Miraduro das Portas do Sol

Miradouro das Portas do Sol is another viewpoint in the beautiful Lisbon, situated in the district of Alfama. You can get there by hopping on one of the typical yellow trams. You will recognize this viewpoint by a tall palm tree in the middle of the typical rooftops, and the view of the Tagus river in the distance.

This is one of those places, where your first thought, when you see the view, is not 'Oh, let's take a photo', but you simply admire the beautiful view. In fact, this miradouro was my favourite one in the whole Lisbon. Maybe you will understand why, when you will see the view. There are some benches, made out of stone, so you can sit down.

The location of this miradouro is somehow special. If you would like to see the view in the full sunlight, you have to get there before noon or in the early afternoon, because the shadow falls on this area very early ( at about three o'clock ). Just before the shadow falls, the light is the most beautiful and bright.

Miradouro das Portas do Sol can be a great starting point for exploring the narrow streets of Alfama. Typical old houses in Alfama have ceramic azulejos on the wall, and some of them are a great work of art. (When I was studying at Escola Superior de Educacao in Lisbon, I had a subject, where we were doing typical Portuguese things, and we tried to do azulejos once. The procedure itself is not very complicated, but for more complicated shapes, you really have to work hard).

There are also some nice souvenir shops in Alfama. I heard some people saying, that Alfama is not a very safe area and that I should avoid it, but I walked on its streets many times, even by myself, and I did not feel unsafe at all.