Convento do Carmo and Archaeological Museum

The Carmo ruins are one of the most striking sights in central Lisbon and one of the easiest to fit into a half-day ashore, as long as you plan the climb and remember the museum is closed on Sundays. The Gothic nave lost its roof in the 1755 earthquake and was never rebuilt, so today you walk between the arches under open sky. The old chancel and side chapels hold the Museu Arqueológico do Carmo, a small museum run by the Association of Portuguese Archaeologists. From the ship it is about 1.7 km. The first part is flat: walk west along the river to Praça do Comércio (14 minutes) and up Rua Augusta through the Baixa. The last part is a steep climb to Largo do Carmo. You have two ways up. Walk up Rua do Carmo and Calçada do Sacramento, about 10 minutes. Or take the metro Blue Line from Santa Apolónia to Baixa-Chiado, where escalators bring you up to Chiado, a few minutes' walk from Largo do Carmo. The Elevador de Santa Justa, whose top walkway leads almost to the door, has been closed since September 2025 with no reopening date. Inside, allow 30 to 45 minutes. Walk the nave first, then the chancel rooms: Roman and medieval stone carving, the tomb of King Fernando I, azulejos and, the item most visitors remember, pre-Columbian mummies from Peru. Crowds are moderate compared with the castle or Belém, and the busiest hours are around midday. The nave is open to the weather, so expect sun or rain inside. For a short port call, combine it with Chiado and walk back down through the Baixa to the river. It is closed on Sundays, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December, which catches out many cruise passengers.