Viewpoint of Santa Luzia

At the lobby of the Igreja de Santa Luzia or Igreja de Santiago¹, sheltered under the pergola of its garden, we find the Viewpoint of Santa Luzia divided into two areas, one upper which the church is a part of and a lower one characterized by a rectangular pond that remembers a swimming pool.

The lower part of the viewpoint is one of the major charms of Lisbon: of Portuguese sidewalk, cropped into small landscaped flower beds and topped by a pergola of stone and wood, coated by Portuguese traditional tile. The pink and lilac bougainvilleas mix with the green of the garden and make a truly intimate scenery.

In the lower part there's also a pergola with bougainvilleas, where the garden was replaced by the pond. It is a wider space, quietest, but less verdurous. Between the two levels is working a restaurant with terrace.

Sitting on the stone benches of the pergola we sight broadly the south margin of the Tejo² – Montijo, Barreiro and Seixal – and all the estuary of the Rio Tejo² with the Serra da Arrábida³ as background.

We are at the west top of Alfama where begins the Colina do Castelo⁴, parish of Santa Maria Maior. To our left we are still able to peek a big portion of the Neighborhood and Vale de Alfama⁵ with the Igreja de Santo Estevão⁶ standing out.

Translation references

1. Church of Santa Luzia or Church of Santiago
2. Tagus River
3. Arrábida Sierra
4. Hill of the Castle
5. Alfama Valley
6. Church of Santo Estevão