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The Parque das Nações (pronounced “na-soysh”), or “Park of Nations”, is the high-tech former site of Expo ’98. Its flat, pedestrianized walkways, lined with fountains and futuristic buildings, are in complete contrast to the narrow, precipitous streets of old Lisbon, and it is packed with locals on summer weekends. The main highlight is the giant Oceanário de Lisboa, but it also features a casino, a cable car, riverside walkways, a giant park and two of Lisbon’s largest concert venues. It is also impossible to miss the astonishing 17km-long Vasco da Gama bridge over the Tejo. Constructed in time for the Expo in 1998, it is still the longest bridge in Western Europe.
Olivais dock and the Altice Arena
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The central focus of the Parque das Nações is the Olivais dock, overlooked by pixie-hatted twin towers, and where boats pull in on Tejo cruises. The dock’s Marina (
218 949 066) offers canoeing and sailing lessons and riverboat tours. The main building facing the dock is the Pavilhão de Portugal (Portugal Pavilion), a multipurpose arena designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira, architect of the reconstructed Chiado district, featuring an enormous, sagging concrete canopy on its south side. It now hosts temporary exhibitions. Opposite here – past Antony Gormley’s weird Rhizome sculpture, a tree of cast-iron legs – is the spaceship-like Altice Arena (218 918 440, 
arena.meo.pt), Portugal’s largest indoor arena and the venue for major visiting bands (including Justin Bieber, Coldplay and Madonna) and sporting events. It also hosted the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards and the Eurovision Song Contest 2018.
Pavilhão do Conhecimento (Ciência Viva)
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Alameda dos Oceanos 218 917 100, pavconhecimento.pt. Tues–Fri 10am–6pm, Sat & Sun 11am–7pm. €9, children under 17 €7.
Run by Portugal’s Ministry of Science and Technology, the Knowledge Pavilion (Live Science) hosts excellent changing exhibitions on subjects like 3D animation and the latest computer technology, and is usually bustling with school parties. The permanent interactive exhibits – allowing you to create a vortex in water or a film of detergent the size of a baby’s blanket – are particularly good, and there’s also a cybercafé with free internet.
The best way to reach the park is to take the metro to Oriente or bus #728 from Praça do Comércio. Oriente metro station exits in the bowels of the Estação do Oriente, a cavernous glass and concrete station designed by esteemed Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
The park’s website (218 919 333, portaldasnacoes.pt) has details of the day’s events, and information about the urban art dotted round the area, from murals and graffiti art to statues and sculptures.
Waterfall of the Jardins da Água, Parque das Nações
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Jardins da Água
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The Jardins da Água (Water Gardens), crisscrossed by waterways and ponds, are based on the stages of a river’s drainage pattern, from stream to estuary. They are not huge, but linked by stepping stones, and there are enough gushing fountains, water gadgets and pumps to keep children occupied for hours.
Oceanário
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Esplanada Dom Carlos I 218 917 002, oceanario.pt. Daily: May–Sept 10am–8pm; Oct–April 10am–7pm. €15, children under 12 €10, family ticket €39.
Designed by Peter Chermayeff and looking like something off the set of a James Bond film, Lisbon’s Oceanário (Oceanarium) is one of Europe’s largest and contains some 8000 fish and marine animals. Its main feature is the enormous central tank which you can look into from different levels for close-up views of circling sharks down to the rays burying themselves in the sand. Almost more impressive, though, are the re-creations of various ocean ecosystems, such as the Antarctic tank, containing frolicking penguins, and the Pacific tank, where otters bob about in the rock pools. On a darkened lower level, smaller tanks contain shoals of brightly coloured tropical fish and other warm-water creatures. Find a window free of school parties and the whole experience becomes the closest you’ll get to deep-sea diving without getting wet.
The Teleférico and the Jardins Garcia de Orta
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telecabinelisboa.pt. Daily: June to mid-Sept 10.30am–8pm; mid-Sept to Oct & mid-March to May 11am–7pm; Nov to mid-March 11am–6pm. €4 one-way, €6 return. Children under 12 €2 single, €3.50 return.
The ski-lift-style teleférico (cable car) rises up to 20m as it shuttles you over Olivais docks to the northern side of the Parque, giving commanding views over the site on the way. It drops down to the Garcia de Orta gardens, containing exotic trees from Portugal’s former colonies. Behind the gardens, Rua Pimenta is lined with a motley collection of international restaurants, from Irish to Israeli.
The opening of Parque das Nações in 1998 celebrated the 500th anniversary of Vasco da Gama’s arrival in India. One of Portugal’s greatest explorers, Da Gama was born in Sines in 1460. By the 1490s he was working for João II, protecting trading stations along the African coast. This persuaded the next king, Manuel I, to commission him to find a sea route to India. He departed Lisbon in July 1497 with a fleet of four ships, reaching southern Africa in December. The following May they finally reached Calicut in southwest India, obtaining trading terms before departing in August 1498. The return voyage took a full year, by which time Da Gama had lost two of his ships and half his men. But he was richly rewarded by the king, his voyage inspiring Camões to write Os Lusiadas, Portugal’s most famous epic poem. Da Gama returned to India twice more, the final time in 1524 when he contracted malaria and died in the town of Cochin.
Torre Vasco da Gama
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Cais das Naus 211 107 600, myriad.pt.
Once an integral part of an oil refinery, the Torre Vasco da Gama (Vasco da Gama Tower) is, at 145m high, Lisbon’s tallest structure. The tower is now integrated into the five-star hotel Myriad by Sana, Lisbon’s answer to Dubai’s Burj Al Arab.
Parque do Tejo
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Unfurling along the waterfront for 2km right up to the Vasco da Gama bridge, Parque do Tejo is threaded through with bike trails and riverside walks. It’s also a great spot for a picnic – supplies are available in the Vasco da Gama shopping centre.
Feira Internacional de Lisboa
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Rua do Bojador 218 921 500, www.fil.pt.
Lisbon’s trade fair hall, the Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL), hosts various events, including a handicrafts fair displaying ceramics and crafts from around the country (usually in July).
Torre Vasco da Gama
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Shop
Centro Vasco da Gama
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Avda D. João II 40 218 930 600, centrovascodagama.pt. Daily 9am–midnight.
Three floors of local and international stores are housed beneath a glass roof, washed by permanently running water; international branches include Zara, Timberland, Swatch and C&A, and local sports and bookshops also feature. There are plenty of fast-food outlets and good-value restaurants on the top floor, six cinema screens, children’s areas and a Continente supermarket on the lower floor.
Restaurants
Cantinho do Avillez
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Rua Bojador 55 218 700 365, www.cantinhodoavillez.pt. Mon–Fri noon–3pm & 6–11pm, Sat & Sun noon–11pm.
The top place to eat in the Parque das Nações, this bright contemporary restaurant opens onto a great outdoor terrace and serves sublime food by esteemed chef José Avillez. The innovative menu features his trademark Portuguese dishes with a twist, such as cod served with exploding olives, Algarvian shrimp with Thai sauce and hamburger with foie gras. Mains cost from around €15.
Cantinho do Avillez
Paulo Barata/Cantinho de Avillez
D’Bacalhau
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Rua do Pimenta 43–45 218 941 296, restaurantebacalhau.com. Daily noon–4pm & 7–11pm.
If you want to sample one of the alleged 365 recipes for bacalhau – salted cod – this is a good place to come, as it serves quite a range of them from €9: bacalhau com natas (with a creamy sauce) is particularly good. There are also other dishes, including a selection of fresh fish and meat dishes from around €13.
L’Entrecôte
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Alameda dos Oceanos 1.02.12a 218 962 220. Daily 12.30–3pm & 7.30–11.30pm.
Local branch of the Lisbon restaurant famed for its fabulous steaks cooked with sublime sauces – choose from various menus starting at €10.
Senhor Peixe
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Rua da Pimenta 35–37 218 955 892. Tues–Sat noon–3.30pm & 7–10.30pm, Sun noon–3.30pm.
“Mr Fish” is widely thought to serve up some of the best fresh seafood in the Lisbon region – check the counter for the day’s catch or choose a lobster from the bubbling tank. Most dishes – from around €15 – are grilled in the open kitchen. There’s also a little fish-themed bar and pleasant outdoor tables.
ZeroZero
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Alameda dos Oceanos, Lote 2 218 957 016, www.pizzeriazerozero.pt. Mon–Thurs & Sun noon–midnight, Fri & Sat noon–1am.
This classy pizza restaurant uses Italian ingredients for its tasty pizzas (€9–15) and also serves a range of pastas, salads and quality antipasti. There’s also a bar serving prosecco and cocktails, plus an outside terrace with river views.
Bars
Azul Profundo
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Rossio dos Olivais, Quiosque 4. Daily 10am–2am, closes 7pm from Oct–April.
Overlooking the glittering docks, this sunny esplanade bar offers a good range of snacks, fruit juices and fantastic caipirinha cocktails along with inexpensive lunches.
República da Cerveja
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Jardim das Tágides 2.26.01 218 922 590. Daily 12.30pm–1am, closes midnight from Oct–Feb.
In a great position close to the water’s edge and facing the Vasco da Gama bridge, this modern bar-restaurant specializes in some fine international beers, though sticking to Super Bock will save a few euros. Steaks, burgers and sausages are also on offer (mains from €10–16), and there’s occasional live music.
Casino
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River Lounge Bar
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Myriad by Sana, Cais das Naus, Lote 2.23.01 211 107 600, myriad.pt. Daily noon–midnight.
Inside the deluxe Myriad by Sana hotel, the ultra-hip River Lounge Bar juts into the Tejo so you feel as if you’re right on the water. Cocktails and drinks are predictably expensive, but it’s worth it for the view. Frequent live music after 7pm.
Music venue
Casino
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Alameda dos Oceanos 45 218 929 000, casino-lisboa.pt. Mon–Thurs & Sun 3pm–3am, Fri & Sat 4pm–4am.
Opened in 2006, this state-of-the-art space – with its glass-cylinder entrance hall – hosts top shows from Broadway and London as well as major concerts in the performance hall, which has a retractable roof. The usual casino attractions also feature.