Torre de Belém

Francisco de Arruda built it between 1514 and 1519 on a small island in the Tagus to guard the harbour mouth; the river has shifted since, and today it stands almost on the shore. It is the great military work of the Manueline style, with balconies, domed watchtowers, crosses of the Order of Christ and a rhinoceros carved in stone.

It was closed for a year of restoration and reopened on 27 May 2026 with a new entry system: half-hourly slots of about 60 people at most, to avoid jams on its narrow spiral staircase.