Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara

This is the viewpoint to pair with Chiado, São Roque or Bairro Alto rather than a destination in its own right. It is free, open-air and needs only 15 to 30 minutes. The terrace sits at the top of the Ascensor da Glória line, which has been closed since the September 2025 accident with no reopening date, so plan another way up. From the ship it is about 2.3 km and 35 minutes on foot, with a steep final stretch. The easier route is to walk about 10 minutes to Santa Apolónia, take the metro Blue Line to Baixa-Chiado, leave by the Chiado exit and walk about 10 minutes, gently uphill, along Rua da Misericórdia. A taxi takes about 10 minutes. Climbing Calçada da Glória from Restauradores is possible but steep. The upper terrace is where you want to be. It faces east, across the Baixa to the castle walls, the Graça church and convent and, to the left, the line of Avenida da Liberdade. The azulejo panel at the balustrade identifies the landmarks. The lower garden, reached by steps, is quieter and greener but has a similar view. Because the view faces east, the light on the castle is best from mid-afternoon; in the morning you are looking into the sun. Sunset itself happens behind you, so this is not a sunset viewpoint in the strict sense, though the castle glows in the last light. Weekend afternoons and evenings are the busiest times, and the garden sometimes hosts markets and summer events that fill the terrace. The kiosk sells coffee, beer and snacks at the upper level. Skip a long sit-down if your all-aboard time is tight: the walk back to the terminal is 35 minutes, or about 25 minutes via Baixa-Chiado metro. São Roque church is two minutes' walk south, and Príncipe Real is about ten minutes north-west.