Cacilhas
Cacilhas is located on the south side of the River Tagus south of Lisbon across from Belem Tower and the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos in Belem.
The easiest way to access Cacilhas is on the ferry from Cais do Sodre, which takes around 10 minutes and makes the crossing roughly every 15-20 minutes.
The main draws in Cacilhas for visitors to Lisbon are the excellent views of the city and the Ponte 25 de Abril Bridge from the boat and the south bank of the river, the colossal statue of Cristo Rei and the excellent seafood restaurants either on the banks of the river or a little further back in the little town near the ferry port.
Recommended seafood restaurants in Cacilhas include the riverside Cervejaria Farol, the Restaurante O Cacilheiro De Afonso Gonçalves, and the Japanese-style Sakana Sushi all along Cândido dos Reis near the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Bom Sucesso.
The statue of Cristo Rei (Christ the King) is inspired by the more famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The cement statue was finished in 1959 as part of a church during the Salazar period of Portuguese history. An elevator takes visitors 80 meters up to a viewing area with spectacular views of Lisbon, the River Tagus and the Ponte 25 de Abril Bridge. The statue was supposedly built to give thanks for the nation having avoided the horrors of World War II. To get to Cristo Rei take a #101 bus from near the ferry port.
The Elevador Panorâmico da Boca do Vento is a new elevador lift up to the old district of Almada again with fantastic views of Lisbon and the River Tagus on clear days.
Around the ferry terminal are two naval vessels on display. One is a rather rusty submarine, the Submarino Barracuda, the other is the more noteworthy Dom Fernando II e Glória, a wooden, 50-gun frigate of the Portuguese Navy restored in the 1990s to her glory days of the 1850's. The ship was Portugal's last sailing warship and was built in the Portuguese colony of Daman, north of Goa in India, in 1843.
Cacilhas is a terminus for the Metro Transportes do Sul (MTS), a light rail/tram network that connects south to Pragal and Corroios stations where there are links with the Fertagus commuter line north to Sete Rios in Lisbon and south to Setubal Station in Setubal.
Cacilhas is also a good starting point to head to the beach resort at Caparica.
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