Aqueduto das Águas Livres

Lisbon

LoginSave

The 109 arches of the Aqueduto das Águas Livres lope across the hills into Lisbon from Caneças, more than 18km away; they are most spectacular at Campolide, where the tallest arch is an incredible 65m high. Built between 1731 and 1799, by order of Dom João V, the aqueduct brought Lisbon its first clean drinking water. Its more sinister claim to fame is as the site where 19th-century mass-murderer Diogo Alves pushed his victims over the edge.

Another of the best places to see the aqueduct is in the leafy Praça das Amoreiras next to the Mãe d'Água.

Contact Lisbon's Museu de Agua (details are on the EPAL website) for guided tours and information in season.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • The Jeronimos Monastery or Hieronymites Monastery is located in Lisbon, PortugalThe Jeronimos Monastery or Hieronymites Monastery is located in Lisbon, Portugal 470603956 European Culture, Travel, Tourism, Portuguese Culture, Belem, Convent, Christianity, Religion, Gothic Style, Medieval, History, Spirituality, Ancient, Old, Cultures, Famous Place, Architecture, Travel Destinations, Lisbon - Portugal, Portugal, Europe, Monastery, Church, City, Jeronimos, manueline, hieronymites, UNESCO World Heritage Site

    Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

    2.89 MILES

    Belém’s undisputed heart-stealer is this Unesco-listed monastery. The mosteiro is the stuff of pure fantasy: a fusion of Diogo de Boitaca’s creative…

  • Palace of Sintra (Palacio Nacional de Sintra) in Sintra in a beautiful summer day, Portugal; Shutterstock ID 570271885; Your name (First / Last): Tom Stainer; GL account no.: 65050 ; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Best in Travel 2018

    Palácio Nacional de Sintra

    13.06 MILES

    The star of Sintra-Vila is this palace, with its iconic twin conical chimneys and lavish, whimsical interior, which is a mix of Moorish and Manueline…

  • Lisbon, Portugal, The Castelo de Sao Jorge 99657044 architecture, attraction, brick, capital, castle, citadel, city, facade, flag, fort, fortress, guard tower, historically, history, lisbon, medieval, mediterranean, metropolis, monument, moors, old, old building, old city, portugal, portuguese, protection, sao jorge, sentry, sky, stone, structure, sun, tourism, tower, view, viewpoint, wall, yellow

    Castelo de São Jorge

    1.97 MILES

    Towering dramatically above Lisbon, these mid-11th-century hilltop fortifications sneak into almost every snapshot. Roam its snaking ramparts and pine…

  • August 22, 2017: People stepping to the sidewalk in order to let the street car pass in the streets of Lisbon. 755689225 urban, tourist attraction, city center, pedestrian street, street tramway, front view, classic, horizontal, lisboa, old, old fashioned, people, portugal, portuguese, rail, rail transport vehicle, summer, tourism, transport, travel, yellow, alfama, busy, cable car, campo ourique, capital, center, city, cobblestone street, day, electric, famous, journey, known, line, martin moniz, moving aside, moving away, pavement, prazeres, sidewalk, sightseeing, stepping away, street, streetcar, sunny, tourists, tram, trolley car, unique

    Alfama

    2.29 MILES

    Wander downhill (to save your legs) through Alfama's steep, narrow, cobblestoned streets and catch a glimpse of the more traditional side of Lisbon before…

  • Lisbon, Portugal - December 4, 2022: National Museum of Ancient Art, Portuguese national art museum. 1473948696 antiga, arte, mnaa, building, capital, culture, de, europa, european, exterior, famous, heritage, historic, historical, landmark, lisboa, museu, nacional, national, portuguese, traditional, unesco, view

    Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga

    1.54 MILES

    Set in a lemon-fronted, 17th-century palace, the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga is Lapa’s biggest draw. It presents a star-studded collection of European…

  • Regaleira Estate, Sintra

    Quinta da Regaleira

    13.35 MILES

    This magical villa and gardens is a neo-Manueline extravaganza, dreamed up by Italian opera-set designer, Luigi Manini, under the orders of Brazilian…

  • Tram on line 28 in Lisbon, Portugal 1062344028 Bus, Photography, View, Famous Place, Tower, Ancient, Architecture, Icon, Vintage, Old-fashioned, Rail, Transportation, Tourist, Built Structure, History, Downtown District, 28, Tour Bus, Rail Transportation, Heritage, House, Lane, Cultures, Tourism, Tramway, Outdoors, Horizontal, Portugal, Tour, Portuguese Culture, Train, Traffic, Travel, Residential Building, Building, Cable Car, Symbol, Europe, Landscape, Yellow, Lifestyles, Lisbon, Line, Street, Custom, City, Famous, Town

    Tram 28E

    1.82 MILES

    Don't leave the city without riding popular tram 28E from Largo Martim Moniz. This rickety, screechy, gloriously old-fashioned ride from Praça Martim…

View more attractions

Nearby Lisbon attractions

1. Estufas

0.61 MILES

Tucked away in a pocket of Parque Eduardo VII, this trio of glasshouses nurtures tree ferns and camellias in the estufa fría (cool greenhouse), coffee and…

2. Praça das Amoreiras

0.63 MILES

One of the best places to see the Águas Livres aqueduct is in the leafy Praça das Amoreiras.

4. Mãe d’Água

0.69 MILES

The king laid the Aqueduto das Águas Livres’ final stone at Mãe d’Água, the city’s massive 5500-cu-metre main reservoir. Completed in 1834, the reservoir…

5. Jardim Amália Rodrigues

0.7 MILES

This tiny pocket of pond-dotted greenery, named after the famous fadista (fado singer), is home to Fernando Botero's voluptuous bronze sculpture…

6. Casa Fernando Pessoa

0.71 MILES

Immerse yourself in the life and work of Portuguese modernist founder and author Fernando Pessoa as you wander through his old apartment, browse through…

7. Parque Eduardo VII

0.78 MILES

An urban oasis with British roots, Parque Eduardo VII is named after his highness Edward VII, who visited Lisbon in 1903. The sloping parterre affords…

8. Cemitério dos Ingleses

0.81 MILES

Overgrown with cypress trees, the Cemitério dos Ingleses was founded in 1717. Expats at rest here include Henry Fielding (author of Tom Jones), who died…