Jerónimos Monastery

King Manuel I founded the Jerónimos Monastery in 1501, near the spot where Vasco da Gama had set sail for India, and paid for it largely with the profits of the spice trade. Its long limestone façade and two-storey cloister are carved with ropes, sea creatures and exotic plants, the Manueline style at its finest.

Inside the church lies the tomb of Vasco da Gama, a reminder of the voyages that first linked Portugal and India by sea. The poet Luís de Camões, who wrote Portugal's great epic of that voyage, also has his tomb here, and the cloister is one of the most beautiful in Europe.

Queues can be long in summer, so go early or late in the day. The monastery is a short walk from Belém Tower, and we visit the two together.