In Belém (situated west of the city along the river) lies Lisbon’s, and possibly Portugal’s, most important historical monument. Here you can see an opulent church and cloistered garden built in the elegant Manuelian style at the beginning of the 16th century, when Portugal was a great seafaring power. Within walking distance of many other sights, the Gothic Jerónimos Monastery is a must-see on any itinerary.

Further inland, in the southern part of the island, lie the so-called masticochoria (mastic villages). These well-preserved, fortified villages date from the 14th-16th centuries and were centres for the cultivation of mastic. Mastic is the sweet-tasting gum of the lentisk bush, which was exported all over the Mediterranean – and the area still produces around 300 tonnes of mastic every year. The most picturesque villages are Pyrgi, with its houses decorated in black and white geometric patterns called xysta Mesta, where towers and walls surround a baffling labyrinth of village streets as well as Olympoi and Vessa are all a worth a visit.

Club Intramuros Golf Course is an amazing, but somewhat short, 18-hole course in the heart of the city and surrounding Fort Santiago. You can completed the course in less than two hours. Enjoy a good game while admiring the excellent scenery and if the hunger kicks in, there is a restaurant in the area.