The Best Photo Spots in Lisbon, Cascais and nearby
Lisabon is a unique town when it comes to photo spots. I spent two full days in Lisbon and one day on a day excursion to Cape Roca and Cascais. To make sure you don’t miss anything, I’ve compiled a list of the best photo spots in Lisbon and nearby.
- Know Before You Go to Lisbon
- Photospots I discovered in and around Lisboa
- Recommended Apps and Gear to take Photos at Lisbon
- Is Lisbon worth visiting for Photographers?
Know Before You Go to Lisbon
If you arrive by plane, it’s easy to get to the city center. Taking the airport train, you’ll be at the city center within 20 minutes. From the final stop, you can take the metro to reach your destination or continue to Cascais, which will take you about 30 minutes.
Lisbon itself is an affordable destination. I perceived the price level to be a little bit lower than in central European countries.
But there’s one important thing to know about public transportation, especially busses. Don’t expect them to stop just because you’re waiting at the stop. I learned that the hard way while trying to get from my hotel to Christ the King statue. So if you expect a bus to stop, raise your hand.
Photospots I discovered in and around Lisbon
If I write about Lisbon in the following chapters, I’m referring to the administrative district and not only the city. I believe this is important to know because I’ve listed a few photo spots in Almada and Cascais, which are not part of the city but the administration of Lisbon.
Photospots directly in Lisboa
Monument of Christ the King (Almada)
The Christ the King statue is located in Almada. That’s a city on the other side of the river Tejo. So technically the statue is not in the city of Lisbon but in the administrative district of Lisbon.
The easiest way to get there from Lisbon is to take the Bus Line 753 from the city of Lisbon. Get off at the first stop after the bridge. Then you’ll need to walk about 15 minutes to reach the monument. Of course you can also take a taxi or a rideshare. They’ll drop you off right in front of the entrance to the monument.
To my experience, there are basically two good places to photograph the statue. One is by standing right in front of it and photographing it upwards. If the sky is a bit cloudy like in my photo below, that will result in a fantastic photo.
Monument of Christ the King in Almada
The second good spot for a picture of the statue is to photograph it from the beginning of the path leading to it.
25 de Abril Bridge, also known as the Salazar Bridge
The 25 de Abril Bridge officially opened in 1966. If you think that the bridge somehow looks like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, you’re right. The architects and engineers had a connection with San Francisco. So maybe they got their inspiration from there.
You can get a good shot of the 25 de Abril Bridge right from the Monument of Christ the King.
However, I took the photo below while hiking down from the monument to the shore. Use the trees and bushes to create a frame for the bridge.
25 de Abril Bridge connecting the city of Lisbon with Almada
Learn more about this photo technique in my article about how to use framing in photography.
Abandoned Winery in Almada
By hiking down from the Christ the King Monument, you’ll reach an abandoned harbor and winery. I didn’t see any privacy signs an some people were also exploring it. But as this is an abandoned place, please stay safe. You’ll find a few tips about staying safe during urban exploration in my summary of urbex rules.
House at the abandoned winery in Almada
To see more photos, please head over to my blog post about the abandoned winery in Almada.
From the abandoned winery, I recommend walking along the seaside until you reach the village of Ginjal. You’ll find plenty of photo opportunities along the way. It will take you around an hour to get there. From there, take the ferry back to the city of Lisbon.
Torre de Belém Lighthouse
The torre de Belém was built between 1515 and 1521. It acted as a light tower for the estuary funnel of the Tejo River to safely guide vessels that wanted to dock in Lisbon. You can visit the interior of the tower. If you plan to do so, I recommend booking your tickets in advance for the first possible timeslot of the day.
Torre de Belém Lighthouse
When photographing the Torre de Belém, use the bridge as a leading line towards the tower. Leading lines are one of the three essential photo composition techniques I recommend you familiarize yourself with.
If you’d like to flatten the sea, especially if it is cloudy, I’d recommend trying a long exposure photo. The moving clouds in the background should look outstanding with the tower in the foreground.
Triumphal Arch and aqueduct near Jardim Marcelino de Mesquita
I discovered this photo spot accidentally. It’s right next to the Jardim Marcelino de Mesquita Park. At this photo spot, a triumphal arch and aqueduct intersect. If you wait a little, you may even catch a tram passing through the triumphal arch. However, this does not seem to be one of the busy tram lines. I waited there for almost half an hour but no tram came.
Triumphal Arch and aqueduct near Jardim Marcelino de Mesquita
Photo Spots in Cascais
Devils Mouth (Boca do Inferno)
Devils Mouth in Cascais is a unique rock formation and an ideal place for long-exposure photography. As a preparation, please check my blog post about the different ways of how to take a long exposure photo with iPhone. I took the photo below with Reeheld Camera App, which allows me to take long exposure photos of up to 30 seconds without a tripod. Read more about this app in my Reeheld camera app review.
Long exposure of the rock formation at the Devils Mouth in Cascais
But before you go to the Devils Mouth, check the weather. Due to its location next to the sea, it’s exposed to wind. During heavy winds, access to this photo spot is forbidden and dangerous. It’s called “devils mouth” for a reason!
Photo Spots at the Cabo da Roca
Cabo da Roca ist the westernmost place in Europe. You can get there by taking a bus from Cascais. The trip will be around 90 Minutes and it’s definitely worth it. Because if you follow the trails to the right (facing the lighthouse) you’ll be rewarded with spectacular views and photo opportunities.
Beach at the Cabo da Roca
But be careful. These hiking paths are not secured! Use them at your own risk.
Recommended Apps and Gear to take Photos at Lisbon
I took all the above photos with my iPhone 14 Pro using either ProCamera App or Reeheld Camera App. Originally I edited these photos using Lightroom Mobile. But as I abandoned Lightroom Mobile and turned to Photomator, I re-edited them using Photomator. You can read more about why I abandoned Lightroom in my Photomator review. That’s why it took a bit longer than usual to write and publish this blog post.
Is Lisbon worth visiting for Photographers?
Lisbon is worth visiting because you’ll find various photo spots there. From old buildings to modern architecture, beaches, and unique photo spots like the Christ the King Statue and the 25 de Abril Bridge.
I recommend reserving a day and going to Cascais and from there to Cabo de Roca. You can visit both of them within a day if you leave early.
