A little bit of Rio in Lisbon

Okay, the title is actually wrong. Rio is not located in Lisbon, but in Almada – Lisbon’s immediate neighbor on the south side of the Tagus.

The landmark of Almada is the statue of Christ the King, which can be seen from afar. However, since the statue is visually inextricably linked to Lisbon, I will now generously accept this title. I hope you’ll forgive me.

The inspiration for the construction of the 110 m high work of art (80 m high pedestal and 28 m high statue) was actually taken by the Portuguese in Rio de Janeiro. After a visit to Brazil, the archbishop at the time convinced the Portuguese authorities to build a replica of the statue if Portugal was spared from World War II. After the Second World War, in 1949, the construction of the statue began and in 1959 the imposing work of art was completed.

Almada, or rather its ferry port Cacilhas, can be reached from Cais do Sodré with the regular ferry service (departures about every 15 minutes, crossing also takes 15 minutes). The easiest way to get to the statue is by bus (no. 101). The bus station is right next to the ferry port, but it is not so easy to find the right stop, as it has countless mooring edges. Just walk around and read all the signs well (unfortunately there is no easier way to explain it).

From the “park” around the statue you can enjoy an incredibly impressive view of Lisbon and the neighboring Ponte 25 de Abril bridge. If the view from below is not enough for you, you can take the lift high up to the viewing platform at the top of the pedestal. From up there you can also see the areas south of the Tagus. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth taking the lift up to the viewing platform. The view from the bottom is impressive enough.

We made our way back to the ferry port on foot. There is a great path along the long quay wall of the Cais do Ginjal back to the ferry port. You can get down to the quay either by panoramic lift or by stairs. Since you have to pay extra for the lift, we decided to use the stairs. Once at the bottom, right next to the staircase there is a great restaurant right on the banks of the Tagus – Ponto Final. Fantastic location, idyllic ambience and good mix between run-down-stylish-chic (you know what I mean! right?). In my opinion, the hippest place in all of Lisbon.