I have noticed the large green colored blob northwest of the center of Lisbon on the map for years…read more It is labeled Parque Florestal de Monsanto and it's a park that happens to be a pinewood forest. One can see its outcropping, and its large TV towers, from Lisbon's westerly neighborhoods and also from across the Tejo, on its south shore.
Because of this panoramico, or view point, I decided to visit this "parque florestal." I expected the "panoramico" to be an obvious pullout, probably on the sloped side of the roadway, and much like Twin Peaks in San Francisco or Belvedere Camillien-Houde in Montreal. It is anything but that. That's why I missed it twice when driving by.
Panoramico de Monsanto is on the inboard side of the road. It is behind a gate flanked by two pilasters which would make you think there would be a somewhat decrepit research institute or private laboratory there. Then, when you look closely, there's a parking lot behind those open gates with a fair number of visitors' cars. You have arrived.
You might be alarmed. It is basically a disemboweled and abandoned Jetsonian view restaurant-hotel that was obviously too ambitious of an undertaking. Most of the railings and windows are either missing or damaged. It is chock full of graffiti. Because others were coming and going, I went in to look around. Once inside, the vibe is much like when Carre Otis was wandering around an abandoned hotel in Brazil in her initial international legal assignment and toward the beginning of the film "Wild Orchid." In concert with that, one might think it's:
Um lugar feo
As you wander around, you have to find staircases and ramps that would take you to different levels and ledges, all open to the outdoors. You might try to imagine where the walls and windows used to be when this place was looking as it was intended to look and was in its glory days. Not only that, as an added bonus, there is a beat-up car adjacent to the building that is also covered in graffiti. That said, it's:
Um lugar unico
This place does not evoke warm and fuzzy feelings. It's too weird for that. The only thing that makes it a little less weird is that there are others checking it out. Also, not being a conventional vista point, it keeps the sane hours of many offices, and that's probably a good thing. Overall, it's mostly:
Um lugar estranho
If you think that you will be getting a view back to the historic center of Lisbon or of the Ponte 25 de Abril, you will be disappointed. I was. That's because there are thick stands of trees blocking or narrowing the view. The only views that are fairly clear and unobstructed are of Lisbon's Amoreiras and Aqueduto areas, which are on its western side. For views of the harbor bridge, the bluffs on the south shore are a much better option.
If you have up to 4 days in the Portuguese capital, pass on this place because you will barely be squeezing in the essential things as it is. If you have more days, revisit the area, or have locals to view it with, visit the Panoramico de Monsanto. While it's a "miss" as a "miradouro," it's a "hit" for being one of the weirdest places you'll see in Lisbon, or anywhere, really. If you haven't already figured it out, all those 3 word phrases in the local lingo were leading up to 3 stars.
