Miradouro de Santa Luzia

Santa Luzia is the nearest of Lisbon's big viewpoints to the cruise terminal: about 400 m and 6 minutes on foot, but uphill through Alfama's lanes and stairs. Tram 28E and 12E stop outside at Miradouro Santa Luzia if you would rather ride. Miradouro das Portas do Sol is a minute or two further along the same street, so treat the two as one stop. The terrace looks over Alfama's rooftops to the Tagus, with the dome of the Panteão Nacional and the towers of São Vicente de Fora on the skyline. Unlike Portas do Sol, much of the interest here is on the terrace itself: a pergola covered in bougainvillea, benches, and tiled panels on the wall of the Igreja de Santa Luzia. If you have ten minutes, look first at the two azulejo panels on the church's south wall. One shows Terreiro do Paço, today's Praça do Comércio, with the royal palace that stood there before the 1755 earthquake; the other shows the Christian conquest of Lisbon in 1147. Then take the steps down to the lower terrace under the pergola for a second angle on the view, away from the street. Between about 10:00 and 15:00 on busy ship days, tour groups and tuk-tuk drivers gather at the entrance and Tram 28E arrives packed. Earlier in the morning is calmer. The viewpoint is free and never closes. Tuk-tuk drivers here offer rides to the castle and around the city; agree the price and route before getting in. The castle itself is about five minutes' walk uphill. What to skip: the souvenir stalls, which sell much the same as the rest of Alfama, and waiting for a tram back down when the walk to the ship takes minutes.