Jardim Botânico

Príncipe Real, Santos & Estrela


Nurtured by green-fingered students, the Jardim Botânico is a quiet, 1500-species pocket of lushness fresh off a €500,000 renovation that mostly improved infrastructure but also included a new amphitheatre. Look out for Madeiran geraniums, sequoias, purple jacarandas and, by the entrance (upper-level gardens), a gigantic Moreton Bay fig tree. It's also worth a peek inside the butterfly house.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Príncipe Real, Santos & Estrela attractions

1. Jardim do Príncipe Real

0.09 MILES

Shaded by a giant cedar tree, this is a relaxing shady plaza with an al fresco cafe for watching the world go slowly by. The surrounding district is…

2. Praça da Alegria

0.2 MILES

Swooping palms and banyan trees shade tranquil Praça da Alegria, which is actually more round than square. Look out for the bronze bust of 19th-century…

3. Convento dos Cardaes

0.21 MILES

The inconspicuous, graffitied white facade of this 17th-century fort-like convent contrasts with the rich blue-and-white tiles and gilded carvings of the…

4. Praça das Flores

0.22 MILES

One of Lisbon's loveliest squares, Praça das Flores is a leafy gem surrounded by some of Príncipe Real's trendiest hot spots.

5. Convento de São Pedro de Alcântara

0.27 MILES

This convent is small in size but grand in baroque decor. The inconspicuous box-like facade hides a chapel (1690s), and a church (1681) that survived the…

6. Casa-Museu Medeiros e Almeida

0.3 MILES

Housed in a stunning early-19th-century mansion, this little-known museum presents António Medeiros e Almeida's exquisite fine- and decorative-arts…

7. Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara

0.32 MILES

Hitch a ride on vintage Ascensor da Glória from Praça dos Restauradores, or huff your way up steep Calçada da Glória to this terrific hilltop viewpoint…

8. Casa Museu de Amália Rodrigues

0.34 MILES

A pilgrimage site for fado fans, this is where the Rainha do Fado (Queen of Fado) Amália Rodrigues (1920-99) lived; note the calçada portuguesa …