisbon and Portugal in the world. It is historically and artistically associated with the Jerónimos Monastery and the Portuguese Discoveries. Built between 1514 and 1519 on a basaltic surface, some distance from the north bank of the river, it combines two distinct architectural models: the tall tower, like a medieval keep, and the bulwark, a modern military device.
This museum is housed in a group of buildings classified as national heritage - the Central Tejo or Lisbon power station. Besides the building itself, the main interest is the machinery used to supply electricity to the city of Lisbon in the first half of the 20C. It includes 19C dynamos and electric motors, steam engines, high-pressure boilers, hydraulic generators and other tools and equipment.
Inaugurated in October 2016 within the framework of EDP Foundation’s long-running policy of cultural patronage, MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology is an international institution dedicated to arouse critical discourse and creative practice with the intent of sparking new understandings about the historical present and a responsible commitment to the future. Located on the riverfront in Lisbon’s historical Belém district, MAAT comprises a former power station built in 1908 – MAAT Central – and a contemporary building – MAAT Gallery – connected via a park that extends along the River Tagus: MAAT Garden. In addition to the programme of temporary exhibitions and activities – Agenda – the museum also features permanent exhibitions such as The Electricity Factory at Central Tejo and the sculptures in the outdoor spaces.
The Fábrica Nacional de Cordoaria, or Cordoaria Nacional, belonged to the Portuguese Navy. This was where the cables, sisal ropes, sails and flags that equipped the Portuguese ships were manufactured. The building, which dates to the 1770s, has been classified as a national monument since 1996. The art gallery, housed in the Torreão Nascente (Eastern Tower), regularly holds major exhibitions from Portuguese and international collections.
The Ponte 25 de Abril (25th of April Bridge) is an iconic suspension bridge that spans the Tagus River, connecting Portugal's capital, Lisbon, to the municipality of Almada on the south bank. It is a prominent landmark often compared to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco due to its similar design and "International Orange" color, and was built by the same American company. Original Name: The bridge's construction began in November 1962 and it was inaugurated on August 6, 1966. It was originally named the Ponte Salazar (Salazar Bridge) in honor of António de Oliveira Salazar, Portugal's dictator at the time.
Bairro Alto is one of Lisbon’s most historic and lively neighborhoods, celebrated for its distinct day-and-night contrasts. During the day, it offers a calm atmosphere with traditional architecture, small independent shops, and colorful street art. As night falls, it comes alive as one of the city’s most popular nightlife districts, packed with bars, restaurants, and Fado houses. Perched on a hill, its narrow cobblestone streets blend residential charm with a vibrant commercial scene. Chiado, Lisbon’s perennial upmarket neighbourhood, is a place of studios, original shops, renovated spaces and marvellous pavement cafés for watching the constant coming and going of those shopping, wandering and those still trying to figure out where the river is. Baixa, more traditional and authentic, serves up souvenir shops, famous patisseries and adventurous eateries. Take your time to discover the streets and corners and all their charms.
The Praça do Comércio is a large, harbour-facing plaza in Portugal's capital, Lisbon, and is one of the largest in Portugal. Facing the Tagus (Tejo) river to the South, the plaza is still commonly known in Portuguese as Terreiro do Paço as it hosted the Paço da Ribeira (transl. Royal Palace of Ribeira) until the latter was destroyed by the great 1755 Lisbon earthquake (the subway station located there is still named after the old name of the plaza). After the earthquake, the plaza was completely remodeled as part of the rebuilding of the Pombaline Downtown (Baixa), ordered by Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, who was (chief) Minister of Portugal from 1750 to 1777, during the reign of the Portuguese King José I.
Given its outstanding location, a highlight of the Castelo de São Jorge is its many viewpoints affording majestic and unparalleled views of Lisbon. Built in the mid-11th century, this fortification still retains eleven towers displaying various architectural features characteristic of military fortifications from the Moorish period. The steps leading up the sides of the curtain walls provide access to the ramparts and towers enabling visitors to explore the entire perimeter.
Alfama, the oldest and most traditional neighbourhood in Lisbon, with cobbled lanes and alleys and steep, gruelling inclines, should be discovered little by little, stopping frequently to savour the view, atmosphere and authentic spirit of the oldest side of the capital. Take a deep breath and start to climb the hill that will reveal one of the best views of the city.
Almada, on the south bank of the River Tagus, has undoubtedly the best view of the city of Lisbon. The most outstanding views are from the castle, the panoramic funicular of the Boca do Vento (Mouth of the Wind), and above all the statue of Christ the King, built in 1959. In past centuries, Almada was a popular summer resort for the Court, which ordered the construction of stately homes and buildings that are still preserved in the city. Life in Almada does not revolve only around the capital, where most of its inhabitants work; it is a city with its own life, the setting for well-attended events like the Theatre Festival.
In 1939, World War II began. During this period, the idea of building the Christ the King Monument gained renewed meaning and vigor. At the end of their annual retreat, on April 20, 1940, the Portuguese bishops gathered in Fatima made the following vow: “If Portugal were spared from the War, a Monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus would be erected over Lisbon, a visible sign of how God wishes to win all of humanity for Himself.”
This was the best boat tour I have ever been on. The crew of Beni and Miguel were so friendly and so knowledgeable. We learned about Portuguese history and about the sights and boats we passed by. We had a wonderful glass of wine and a spectacular sunset. They provided blankets to keep us warm! It could not have been more fun!! I would do it again tomorrow!!!
We enjoyed the sail along the river with Miguel and Antonio. Antonio was very knowledgeable about the history of the area. The weather was quite windy and chilly so not as comfortable as it might have been even with the provided blankets
Most recommended. Luís and ofcourse Vasco made it very special. Beautiful breathtaking views and timed perfectly for the sunset. Can’t be better than this.
Alex and Vasco were amazing skippers and hosts. Boat was very nice, clean and welcoming. We learned about the landmarks that we sailed by in a very conversational way. Beautiful scenery and smooth ride. Very engaging and just an all out lovely time. We are definitely going to ask for them next time!! Thanks for having us! 💕, David & Sonia
Did the sunset boat tour with Luiz and Rui. They were exceptional guides and made the whole experience enjoyable. We were a little unlucky and sunset was a bit cloudy. But regardless, the tour was very enjoyable thanks to our informative and helpful guides. Would highly recommend
Our Sunset Sailing Tour today was fantastic. Can say enough of the outstanding job that Miguel and Ricardo did. They were very knowledgeable and accommodating. They had no issues with giving the tour in Spanish and English to accommodate everyone. Will highly recommend Palmayachts to anyone that is looking for a smooth sailing tour of the Tejo River, along with great historical facts and insights.
This was the best time . Louis and Joao are a joy . Great experience and great conversation. I knew this would be a good time but that’s not even close to how much fun we had. I wish we could just stay in Portugal and go again!
We had a wonderful experience on the water. The views are amazing and the rich history was explained by Louis. Do it, you won’t regret it.
After booking our instructions were super clear. We were met at the meeting point by Benny and her son John, The trip lasted two hours and our captain and guide was absolutely brilliant , enough information to keep us interested in all the sights we saw from the river Would definitely recommend and we will do it again the next time we visit Lisbon Thank you Benny, The best guide in Lisbon Paul x
An absolute highlight of our visit to Lisbon. Benie and Alex made it a truly wonderful experience. A great sunset to view. Good conversation about Portuguese history. A 10/10!!
Went with 3 other friends. Great experience. Antonio and Mathew were wonderful. Learned a history lesson on Portugal and its beginnings.
Best sailboat experience! Antonio and Mateo were wonderful!! So personal and full of information on the history of Portugal!
After a day of sightseeing in Lisbon this was an enjoyable, and restful trip. The guide was full of interesting facts about Lisbon and the various monuments along the way, complete with relevant history. The Portuguese wine was lovely too. There were 10 of us on the trip, there was plenty of room for everyone to spread out and relax. Bring a jumper, as it can get cool as the sun goes down.
Our guide was wonderful! Extremely knowledgeable about Lisbon’s monuments, history, and neighborhoods. He brought each location to life with fascinating details and answered every question thoughtfully. The conversation throughout the tour was just as enjoyable as the sightseeing: engaging, friendly, and full of interesting insights. We learned so much while having a genuinely great time. Highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to experience the city with an informed, personable guide.
We had a wonderful trip with Palmayachts. We were 6 adults celebrating a birthday and the 2 hr sunset sightseeing trip was perfect. The yacht was quality and Antonio and Rodrigo were great hosts and tour guides. Would definitely recommend.
So much fun! Great guides, fun and the boat was beautiful. Luis and Vanda gave us interesting information about Lisbon’s history and positioned the boat for an amazing sunset view. Have already told friends a “can’t miss” experience.
Beni and Alex were the best!!! They were welcoming, friendly and shared a lot of interesting history about Lisbon. The sunset cruise was beautiful and calm on the water. If I had more time, I would have gone back a second time for a daytime cruise too.
This was an excellent excursion and Benny was a wonderful guide, sharing interesting facts and history. Definitely recommend!
First, I had to reschedule cruise. They were very accommodating and just switched days . Second, Moteus and Vonda were very informative and really friendly. I would definitely recommend this company and sunset cruise.
Great sunset sail fantastic crew very informative - always felt safe but left us to enjoy the experience- would definitely recommend. I would echo the request to bring a jacket /top as it does get abit chilly even on warm days ..thank you so much for a great experience
Luis was our captain and Duarte was 2nd in command. They were outstanding and accommodating. Pleasant sunset sail on the Tagus River. Definitely one of the highlights of our Portugal trip.
Great tour. Benny and Antonio did a wonderful job. Great summary of some historical facts about Lisbon and Portugal. Information was fun and informative and they were very open to questions. Plenty of space to sit. Nice selection of amino, Verde, beer, or water/ drinks Take this boat tour beautiful from this point of view
Lovely sail at sunset, guides were knowledgeable and gracious. Bene and Antonio were a delight.
Exceptional, knowledgeable and experienced sailors. The sunset tour was one of our most memorable experiences We enjoyed Luis and Antonio who gave us an exceptional tour and were extremely professional
For the second time, we were able to enjoy this wunderful 2-hour sunset tour. Once again, nothing was missing to experience Lisbon from the Rio Tejo. Alexandre and Leonore were concerned that the guests were feeling well and that we felt safe. Leonore, with her extraordinary knowledge, introduced us to many interesting topics of Lisbon and Portugal on the front of the boat — and we had warm and cheerful conversations. All in all – we were all just feeling great. An unforgettable sunset. Thank you so much - we're already looking forward to next time!
My family was really looking forward to this tour and it did not disappoint. We had great weather and the evening views from the river at sunset are Incredible. But what made the experience all the more enjoyable were our hosts, Vasco and Luis. A wealth of knowledge, they shared details of all the sites throughout the trip as we enjoyed sipping local wines. I cannot overstate how kind, gracious and welcoming they were. They truly made this tour stand out as one of the most memorable experiences of our two week trip. Highly recommended. Muito obrigado Luis & Vasco!
Very small group with Alex who was very knowledgeable The boat was clean and green wine very good. Would recommend
What a wonderful experience, my highlight in Lisbon. Everyone asks for top reviews and a rarely write them, but this one is worth it. Vasco and Luis we the most welcoming hosts. They made the trip. There was no better way to watch a beautiful Lisbon sunset! Don’t think, just book it!!
Great time, would recommend to anyone. Knowledgable and very fun captain and crew. Beautiful scenery. Highly recommended.
We had a lovely tour with Benny and John! Benny is so knowledgeable and loves the history of her country - it's infectious! We had a great time!
Mis and Ricardo were honestly amazing hosts. From the moment we arrived, they made us feel so welcome. They delivered interesting facts about the sights on the way and were so approachable throughout. They were really a joy. I would love to do this again some day.
Very nice sunset views and knowledgeable staff.
What can I say but it was a fantastic voyage and all because of Benny and John. They were so personable and treated us like family. You could tell that they truly love what they do! Conversation was great, they are both very knowledgeable about Lisbon's history and current affairs. The ride was steady and we got time to take pictures whenever we wanted and to move about the boat as needed. Thank you again Benny and John for the excellent tour!!
Realy wonderfull expérience, all recommendations
The sunset sailboat cruise we did with Palmayachts was awesome! Benny and João, mother + son team, were amazing guides and made our experience so wonderful. It was a really nice mix of relaxing, enjoying time on the water, and getting a good dose of really interesting history about the area. Thank you so much and would definitely recommend!
This was an exceptional experience. Vasco was the amazing captain who was a fund of knowledge . And Luis was his mate who made sure everything was ok with his passengers. They worked well as a team . The weather was perfect and the sunset was astounding . They both made the experience a once in a lifetime memory . Thank you .
We booked a sunset cruise for Thursday 23rd July. Pick up was from a pier by the Monument of Discoveries. We were staying in central Lisbon so a quick 20/25 mins by bus and we were there. At our time, we were greeted by Alex & Vasco and as luck would have it we were the only ones booked on so we ended up with a private tour. The guys told us all about the boat, the safety and what to expect. We were then offered a welcome drink of 'Green Wine' which was lovely. The whole trip was amazing, we were provided with tourist information about the area and landmarks, we could ask any questions and could also move freely around the boat to sit at the front, sides, rear seating area, we even got to sit on the floor at the back dangling our feet in the water which was so refreshing and very relaxing. Alex & Vasco were the perfect hosts, nothing was too much for them and we would definitely recommend you book a tour with them. Thank you Alex & Vasco for making our tour so special.
This was the highlight of our 10 day visit to Portugal. Luis and his sister were amazing-they were funny and informative and wonderful hosts. We had excellent wine and danced to the music while experiencing the beauty of Lisbon from the water. It was a special evening and I cannot recommend this enough!
Friendly and knowledgeable hosts who were great fun and made the trip an excellent experience.
Absolutely fabulous evening. From the moment we set sail until we disembarked, both Beni & Luiz looked after us. They told us about all the local history as we sailed by. We had complimentary Green Wine, which was very nice. The sunset was beautiful. 100% recommend this tour.
This exceptional 2hr sunset cruise with PalmaYachts was a highlight of our trip! Captains Bennie and her son Joao, were kind, knowledgeable, personable, and enjoyed sharing the history of their country with us and the other family on board. At every location we passed, Bennie and Joao shared the history of the site. The meeting point at Discoveries Monument made it easy for us, although the Uber didn’t listen to our directions. The boat was incredibly clean, beautiful, smooth riding, had lots of comfortable seating areas, and a clean bathroom! We loved the vino verde wine. We couldn’t be happier with our cruise and highly recommend PalmaYachts! We hope to see Bennie and Joao again. Here are some photos below that they took for us!
This was an amazing outing with beautiful scenery and a very knowledgeable crew. Bennie and John were a delight to sail with.
Antonio and Vasco were perfect hosts, making us all feel welcome and comfortable on board. Seeing Lisbon and being on the water was a great way to way to view the sights. It was a lovely evening on the boat with a small group.
We booked this the same day in the morning once we noticed all of the sailboats on the Tagus River in the evening. The sunset was truly amazing. We learned a lot about Lisbon from our guide who clearly enjoyed his job: he gave us insider tips and made sure to take beautiful pictures of our family.
We loved our sunset sailing cruise with our wonderful hosts. So interesting to learn about Portugals rich seafaring history. We were thoroughly looked after by this warm and friendly couple. Wine top ups and blankets as the sun went down!
Benny and John were our guides and they provided a great overall experience. The boat ride itself was great but the insight and background knowledge about the historical importance of many of the landmarks along the river was very much appreciated. Both Benny and John created a relaxing experience and were very personable.
A quiet, smooth ride along the Tagus River from 7-9 PM. A complimentary drink and small review of the history along the ride.
Amazing trip! Benny and Vanda could not have been better… welcoming, knowledgeable, fun, authentic. Highly recommend!!!
We had a lovely cruise with Duarte and Vasco. They were very nice and very good Skipper and Deckhand. We very much enjoyed the evening on the boot.
I had a great time. Both Mateus and Rui were very friendly and well informed. Would definitely recommend. The tour was very peaceful with great view.
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