Padrão dos Descobrimentos

Overview

The Padrão dos Descobrimentos is a 52 m waterfront monument shaped like the prow of a caravel, honouring the Portuguese navigators, cartographers, and patrons who launched the Age of Discoveries. A rooftop terrace offers river panoramas.

Highlights

• 33 figures: Prince Henry the Navigator at the prow, followed by Vasco da Gama, Magellan, Cabral, and others carved in limestone.
• Rooftop terrace: Panoramic views over the Tagus, the 25 de Abril Bridge, and a giant compass-rose mosaic on the plaza below.
• Exhibition hall: Rotating exhibits on Portuguese maritime history.

History

Originally built as a temporary structure for the 1940 Portuguese World Exhibition, the current reinforced-concrete version was inaugurated in 1960 on the 500th anniversary of Henry the Navigator's death.

Visitor Tips

• Compass rose: View the 50 m marble compass rose (a gift from South Africa) inlaid in the plaza pavement.
• Combined ticket: Discounts available with Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery.
• Duration: 30–45 minutes.