Guide to Lisbon: Visiting the Cristo Rei (Christ Statue) Monument in Almada

The Christ monument across the Tagus river from Lisbon, located in the city of Almada is a magnificent sight from downtown Lisbon but even more so in person. The giant 92 foot (28 meters) Christo Rei statue was built in 1959 to thank God for sparing Portugal from entering World War II, its design inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. Located on top of a hill, the concrete statue of Jesus Christ opens its arms to Lisbon and flaunts the city’s incredible skyline.

The statue rests on a 269 foot (82 meter) pedestal. Beneath the statue is an observation deck which an elevator takes you to and inside the pedestal is a chapel - the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Paz (Our Lady of Peace). The interior of the statue includes a shop, an eatery, two halls and another chapel.

Getting to the Cristo Rei Statue without a car is no easy feat but so worth it! You will need to take the metro to the Cais do Sodre station and from there, walk over to the ferry station in order to catch a ferry across the Tagus River to Cacilhas, a neighborhood along the banks of the Tagus River, in Almada. Once you get to Cacilhas, walk across the street from the ferry station to the bus stop and catch the number 101 bus to the monument. Alternatively, you can walk. We chose the latter and got a pretty unique experience of seeing Lisbon's skyline, the 25 de Abril bridge, and crumbling buildings along the shore.

Walking along the banks of the Tagus river, we noticed a picturesque neighborhood filled with cervejarias (pubs) that serve fresh fish and seafood. A long stretch of the bank is filled with crumbling buildings which look out of this world. Once at the elevator, you have the choice of either taking the elevator up (which costs 1 euro) or you can walk up the hill. We chose to walk up the hill.