What is that imposing monument jutting out of Lisbon’s shore like the sail of a man-of-war, cutting through the wind? And who are the people standing on it?

And why is Portugal filled with all kinds of maritime stuff? Why do the Portuguese talk about the Age of Exploration so much?

Well, dear traveler, Start Adventure is going to tell you. If you’ve been to Portugal or are wondering what to see and do in Lisbon, get in touch. We’ll be more than happy to tell you what’s what. Start Adventure is a travel agency, but we’re not like other travel agencies. We offer adventurous expeditions in Portugal and around the world, respecting the soul of innate travelers and free spirits such as yourself.

Padrão dos Descobrimentos is quite simply a monument dedicated to the Portuguese heroes of the Age of Exploration.

It is 50 meters (164.04 ft) tall and it’s actually quite recent, having been built in only 1940 for an exhibition about the Portuguese world… This was a strange time in Portugal, which was deeply locked in a ruthless dictatorship that praised Portuguese history and culture (well, bits of its history and culture) and took pride in ruling over its colonies.

If you’ve been to Portugal, you can probably tell that there’s a love-hate relationship going on between the Portuguese and their country. One minute they complain about corruption and lack of civility… The next minute they are telling you about how lovely the weather is and how they discovered the sea route to India during the Age of Exploration. Hold on. They still talk about that?

The Portuguese are very proud of their history, particularly when it is connected to the sea.

As you can probably tell, continental Portugal has an extensive shore of 943 kilometers (585.95 mi) and two whole archipelagos. People have lived off the sea since forever, having mastered several sea-related crafts and occupations. Fishing is one example, being that Portugal is the third largest fish consumer in the world (after Iceland and Japan). Fishing is a very hazardous job and boats would sometimes be lost at sea (they actually still do today).

The Portuguese set sail and excelled at it. The Age of Exploration had begun.

In the 15th and 16th century, Portugal engaged in intensive sea journeys, charting and chronicling oceans and territories. They established many sea routes all over the world, and it is thought that they were the first westerners to sail to India, Japan, Indonesia… And they of course colonized many parts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East during this period of global expansion and sea trade, which made them a wealthy sea power. Portugal was also one of the countries responsible for introducing the slave trade to the Americas, having been the first to buy slaves and transport them across the Atlantic Ocean.

As for nautical science, Portugal was a leader in knowledge and experience.

Its astronomers, navigators, mathematicians and cartographers (present among the crowd represented on the monument) studied how to determine latitude by the stars and studied the magnetic declination over the entire route around Africa… Those were some of the achievements of the Portuguese during this time.

Padrão dos Descobrimentos represents a nau, or carrack, a type of sailing ship developed especially for ocean-going.

The wind rose next to Padrão dos Descobrimentos is beautifully made by hand (as all Portuguese sidewalks are) in marble and limestone of different colors.

You will have to walk through it to get to Padrão, and you can take your time and enjoy walking across the different cardinal points, mermaids, fish and even Neptune —  just by the blue waters of the Tagus river.

It is 50 meters (164.04 ft) wide and it was made in 1960, still during the dictatorship (it lasted 30 years, eventually collapsing in 1975). You can find some dates and routes in this wind rose that signal important events in the Age of Exploration.

Make sure you respect the wind rose and cross it only by foot. Many people come in roller skates, bicycles and other vehicles, which is strictly forbidden so that this beautiful stonework can be preserved.

So who are the people on it?

The crowd perching on this monument has contributed with different achievements to the Portuguese Age of Exploration. There are 32 figures of about 7 meters (22.97 ft) each on the east side and the west side.

Did you know there is one woman here? The queen Filipa de Lencastre, mother of Prince Henry the Navigator.

• Bartolomeu Dias – was able to go around the southern tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope until then called the Cape of Storms;
• Vasco da Gama – established the sea route to India;
• Pedro Álvares Cabral – established the sea route to Brazil;
• Fernão de Magalhães – the first European to cross the South Pacific and circumnavigate the Earth.

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