At Belém, where the Tagus (Tejo in Portuguese) meets the sea, the Portuguese caravels that charted the areas unknown to the Western world set out: Vasco da Gama to India, Ferdinand Magellan to circumnavigate the globe, and Bartholomeu Dias to round the Cape of Good Hope.

Belém emerged from the Restelo, the point of land from which the ships set sail across the so-called Sea of Darkness. The district flourished as riches, especially spices, poured into Portugal. Great monuments, including the Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery, were built and embellished in the Manueline style.

In time, the royal family established a summer palace here. Much of the district's character emerged when wealthy Lisboans began moving out of the city center and building town houses here. For many years Belém was a separate municipality. Eventually it was incorporated into Lisbon as a parish. Nowadays it's a magnet for visitors to its many museums. For most tourists, the primary sight is the Torre de Belém.