This waterfront area between Praça do Comércio and Cais do Sodré was where many of the Portuguese explorers' ships were built. Today, after a redevelopment in 2013, it's a spacious landscaped promenade that invites you to sit in the sun. The redevelopment included the recreation of an old dock, but this is essentially a contemporary public space, largely pedestrianized. The two-lane traffic separates a staircase that descends towards the water and a park that extends towards the buildings of the Portuguese Navy. Although swimming is not allowed, this is considered the "beach" of central Lisbon, and there is a kiosk with a terrace for those who want to sit and admire the scenery. Next to the terrace is a monument dedicated to artist Almada Negreiros, placed in commemoration of the 120th anniversary of his birth. An exhibition space dedicated to the Portuguese Age of Discovery will open here some time in 2016 or early 2017, with a replica of a 40-meter ship, explaining how the ships were built and how the voyages were prepared in the early 1400s to mid-1500s.
GETTING THERE: Metro: Cais do Sodré