Belém: Where People Really Go When They Go to Lisbon

In our short experience with Lisbon, we realized pretty quickly that the "big sights" were actually a bit outside of the main city in the historical port of Belém.  This was the place where all the ships during the height of the age of discovery set off down the coast of Africa.  So, Belém is the place with all the big memorials to exploration, the old port tower, and of course, the amazing Jerónimos Monastery.

This monastery, I mean, wow.  First, it's blindingly white and absolutely huge, covered in the most intricate carvings and elaborate columns and arches.  Which, you know, is fitting since it was pretty much funded by the huge influx of money Portugal got from importing spices in the 15th century.

I remember being particularly in love with how every column was completely unique, but the entire place as a whole still came together without looking absolutely insane.  It was hands down the most amazing place we saw in Portugal.

Right in front of the monastery, where the sailors would have their last mass before heading off into terra incognita, you can walk across a giant plaza covered in Lisbon's famous black and white mosaics and toward the giant Monument to the Explorers and the Tower of Belém.

For such a hugely important place, it's actually not super easy to get to - we ended up taking a taxi, actually, but it's totally worth it!  

And, after you see it all, get a little sunburned, and learn waaaaay more about the age of exploration than you ever could have imagined, you can go to the little, famous bakery next to the monastery and get yourself some Pasteis de Belém - the pastry of Portugal, a little custard filled tart that is kind of mind-blowing.  Sit out under the trees (because shoot, it's hot there), and take it all in.