Bristling with exotic foliage from Portugal’s former colonies, the Garcia de Orta Garden is named after a 16th-century Portuguese naturalist and pioneer in tropical medicine. Botanical rarities include Madeira’s bird of paradise and serpentine dragon tree.

Stroll the Brazilian garden, shaded by bougainvillea, silk-cotton, frangipani and tabasco pepper trees. There’s also a music garden where kids can bash out melodies on giant triangles and gongs.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Feira Internacional de Lisboa

0.13 MILES

Designed by Portuguese architects Barreiros Ferreira and França Dória, the striking, crystalline FIL is Lisbon’s premier venue for exhibitions and trade…

2. Torre Vasco da Gama

0.19 MILES

No, that's not Dubai! Shaped like the sail of explorer Vasco da Gama’s mighty caravel, this 145m-high, concrete-and-steel skyscraper was designed by…

3. Caminho da Água

0.3 MILES

Portuguese muralist Rigo designed this splash-happy boardwalk. Watch blue-mosaic volcanoes erupt spontaneously or relax on one of the wave-shaped benches…

4. Gare do Oriente

0.58 MILES

Designed by acclaimed Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the space-age Gare do Oriente is an extraordinary vaulted structure, with slender columns…

5. Oceanário de Lisboa

0.6 MILES

The closest you’ll get to scuba diving without a wetsuit, Oceanário is mind-blowing. With 8000 marine creatures splashing in 7 million litres of seawater,…

6. Pavilhão do Conhecimento

0.71 MILES

Kids won’t grumble about science at the interactive Pavilhão do Conhecimento, where they can run riot in the adult-free unfinished house, get dizzy on a…

7. Ponte Vasco da Gama

0.98 MILES

Vanishing into a watery distance, the Vasco da Gama Bridge is Europe’s longest, stretching 17.2km across the Rio Tejo.

8. Museu Nacional do Azulejo

3.48 MILES

Housed in a sublime 16th-century convent, Lisbon's Museu Nacional do Azulejo covers the entire azulejo (hand-painted tile) spectrum. Star exhibits feature…