Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

The Mosteiro dos Jerónimos was commissioned by King Manuel I in 1501, funded by the 5 % "pepper tax" on Vasco da Gama's spice-trade returns. Built over 100 years and finished in 1601, it is the largest example of Manueline architecture in Portugal — UNESCO-listed alongside the Belém Tower. Vasco da Gama and the poet Luís de Camões are buried in the church; the cloister is widely considered the finest in Iberia.

The visit splits in two: the church (Santa Maria de Belém) is free; the cloister requires a ticket (€12, or €16 combo with Belém Tower). The cloister's two storeys of Manueline arches, the tomb chapel, and the upper-level chorus are worth the queue. Allow 75 minutes. Sundays before 14:00 are free — but Portuguese residents fill the queue from 09:00.

Belém works as a half-day outing: arrive at 09:30, do Jerónimos (1.5 h), grab three Pastéis de Belém (€1.40 each, still made by the 1837 recipe), then walk down to the Torre de Belém (10 min) and the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (5 min). Closed Mondays. Bus 728 or tram 15E back into central Lisbon.