Photography spots
10 best photography spots in Lisbon
Lisbon photographs unlike anywhere else – pastel facades, yellow trams climbing impossibly steep hills, blue tile-clad churches, and the Tagus river bending around the city in golden light. These 10 spots are the iconic shots.
Tram 28 on Rua das Escolas Gerais
Location: Alfama, on the route between Graca and Sao Tome
The shot: Yellow tram in motion against pastel-painted Alfama facades
- When to shoot
- Golden hour (45 min before sunset) for warm side-light
- Lens / settings
- 35-50mm equivalent for the tram-and-street perspective
- Tips
- Wait near a tram stop for the tram to pause; this gives you the static composition with the tram in frame.
Miradouro de Santa Luzia
Location: Alfama (above Largo das Portas do Sol)
The shot: Alfama’s tile rooftops descending to the Tagus, with the Igreja de Santo Estevao dome
- When to shoot
- Sunset for golden roof tile light
- Lens / settings
- 35mm equivalent for the full panorama
- Tips
- The tiled azulejo walls at this miradouro themselves are photogenic. Arrive 60 min before sunset to claim a viewpoint spot.
Pink Street (Rua Nova do Carvalho)
Location: Cais do Sodre
The shot: Looking down the pink-painted street with umbrellas hanging overhead
- When to shoot
- Morning (9-11am) when the bars are closed and the street is empty
- Lens / settings
- Wide-angle 24mm to capture the umbrellas and pink street together
- Tips
- Best shots are pre-noon. Night shots possible but very crowded.
LX Factory tunnel mural
Location: LX Factory, Alcantara
The shot: Industrial tunnel with bold street art, leading lines to vanishing point
- When to shoot
- Late afternoon (3-5pm) for sunset spill into the tunnel
- Lens / settings
- Wide-angle 24mm
- Tips
- Free area to explore. Many photogenic backdrops throughout LX Factory.
Belem Tower at low tide
Location: Belem riverfront
The shot: Manueline tower fully visible on the riverside sand at low tide
- When to shoot
- Check tide tables. Sunset golden hour with low tide is the iconic shot
- Lens / settings
- 35-70mm equivalent
- Tips
- Get there 60 min before sunset. The Jeronimos Monastery is a 5-min walk for the second iconic Belem shot.
Elevador de Santa Justa
Location: Baixa (the bottom of the lift)
The shot: Iron Gothic-revival elevator structure with the Carmo Convent ruins above
- When to shoot
- Early morning (8-9am) for empty queue and side-lit ironwork
- Lens / settings
- 24-35mm wide-angle
- Tips
- Skip the queue to climb – the view from the Carmo Convent terrace (free) is better.
Igreja de Sao Roque interior
Location: Largo Trindade Coelho, Chiado
The shot: Baroque chapel interior with gilded carvings – one of the most ornate in Europe
- When to shoot
- Mid-day (12-2pm) for the brightest natural light through the windows
- Lens / settings
- Wide-angle 16-24mm for the full chapel ceiling
- Tips
- Free entry, no flash photography allowed. The chapel of Sao Joao Baptista is the most photographed.
Castelo de Sao Jorge ramparts
Location: Castle hilltop, Alfama
The shot: Looking down over Lisbon’s pastel rooftops and the Tagus
- When to shoot
- Sunset (golden hour) for warm city light
- Lens / settings
- 35mm equivalent for the city panorama
- Tips
- Entry 15 EUR. Free Lisboa Card if you have one. Arrive 60 min before sunset.
MAAT (Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology)
Location: Belem waterfront
The shot: Curved white tile facade by Amanda Levete reflecting in the Tagus
- When to shoot
- Late afternoon (3-5pm) for clean facade light
- Lens / settings
- Wide-angle 24mm for the whole curve
- Tips
- Climb up onto the roof (free walkway). The curving lines and Tagus backdrop are iconic.
Cristo Rei from Cacilhas ferry
Location: Ferry from Cais do Sodre to Cacilhas
The shot: Lisbon skyline with 25 de Abril Bridge from Cacilhas’s south bank
- When to shoot
- Sunset (the 6:30pm ferry in summer, 5pm in winter)
- Lens / settings
- 35-70mm equivalent
- Tips
- Ferry is 1.40 EUR each way. Cacilhas waterfront restaurants are excellent dinner spots.