Lisbon
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Lisbon, Portugal
 (Click links for more information)
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 | 38°42′N, 09°05′W |
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 | Photo gallery |
 | Local chartlet |
 Lisbon castle and old town - Click for larger view
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Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is situated at 38°42' north, 09°5' west, making it the westernmost capital in mainland Europe. The city occupies an area of 84.8 km2 (33 sq mIs) on the Atlantic Ocean coast where the Rio Tejo (River Tagus) flows into the Atlantic. Traces of settlement in the area have been dated back to Neolithic and subsequently Phoenician times, but it was during the Roman era in 205BC that the settlement here was formalized under the title of Olissipo. The town was occupied by Germanic tribes after the fall of Rome in the 5th century AD, then by Moorish invaders in the 8th century. The beginnings of the Portuguese nation date from the town’s capture by a crusading army in 1147 under Alfonso I, who subsequently became the first king of Portugal. Lisbon became the de facto capital just over a century later in 1256. Development followed swiftly, and the first Portuguese University was founded here in 1290 before being later transferred to Coimbra. Most of the famous Portuguese voyages of discovery started from Lisbon during the 15th to 17th centuries, including Vasco da Gama’s renowned expedition to India in 1497, which was commemorated by the endowment of the stunning Monastery of the Jeronimos. Following da Gama’s voyage, Lisbon became the hub of commerce with India, Africa, the Far East and later with Portuguese colonies in Brazil. This was a period marked by the splendid architectural style known as Manueline after the contemporaneous reign of King Manuel I. The finest examples of this sumptuous style that survive today are the Torre de Belem and the Jeronimos Monastery. Sadly, much of the other architecture of this period was lost in the devastating earthquake and tsunami of 1755, which largely destroyed the city with the loss of up to 40,000 lives.
Lisbon was rebuilt following the earthquake under the supervision of the Marquis de Pombal, first minister to King Jose I, and, due to his inspired vision, rose from the ruins to become one of Europe’s first modern cities. The city suffered again from the depredations of Napoleon’s troops at the outset of the Peninsular War in 1807, following the flight of the royal family to the Portuguese colonies in Brazil, but was liberated by allied forces under General Arthur Wellesley (later Duke of Wellington) the following year. Lisbon played a key role in the future direction of the country once again just over a century later, being the centre of the coup in October 1910 which saw the establishment of the Portuguese republic. The country remained neutral during World War II, as a result of which many European heads of state fled to Lisbon to escape the Nazis, settling in the palatial villas still to be found around Cascais and Estoril. Lisbon was again at the centre of political change during the so-called Carnation Revolution in 1974, when the authoritarian regime of the Estado Nuovo (a legacy of the Salazar dictatorship) was overthrown in favour of a modern democracy.
Subsequent milestones in Lisbon’s history include the city’s designation as European Capital of Culture in 1994. Four years later, Lisbon mounted the spectacle of Expo 1998 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Vasco de Gama’s epic voyage to India. More recently, in 2007, Lisbon hosted the summit designed to thrash out a new governance model for the European Union. Today, Lisbon is a thriving and vibrant city of 565,000 souls with a rich architectural and cultural heritage that is reflected in the inclusion on UNESCO’s World Heritage list of two of its major attractions, the Torre Belem and the Jeronimos Monastery
Visitors to Lisbon by yacht have the option of berthing at one of the out of town marinas, such as Cascais or Oeiras, and travelling into the city by the excellent train service, or endeavouring to find a berth at one of the busy marinas up the Rio Tejo (River Tagus) in the heart of the city. It’s really a choice between peaceful quiet and noisy convenience.
Charts
- British Admiralty
- 3220
- 3221
- 3222 (Rio Tejo and approaches)
- 3635
- 3263
- Portuguese
- 23202
- 23203
- 24203
- 24204
- 26406
- 26303
- 26304
- 26305
- 26306
- 26307
- 26406
- Imray
- C19
Radio Nets
Also see World Cruiser's Nets.
Local Weather
Local weather conditions?
Sources for Weather forecasts:
From the south - Round Cabo Espichel and steer for 15 miles on a course of 344º. Enter the Rio Tejo between Fort São Julião da Barra on the N shore and the Fort Bugio lighthouse in the channel to the SE.
From the north - Stay one mile off Cabo da Roca and Cabo Rasa. Continue along the coast, entering the Rio Tejo between Fort São Julião da Barra to port on the north shore and the Fort Bugio lighthouse in the channel to the SE.
If entering on the ebb, note that tidal currents can run at 2-3 knots in the river and tend to set to the south onto the shoals east of Fort Bugio lighthouse.
Check-in facilities (for Customs and Immigration)
See details of marinas below for check-in information.
Berthing options
Marinas & Yacht Clubs
Lisbon boasts a total of six marinas along the north coast of the Rio Tejo (River Tagus). However, the city seems unable to keep pace with the ever-increasing demand for berthing spaces and, as a result, many of the marinas are filled to capacity with local vessels and do not welcome visitors. The marinas in which visitors are most likely to find a berth are (in order of arrival upriver) Doca de Alcantara, Doca do Terreiro do Trigo Marina and Marina Parque das Nações. All of the entrances to these marinas are subject to a greater or lesser extent to the effects of tidal currents, especially on the ebb, and care is needed when manoeuvering.
The principal Lisbon marinas are - in order of arrival when proceeding upriver:
- The Doca de Bom Successo
38°41.5′N, 09°13′W is the first marina encountered by yachts travelling up the Rio Tejo. It lies 300 metres upriver of the famous Torre de Belem. Total berths 100. Maximum length accommodated is 12.0 metres. Maximum draft 3.0 metres. Water and electricity. Toilets and showers. Fuel quay. Boatyard with hard standing and travel hoist (30T). Try on VHF channel 12 or telephone: +351 21 3013027. In practice, however, this marina is usually filled to capacity with local boats and it is most unlikely you will be able to berth in here
- The Doca de Belem 38°41.5′N, 09°12.5′W is the second marina, about 400 metres upriver from Doca de Bom Successo. Total berths 100. Maximum draft 3.0 metres It offers similar facilities as Bom Successo and is administered by the same organisation, the Administracao do Porto de Lisboa (VHF channel 12 or telephone: +351 21 3631246). In practice, this marina is also filled with local boats and rarely accommodates visitors
- The Doca de Santo Amaro 38°41.5′N, 09°10.5′W is the third marina upriver and is again run by the Administracao do Porto de Lisboa (VHF channel 12 or telephone: +351 21 3922011). Again, it offers similar facilities to the other two, except there is no fuel quay. Total number of berths is 330. Maximum draft 4.0 metres. However, there are a number of noisy bars and restaurants here and it is almost directly under the Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge so is beset with constant traffic noise. Again, there is very little space for visitors and a berth here would only really have appeal for insomniac or profoundly deaf yachtsmen
- The Doca de Alcantara 38°42.5′N, 09°07′W is the fourth marina upriver and is similarly under the control of the Administracao do Porto de Lisboa. The marina has a total of 425 berths for yachts up to 20 metres in depths of up to 7.0 metres. Note there is no fuel berth here. Click on the link for separate Wiki entry.
- The Doca do Terreiro do Trigo 38°42.5′N, 09°07′W is the fifth marina and is situated to port just beyond the ferry terminal, close to the old quarter (Alfama). Tel 351 21 8876854. The marina has a total of 30 berths. Maximum draft 3.0 metres. No electricity. Water from the fuel berth. Diesel and petrol at the fuel berth. Card-operated security gates
- The Marina Parque das Nações 38°45.22′N, 09°05.35′W Website: www.marinaparquedasnacoes.pt (online enquiry form). This is the newest and largest marina in Lisbon. It is sited seven miles upriver, 1.5 miles below the Vasco da Gama suspension bridge and close to the airport. The marina has a total of 600 berths on finger pontoons. Maximum length 25 metres (up to 230 metres on the ‘superyacht’ pontoon). The office operates a listening watch on VHF Channel 09 or you can telephone: +351 218 985 000. Water and electricity. Toilets and showers. WiFi. Fuel station. Security (card operated). Travel lift and crane. Boatyard (4000 square metres hard standing) and all repairs. Entry to the marina via a sluice gate (open 0830 to 2030 - outside these hours tie up on waiting pontoon outside). The marina is in the former Expo 1998 exhibition area and is close to attractions such as the 145 metre high Vasco da Gama Tower, the highest in the city; the Lisbon Casino; the Vasco da Gama shopping centre and the Lisbon Oceanarium, described as a ‘live maritime museum’. From the Oriente station (10 minutes from the marina) trains and buses run frequently into the centre of Lisbon
Anchorages
The nearest safe anchorage in the Lisbon area is at Seixal 38°38.34′N, 09°06.23′W on the south bank of the river. Follow the buoyed channel and anchor where convenient in the pool of Seixal. There are regular ferries from here over to the centre of Lisbon.
Yacht Repairs and Services
Marine Stores
See marina notes.
Repairs/Yards
See marina notes.
Fuel, Water, & Electricity
See marina notes.
Things to do Ashore
Tourism
There is so much to see and do in Lisbon (there are ten museums alone) that any selection is bound to be personal. Here was ours in May 2001 Athene of Lymington:
A visit to Belem is a must for any sailor. The 16th century Torre de Belem built in a rocky islet just offshore, is very impressive, with an elaborate Renaissance loggia and terraces. The nearby Monastery of the Jeronimos was built as a monument to Vasco da Gama’s epic trip to India. The entrance gate alone is superb, but inside are wonderful, profusely decorated cloisters equal to those of Batalha Abbey, and a most impressive chapel of Santa Maria, with ornate Manueline columns and the tomb of Vasco da Gama himself. In another wing is the fascinating Museu da Marinha (Maritime Museum), which displays mementoes of Portugal’s legendary Age of Discovery and models of ships through the centuries. Of particular interest to yachtsmen is the collection of early charts and replicas of charts dating from the earliest years of exploration. Within walking distance of the Monastery is the unusual Museu do Coches, which displays a collection of coaches from the 17th to 19th centuries. Among the exhibits is an absurdly ornate and gilded collection of three used by the Portuguese embassy to the Vatican in the early 18th century and intended as a gaudy display of the nation’s prosperity. A short stroll down to the river brings you to the famous Monument to the Discoveries, erected in 1960 to mark the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator.
The Baixo district (old town) of Lisbon is fun to explore. This area represents the core of the city rebuilt under the supervision of the Marquis de Pombal after the disastrous earthquake of 1755. Many of its buildings were constructed using novel ‘earthquake-resistant’ techniques developed by Pombal’s engineers. From here, take a ride up the unique ‘elevador’ passenger lift to Chiado. The district of Chiado is mostly a shopping and residential area, but the highlight of a visit here is the church of São Roque, an astonishingly decorated Jesuit foundation with fabulously ornate chapels inlaid with multi-coloured marble and semi-precious stones. The Alfama district, the old fishing area, is also pleasant for an hour’s meandering along its steep cobbled streets and stepped walkways. Close to Alfama is the monumentally severe Se (cathedral), built like an impregnable fortress. A fifteen minute climb from here brings you to the battlements of the mediaeval Castle of São Jorge with its commanding views down over the city and the river. Back down at the river, the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (National Museum of Ancient Art) has an intriguing display of exhibits mostly despoiled from various churches and monasteries over the centuries. These include a bizarre Hieronymus Bosch painting of the Temptation of St Anthony, which prefigures the work of Salvador Dali over four centuries later, and a remarkable polyptych of the Adoration of St Vincent by Nuno Gonçalves. But the highlight of a visit here is the wonderful gold monstrances and processional crosses from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, including one presented to the Monastery of the Jeronimos by Dom Manuel I and made out of gold brought from India by Vasco da Gama. An interesting perspective on the impact of these early Portuguese explorers is provided by some beautiful 17th century Japanese namban screens illustrating some of the Portuguese arrivals in Japan.
 Monument to the Age of Discoveries |
 Monastery of the Jeronimos |
 Torre de Belem |
Grocery & Supply Stores
See marina entries.
Eateries
See marina entries.
Internet/WiFi
See marina entries.
Laundry
See marina entries.
Motorbike & Car Rentals
Garbage Disposal
Bins in all the marinas.
Transportation
Transportation (local and/or international)
Routes/Passages To/From
Popular passages/routes, timing, etc.
Cruiser's Friends
Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.
Forum Discussions
List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)
External Links
Links to relevant websites.
References & Publications
See Portugal.
Personal Notes
Personal experiences?
Last Visited & Details Checked (and updated here)
Date of member's visit to this Port/Stop & this page's details validated:
- May 2001 --Athene of Lymington 17:58, 22 March 2010 (UTC)
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Names: Lighthouse, Athene of Lymington |
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