5 Best Sights in Avenidas Novas, Lisbon

Set in lovely gardens filled with leafy walkways, blooming flowers, and waddling ducks, the museum of the celebrated Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation houses treasures collected by Armenian oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian. The collection is split in two: one part is devoted to Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Islamic, and Asian art, and the other to European acquisitions. The quality of the pieces is magnificent, and you should aim to spend at least two hours here. English-language notes are available throughout. A walk through the gardens leads to the foundation's Modern Collection: 9,000 pieces from the 20th and 21st centuries, including sculptures, paintings, and photography. There's a café with a pleasant terrace overlooking the gardens, and a program of live outdoor music performances during the summer.

East of most of the city's sights in the sprawling Parque das Nações, Europe's largest indoor aquarium wows children and adults alike with a vast saltwater tank featuring a massive array of fish, including several types of shark. Along the way you pass through habitats representing the North Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, where puffins and penguins dive into the water, sea otters roll and play, and tropical birds flit past you. You then descend to the bottom of the tank to watch rays float past gracefully and schools of silvery fish dart this way and that. To avoid the crowds, come during the week or early in the day.

This high-profile gallery is one of the few dating back to before the 1974 revolution, presenting some of the best contemporary Portuguese artists from the 20th and 21st centuries. You may find works by big names like Paula Rego and Vieira da Silva together with pieces by emerging artists.

Families should set aside a full day to explore this deservedly popular and immaculately maintained zoo, which is home to more than 3,000 animals from more than 330 species. The grounds are huge, but visitors can leap aboard a cable car to whiz from one attraction to another. Those who don't have a head for heights can board a miniature train (not included in entrance price) that trundles around the gardens. There's a petting zoo and twice-daily animal shows (you have your pick of those featuring parrots, pelicans, dolphins, sea lions, reptiles, or lemurs). There are several cafés on the grounds, as well as picnic areas for those who prefer a packed lunch.

Way off the beaten path and far from the city center, this palace by the modern district of Benfica and on the edge of Monsanto Park is one of Lisbon’s most beautiful buildings. Built in 1670, it’s known for some of the finest examples of Portuguese tile panels, both inside the palace and outside around the garden. It's tricky to reach by public transportation, but a taxi from the Jardim Zoológico metro stop, about a mile away, will be quick and inexpensive.