Vasco da Gama Bridge (Ponte Vasco da Gama)

Inaugurated in 1998 for the World Expo, the long and curvaceous Vasco da Gama Bridge is located in Lisbon’s rebuilt Park of Nations (Parque das Nações) district and can be seen from various points in the city. Most sailing and full-day sightseeing tours typically pass the massive bridge and discuss the feats required to create it. Many tours that venture outside the city of Lisbon also cross this bridge, bound for other popular cities and sights of Portugal.

• The Vasco da Gama Bridge(Ponte Vasco da Gama) is a must-see for all modern architecture and bridge lovers.

• There is a toll for northbound travelers only.

• Clear and sunny days provide the best views of the bridge from many points in the city.

For great views of the bridge from Park of Nations, take the metro to Oriente station.

More than 50,000 vehicles use the Vasco da Gama Bridge(Ponte Vasco da Gama) each day, so it is best to avoid rush hours, generally 8am to 1pm and 5pm to 8pm. Lisbon teems with tourists in the summer months, so visit during the shoulder seasons to avoid crowds and congestion on the bridge.

The Vasco da Gama Bridge was built for World Expo ’98, which conveniently coincided with the fifth centenary of the explorer’s India voyage in 1498. Da Gama was the the first European to make the voyage to India, and he returned a national hero who has been commemorated in numerous ways, with the bridge being the most famous. The bridge is so long that on cloudy days you can’t even see to the other side—quite like the explorer’s experience as he sailed into the unknown.