In Belém, the river Tagus widens toward the Atlantic, and the whole district has the feel of a farewell. This was where Portuguese ships left for India, Brazil and the spice islands, and where the returning ones anchored, laden with pepper, cinnamon and gold. A good deal of that wealth went into building. The Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, begun in 1501 under King Manuel I and paid for in part by a levy on the spice trade, and the Tower of Belém, finished in 1519, are the twin pillars of a style that takes its name from the king, Manueline, with carved ropes, anchors, armillary spheres and exotic plants in stone. Together they were listed by UNESCO in 1983.
The riverside is the place to get a sense of it. A long promenade runs from the tower past the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, a monument shaped like the prow of a caravel with Prince Henry the Navigator in front, opened in 1960, and along the shore towards the great red suspension bridge, the Ponte 25 de Abril, which resembles the Golden Gate. Behind them, in the pastry shop on Rua de Belém, the custard tarts have been baked to a secret recipe since 1837, and the queue at the door is a part of the experience.
Lisbon is a good place for a bike and a bad place to park one. The streets climb in steep, cobbled lanes, and the old trams, rails and wet stone are treacherous in the rain. In Belém, the roads are wide and flat and easy, with free or cheap places for motorcycles near the river, but check the signs because the police do ticket. The riding is all about leaving town. The coast road west towards Cascais, past Estoril and the Atlantic beaches, is a joy, and then the road to Sintra, which climbs into misty hills with palaces and forest, is part of the same ride list.
Fuel is easy in a metropolis of this size, and stations along the Marginal, the main coast road, are frequent. In summer the Atlantic fog can roll in over Cascais in the afternoon, so the temperature drops sharply.
Come early in the day, before the coach tours arrive, and finish with a coffee and a pastel de nata on the benches near the river.