Belem Lisbon: the monastery, the tower, the custard tarts and the tram there

Belém is the riverside quarter of Lisbon where the Jerónimos Monastery, the Belém Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries stand by the Tagus, and where Pastéis de Belém has baked custard tarts since 1837 to the monastery's recipe. Tram 15 runs there from Praça da Figueira, the square beside the hotel on A Taste of Lisbon, the Spice Escapes hosted city break for people travelling on their own. We arrange the hotel, suggest the days and send Pam Harte with the group, so in Belém the only decision is how many tarts to eat.

Below: the sights, the tarts, the tram and the opening hours. To go with company, see the dates and book online on the A Taste of Lisbon page: 3 nights from £639, 15 Apr 2027 – 18 Apr 2027.

Jerónimos Monastery: Vasco da Gama's tomb, and where the tarts began

King Manuel I decided in 1496 to found the monastery beside the Tagus. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, and its church holds the tombs of Vasco da Gama and the poet Luís de Camões.

Pastéis de Belém: the monastery's recipe, baked since 1837

When Portugal shut its convents and monasteries in 1834, someone from Jerónimos began selling sweet pastries in a small shop attached to a sugar cane refinery next to the monastery. They soon became known as Pastéis de Belém.

Baking began in 1837 in buildings attached to the refinery. Visit Lisboa says the recipe is unchanged, known only to the master confectioners in a "secret room", and the tarts are still made by hand every day.

They belong to doçaria conventual, the egg and sugar sweets made in convents from the 15th century. One theory for all those yolks is that the whites were used to launder clothes.

Down by the river: the Monument to the Discoveries and the Belém Tower

The Monument to the Discoveries is a huge stone caravel built for the Portuguese World Expo of 1940 and made permanent in 1960, five hundred years after the death of Prince Henry the Navigator. Pick out Vasco da Gama and Magellan among the navigators, then climb to the top for the view over Praça do Império.

On the same riverside avenue, the Belém Tower was built to defend Lisbon from enemy ships. Its armed bastion juts out over the river, decorated with the royal coat of arms and the armillary sphere, and like the monastery it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Getting there: Tram 15 from Praça da Figueira, and not on a Monday

Tram 15 follows the riverfront from Praça da Figueira past Praça do Comércio, Cais do Sodré and Alcântara to Belém. The route runs modern trams because it is so busy, and carriages can be full at any time of day. For the monastery, get off at Mosteiro Jerónimos.

The tram is free with the Lisboa Card, which also covers the monastery, the tower and the monument. Worth knowing before you go:

• Monastery and tower: 9.30am to 5.30pm, last entry 5pm, closed on Mondays and a few public holidays. Lisboa Card holders book a date and time.
• Monument to the Discoveries: every day from 10am.
• Pastéis de Belém: every day from 8am, on Rua de Belém.

A Taste of Lisbon: Belém on the Saturday, company at dinner

A Taste of Lisbon is 3 nights at My Story Hotel Tejo, next to Figueira Square, with views of São Jorge Castle and restored 18th-century Pombaline woodwork.

The days are suggestions: Alfama and the old centre on the Friday, Belém on the Saturday, with a boat trip along the Tagus as an option that afternoon. The break runs Thursday to Sunday, so the Monday closing never touches it. Evenings are yours, from a quiet dinner to Bairro Alto.

Most people book on their own. Groups are around fifteen people, and some reach twenty, so there is someone to share the tarts with and company at dinner. A room to yourself carries a single supplement.

New to this? Read about travelling solo for the first time, short breaks over 50, solo holidays for the over 50s, culture holidays and Portugal.

Seville's cathedral and Kraków's salt mine, with a host

Surprising Seville is 4 nights, 4 Mar 2027 – 8 Mar 2027, from £549, hosted by Jackie Whyte. The hotel is minutes from the cathedral and surrounded by tapas restaurants, and a guided cathedral and Alcázar tour is offered as an extra.

Kraków Discovery is 4 nights, 26 May 2027 – 30 May 2027, from £589, hosted by Jackie Whyte. The hotel is a few steps from Main Market Square, and the Wieliczka Salt Mine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site like Jerónimos, is offered as an option.

Questions people ask

How do I get to Belém from central Lisbon?

Take Tram 15 from Praça da Figueira along the riverfront to Belém. For the monastery, get off at Mosteiro Jerónimos.

Is the Jerónimos Monastery open on Mondays?

No. The monastery and the Belém Tower both close on Mondays and on a few public holidays, and on other days open from 9.30am to 5.30pm.

Where were Pastéis de Belém first made?

Beside the Jerónimos Monastery, where someone from the monastery began selling pastries after Portugal closed its convents in 1834. The bakery started baking them in 1837.

How long do I need in Belém?

A full day if you want to go inside the monastery and the tower, climb the monument and sit down for tarts. A morning covers the outsides and the bakery.

Book your Belém Saturday: dates, places and who to ask

See the dates and book online on the A Taste of Lisbon page. Availability today: 7 places left.

Questions before you book? Ask for Pam Harte, the host, through our contact page, or ask Rosie, the chat on the holiday page.