Tower · Lisbon, Portugal
Belém Tower
Belém Tower, officially the Tower of Saint Vincent (Portuguese: Torre de São Vicente), is a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon, Portugal, which served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. Built 1515. It drew 377,780 visitors in 2022.
Photo: Alvesgaspar via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Lisbon, Portugal |
|---|---|
| Type | Tower |
| Built | 1515 |
| Architect | Francisco de Arruda |
| Height | Height: 35 m |
| Annual visitors (2022) | 377,780 |
| Coordinates | 38.6917° N, 9.2161° W |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Belém Tower is known for
Belém Tower, officially the Tower of Saint Vincent (Portuguese: Torre de São Vicente), is a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon, Portugal, which served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon.
About Belém Tower
Belém Tower, officially the Tower of Saint Vincent (Portuguese: Torre de São Vicente), is a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon, Portugal, which served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. The tower symbolizes Portugal's maritime and colonial power in early modern Europe. It was built during the height of the Portuguese Renaissance and is a prominent example of the Portuguese Manueline style, but it also incorporates other architectural styles, such as the minarets, which are inspired by Moorish architecture.
History
In the late 15th century, King John II had designed a defence system for the mouth of the Tagus that depended on the fortresses of Cascais and São Sebastião (or Torre Velha) in Caparica on the south side of the river. These fortresses did not completely protect the river's mouth, and further protection was required. In his "Chronicle of John II" (Chronica de D.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Belém Tower website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Lisbon |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Lisbon Portela Airport (LIS) |
| Distance from the airport | 7.2 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) · Lisbon, Portugal · 7.6 miles away
- Faro - Gago Coutinho International Airport (FAO) · Faro, Portugal · 134.2 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Portugal
More towers
Frequently asked questions
What is Belém Tower?
Belém Tower, officially the Tower of Saint Vincent (Portuguese: Torre de São Vicente), is a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon, Portugal, which served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon.
Where is Belém Tower located?
Belém Tower is in Lisbon, Portugal. Its coordinates are 38.6917° N, 9.2161° W.
How do I get to Belém Tower?
The nearest town is Lisbon, and the nearest airport is Lisbon Portela Airport (LIS), about 7.2 miles away (straight line).
When was Belém Tower built?
Belém Tower was built 1515.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belém_Tower — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q215003 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://torrebelem.com/ — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.