Santuário de Cristo Rei

Cristo Rei (Christ the King) is the huge statue with outstretched arms that you see from almost everywhere in Lisbon, standing on the south bank of the Tagus in Almada. It faces the city across the river, right beside the south end of the red 25 de Abril bridge. For children, the thrill is that you can go inside it: a lift takes you up the hollow pedestal and a narrow spiral staircase brings you out on a terrace at the statue’s feet, 84 metres above the ground.

It’s also a working Catholic sanctuary, so there are chapels, Masses and pilgrims as well as tourists. The grounds are free to walk round, and you only pay for the lift.

The whole monument is 110 metres tall. The statue of Christ is 28 metres and stands on a pedestal of 82 metres. The base is a square 25 metres along each side, and the pedestal is made of four arched pillars that point to north, south, east and west. The heart on the statue’s chest alone is 1.89 metres tall, taller than most adults. The sanctuary says the monument stands on a hill 113 metres above the river.

Some numbers to try on a child: building it used about 40,000 tonnes of concrete. The pedestal went up layer by layer using moving moulds, so the scaffolding was part of the structure, and then the statue itself was shaped by hand, more than a hundred metres off the ground.

Inside the base is a round room, and if you look up through an opening in the ceiling you can see the 80-metre lift shaft running up to the top. The lift takes up to 14 people at a time plus the operator. On the way up, 17 metres from the ground, there’s a painting of Jesus rising to heaven.

At the top, 74 steps of a tight spiral staircase lead to the Capela dos Confidentes, a small chapel, and the terrace at 84 metres. From there the sanctuary says you can see about 20 kilometres in every direction: the Sintra hills and Lisbon’s old neighbourhoods and monuments to the north, and the Arrábida hills and Cabo Espichel to the south. The bridge and its traffic are laid out below you. Look up and the statue towers another 28 metres above your head.

The terrace has a hand-painted tile panel of about 200 square metres. Under the statue’s feet, the words “God is love” are written in 16 languages, which makes a good game: how many can your family read?

Back at ground level, your ticket also covers the Sala Multimédia Cardeal Cerejeira, where a seven-minute film tells the story of how the monument was built.

In October 1934, Lisbon’s Cardinal Cerejeira flew over Rio de Janeiro and saw the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer on its mountain. He decided Portugal should have one facing Lisbon. When the Second World War began, Portugal’s bishops met at Fátima on 20 April 1940 and promised that if Portugal was kept out of the war, they would build the monument as a thank-you. Portugal stayed neutral, and the land was bought in 1941.

Children helped pay for it. A fundraising campaign called the “Pedras Pequeninas” (little stones) collected money from Portuguese children from 1939 to 1958. The first stone was laid on 18 December 1949, and the monument opened on 17 May 1959 in front of about 300,000 people. The statue is by the sculptor Francisco Franco, and the architect was António Lino.

You don’t need a ticket for the grounds. In front of the monument stands the Cruz Alta, a tall cross that stood at the Fátima sanctuary from 1951 to 2004 before it was brought here, and a four-metre statue of Mary. Along the viewpoint, the 14 Stations of the Cross are made from iron crosses lying half down, each with a bronze panel.

The main door, added in 2016, is worth a look with children. In the middle, Jesus as the Good Shepherd carries a lamb, and ten bronze sheep walk in towards the door behind him. On the left are Moses’s sandals, left outside because he was standing on holy ground. Around the four arches are bronze panels and statues of the four gospel writers.

Inside the base is the Chapel of Our Lady of Peace, open to all. There are two shops, a kiosk by the viewpoint and a café in the grounds.

The lift ticket covers the Capela dos Confidentes, the terrace and the film room. When checked in September 2026 it cost €10 from age 13, €3 for ages 8 to 12, and nothing for children up to 7. There’s a large-family ticket through the Portuguese Association of Large Families (APFN). Residents of Almada go free on weekdays, not at weekends. Visitors with a disability of 60% or more go free with one companion, but the spiral stairs make the terrace impossible for wheelchairs.

Tickets are only sold at the sanctuary, not online, and they can’t be refunded. Keep yours until you leave the monument.

Organised groups, including schools, ATLs (after-school and holiday clubs) and non-profit associations, pay €3 each if they book at least 72 hours ahead by email to bilheteira@cristorei.pt, for groups of up to 80. A homeschool co-op set up as an association could ask.

The sanctuary is open every day: 10:00 to 18:00 from October to March, and 10:00 to 19:00 from April to September. The last lift goes up 20 minutes before closing, and the sanctuary warns that it may stop access earlier when the monument reaches capacity. Mass is at 11:30 and 17:00 on Sundays and at Christmas.

Two rules matter for families. You can’t take suitcases, backpacks, large bags, water bottles or cans into the monument, so leave the changing bag in the car or carry the essentials in a pocket. And because it’s a place of prayer, swimwear, beachwear, very short clothes and bare chests are not allowed, which the sanctuary enforces especially in summer. Don’t come straight from the beach in swimming things.

The spiral stairs at the top are narrow, and some children and adults find them uncomfortable. A buggy has to stay below. The terrace is high and open, so hold small children’s hands and expect wind.

Getting there from Lisbon is part of the fun. Take the ferry from Cais do Sodré across the river to Cacilhas, then Carris Metropolitana bus 3001, which runs from Cacilhas terminal up to the sanctuary. If you drive, parking is a €2 flat rate.

In Cacilhas, where the ferry comes in, the wooden warship Fragata D. Fernando II e Glória sits in a dry dock with a submarine on the same ticket. Along the river from there, Ponto Final has tables by the water and Lisbon across the Tagus. Children who loved the bridge view can see the bridge from the inside at the Pilar 7 Bridge Experience in Alcântara, or climb beneath it at Escala 25.

How much does Cristo Rei cost for children?

Nothing for children up to 7 and €3 for ages 8 to 12, when checked in September 2026. From 13 it’s €10. The grounds, chapel and viewpoint are free.

Can you take a buggy up Cristo Rei?

No. The lift is followed by 74 narrow spiral steps, so buggies stay at the bottom. Bring a carrier for a baby.

Can you bring a backpack?

No. Backpacks, large bags, water bottles and cans aren’t allowed in the monument.

How do you get to Cristo Rei from Lisbon without a car?

Take the ferry from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas, then bus 3001 from the Cacilhas terminal to the sanctuary.

Can you book tickets online?

No. Tickets for the lift and terrace are only sold at the sanctuary, so on busy days arrive early.