Cais das Colunas
Cais das Colunas (the Quay of the Columns) is the stone stairway from Praça do Comércio down into the River Tagus, between two columns, south of the statue of King José I. Finished in 1797, it was the city’s ceremonial entrance from the water. It is free to visit, 2 minutes’ walk from the centre of the square.
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What Cais das Colunas is
Cais das Colunas is the flight of stone steps that runs from Praça do Comércio down to the Tagus, between two columns. It was built as Lisbon’s ceremonial entrance for people arriving by river.
It is in the middle of the south side of the square, between the statue of King José I and the river. The name comes from the two columns either side of the steps.
The square opens in a U to the south, and the quay is where it meets the water. From the top of the steps the Rua Augusta Arch is visible in the distance, behind the statue.
History of Cais das Colunas
The quay was part of the rebuilding of the square after the 1755 earthquake and was finished in 1797. Since then the columns have fallen and come back, and the quay was taken apart for the metro works.
1797
The quay is finished and becomes known as Cais das Colunas.
1858
Queen Estefânia lands at the quay for her state reception on the square. Prints of the time show slender cylindrical columns, one topped by an urn and the other by a fire basket.
Late 19th century
One of the columns falls, and the other is taken down soon after because it was unsafe.
1903
The royal barge carrying King Edward VII comes alongside the quay. The columns are already back.
1957
Queen Elizabeth II lands at the quay. An inscription records the visit.
1997
The quay is removed for the metro works, and a temporary infill covers the riverside in front of the square.
2008
The columns go back in place, eleven years later.
2021
The temporary infill between the quay and the old Sul e Sueste station goes, and the Muro das Namoradeiras is rebuilt.
The Muro das Namoradeiras
The Muro das Namoradeiras (the sweethearts’ wall) is the row of stone seats set in facing pairs beside Cais das Colunas. The seats look out over the Tagus.
The wall was taken apart during the metro works. In 2021, the Lisbon tourist board, at the city council’s request, put it back together from more than 400 stones that had been stored at the metro’s site in Pontinha.
The 8 street lamps taken away at the same time went back too, and the temporary infill between the quay and the old Sul e Sueste station was removed. The riverside got back the layout it had before the works.
Sunset at Cais das Colunas
The quay faces south, towards the Tagus and its south bank. In the evening the sun sets to the right as you look at the river, towards Cais do Sodré and the river mouth.
The seats of the Muro das Namoradeiras, beside the quay, face the river.
To see the river from higher up, there is the viewpoint on top of the Rua Augusta Arch, open every day.
Tides and safety on the steps
In Lisbon the Tagus rises and falls with the tide, by up to about 3 m between low and high water. So how much of the stairway is out of the water changes through the day.
How to get to Cais das Colunas
The quay is 100 m from the statue, 2 minutes on foot. From the centre of the square, head south and cross the riverside road at the pedestrian crossing in front of the steps.
The riverside exit of Terreiro do Paço metro station is 4 minutes’ walk from the quay. Trams and several bus routes also stop on the square.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called Cais das Colunas?
The name means the Quay of the Columns, after the two stone columns either side of the steps, on the river side of the square. The quay was finished in 1797 as the square’s quay and became known by its columns. The ones you see today went back in 2008, after the metro works.
Who landed at Cais das Colunas?
The quay was Lisbon’s ceremonial entrance for people arriving by river. Queen Estefânia landed there in 1858 for her state reception on the square, King Edward VII in 1903 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1957. An inscription records Elizabeth II’s visit.
Why were the columns of Cais das Colunas removed?
In 1997, the works to take the metro on to Santa Apolónia meant removing the quay and building a temporary infill in front of the square. The columns went back in 2008. The infill was only removed in 2021, when the Muro das Namoradeiras was rebuilt beside the quay.
Where can I watch the sunset at Praça do Comércio?
At Cais das Colunas and on the seats of the Muro das Namoradeiras beside it, facing the Tagus. The quay faces south, and the sun sets to the right, towards Cais do Sodré. The lower steps are wet from the tide, so it is best to stay on the upper ones.
Can you walk down to the water at Cais das Colunas?
Yes. The steps go down into the river, and access is free. The water rises and falls with the tide, by up to about 3 m, so the number of steps above the water changes through the day. Wet steps are slippery and there is no handrail.