Parish of Alcântara

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The Freguesia de Alcântara is located in the west of Lisbon. From Lisbon Cathedral (Parish of Santa Maria Maior) it is 5 km to Alcântara, along Avenida 24 de Julho, which takes just under 15 minutes.

Alcântara is the fifth least populated parish in the municipality of Lisbon.

Origin of name

Any curiosity about the origin of the name?
The word Alcântara has its name from the Arabic al-kantara, which means bridge. In Alcântara, Doca is a "place of arrival and departure of the great steamers that made history in the Atlantic crossings during the first half of this century", with a capacity for 440 boats. The "Alcântara Dock maintains an important role in the operational structure of the Port of Lisbon" [Visit Portugal].

Area and Population

A good part of its territory is covered by part of the Parque Florestal de Monsanto and the other by the Tapada da Ajuda.

With an area of 4.39 km², the parish of Alcântara currently has a population of 13,850 inhabitants (INE, 2021), being the fifth parish in Lisbon with the smallest population.

In 2011, Alcântara had a population of 13,943 inhabitants, with a slight drop in the resident population since then.

Population peak
It was during the 1950s that Alcântara had its highest population peak, when it reached just over 34,4000 inhabitants. Currently, it has less than half of that number.

Current population density
With 2,732 inhabitants per km², Alcântara has a population density well below the average of parishes in Lisbon.

Lisbon night at the Alcântara Dock

During the night, Doca de Alcântara "is surrounded by some of the most notorious nightclubs, restaurants and nightclubs in the capital and one of the liveliest places for nightlife in Lisbon" [Idem].

Where to eat in Alcântara

Cafes and Bars in Alcântara
To chat with friends or have a snack, in Alcântara there are several options of cafes and bars where spend good moments of the day or night.

Restaurants in Alcântara
On the other hand, there are several restaurants where you can taste the delights of traditional cuisine. Portuguese, European and international. Check it out below!

Find out more: Cafes, Bars and Restaurants in Alcântara

Alcântara Nights

The Parish of Alcântara, on the north bank of the River Tagus, has very lively nights with clubs that attract inhabitants of the capital and tourists looking for fun. The highlight is at Doca de Alcântara, with its bars, cafes and restaurants, one of the busiest night spots in the Portuguese capital. Lower...
Find out more: Nights in Alcântara

LX Factory, Alcântara

Former factory (founded in 1846) located in the Parish of Alcântara, the LX Factory forms a set with more than 50 shops, cafes and restaurants. During the night the excitement is even greater.
The hub created around the LX Factory is a real city within the city, and in the surroundings you will find street art, culture and incredible industrial architecture. All this just 15 minutes from the Lisbon Cathedral, on Avenida 24 de Julho.

Find out more: LX Factory, Alcântara

Alcântara Dock

An important part of the Port of Lisbon (boat trips, yachts and others), the Alcântara Docks are very busy during the day and also at night, where, in the vicinity of the Docks of Santo Amaro, many restaurants, bars and cafes attract numerous tourists and people from Lisbon in search of animation and excitement in its nightclubs.

Tourist attractions in Alcântara

With a rich and varied historical heritage and a lot of nightlife in its bars, cafes and restaurants, in Alcântara, the following attractions stand out:

• the Alcântara Docks; the best nightlife in Lisbon also happens here

• Church and Convent of Flamengas (ordered to be built by the Spanish King Filipe II);

• the Tapada da Ajuda;

• the Church of São Pedro de Alcântara;


Learn more: Attractions of Alcântara

Where to practice sports in Alcântara

Hiking, jogging and other sports can be practiced in Alcântara. See below where practice your favorite sport.

Find out more: Practice sports in Alcântara

Location

As a rectangle in the vertical position, the parish of Alcântara is located on the right bank of the River Tagus (to the south of the parish). To the north, it borders on the parish of Benfica, to northeast with Campolide, to the east with the parishes of Campo de Ourique and Estrela. To the west with the parish of Ajuda and to the southwest, with the parish of Belém (right bank of the River Tagus).

Alcântara

Small drop in resident population
With 5 km², the parish of Ajuda has a population of 13,852 inhabitants (INE, 2021). In 2011, the Parish of Ajuda had a population of 13,943 inhabitants (idem), having registered a small drop of 0.7% in its population resident during this period.

Alcântara has the fifth smallest population in the municipality (municipality) of Lisbon.

The Quarries of Alcântara

In Alcântara, in the 15th century, in addition to agriculture, stones were extracted for construction, from which the well-known stone of lioz, a beige limestone also widely found in the municipality of Sintra. This relatively rare limestone contributed a lot to the development of the economy of the parish of Alcântara in the past.

The lioz is the stone that gives the clear and illuminated tone of Lisbon. The Mosteiro dos Jerônimos is one of the buildings emblematic of the city, whose construction was made with lioz stone. Find out more: Lioz from Lisbon

A bit of history

Philippine rule over Portugal
It was in the current Freguesia de Alcântara that the troops of the Spanish king Filipe II defeated the troops Portuguese (Battle of Alcântara, in 1580) and imposed Spanish rule. Philip II of Spain then became Philip I of Portugal.

"The parish was created on April 8, 1770, with the name of S. Pedro em Alcântara because it transfer to this area what was until then the parish of São Pedro in Alfama" [JF de Alcântara].

"It was at the beginning of the 17th century that construction began on the Royal Palace of Alcântara, country royal residence, which was complemented by the Quinta Real. The palace was sold in mid-nineteenth century, and there are no significant traces of it left. Very close to this palace was the Tapada Real, later Tapada Real de Alcântara and today known as Tapada da Ajuda, which was much sought after for hunting activities" [Idem].

"The 1755 earthquake led to changes in the city. The areas of Alcântara, Belém and Ajuda, as they practically did not suffer damage from the earthquake, they became the center of the city. The king and the government came to settle in this area, attracting the nobility, civil servants, of the palace, the trade that lived off all these people, the artists and craftsmen. Junqueira was fashionable in the first half of the eighteenth century" [Ibid.].

Important streets of Alcântara

These are the major arteries that cross the parish, such as Avenida Brasília, Avenida da Índia, Avenida de Ceuta, Avenida Duarte Pacheco, Rua da Junqueira and many others.

+ Information

• Address/Address: Rua dos Lusiadas 13
• Telephone: 213 615 200
• Official Link: JF de Alcântara
• On social networks: www.facebook.com/jfalcantara/ , Instagram: @jfalcantara_
• Contact by email: secretaria@jf-alcantara.pt
• Opening hours:
  From 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday

Lisbon Region

For those who stay a little longer, discovering the surroundings and the Greater Lisbon also, it is an unmissable program.