Baixa photo guide: Praça do Comércio, the arch and the trams
Baixa is the flat, grid-shaped centre of Lisbon between Alfama and Chiado, rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake. It is the easiest part of the city to photograph and to walk, even with children.
Short answer
- Praça do Comércio is huge and open: come early for an empty square and soft light.
- The Rua Augusta Arch frames the square from the pedestrian street behind it.
- Cais das Colunas steps lead straight into the Tagus; at low tide a strip of sand appears.
- The yellow trams run on the streets around Baixa, not across the square itself.
In this guide: Praça do Comércio · The Rua Augusta Arch · The arcades · Cais das Colunas · Rossio and its fountains · Trams and the Santa Justa lift · When to go
Part of our Lisbon photoshoot guide: where to shoot, when to go and what to wear.
Praça do Comércio
The huge riverside square with yellow arcades on three sides and the statue of King José I in the middle. It faces the river, so it is bright all day; early morning is the only time it is close to empty.
The Rua Augusta Arch
The triumphal arch between the square and Rua Augusta. There is a viewing terrace on top, with a ticket, and the view from under the arch looking down the street is one of the most photographed frames in Lisbon.
The arcades
The arcades around the square give shade and repeating columns, good for portraits at midday when the square itself is too bright.
Baixa is flat and open, which makes it the easiest part of Lisbon for families with small children.
Cais das Colunas
Stone steps and two columns going into the Tagus at the river edge of the square. At low tide a small strip of sand appears.
Rossio and its fountains
Rossio square, with its wave-patterned cobblestones and two baroque fountains, is five minutes north up Rua Augusta.
Trams and the Santa Justa lift
Tram 28 crosses Baixa on its way between Martim Moniz and Campo de Ourique, and tram 15 stops at Praça do Comércio on its way to Belém. The Santa Justa lift, an iron tower from 1902, climbs from Baixa up to Largo do Carmo.
When to go
Before nine in the morning, for the light and the empty square. We usually finish city sessions here, after the Alfama viewpoints at sunrise.
Questions about Baixa and Praça do Comércio
When is the best time for photos at Praça do Comércio?
Early in the morning, when the square is empty and the light is soft. By late morning it fills with people and the sun is high.
Is Baixa good for photos with children?
Yes. It is flat, with open space by the river and shade under the arcades, so small children can run and rest between photos.
Where do the trams run in Baixa?
Several yellow tram lines pass through Baixa and the streets around it; routes and stops are on Carris. We time the shot to the tram, not the other way round.
Planning a photoshoot in Lisbon?
Tell us when you’re in Lisbon. We reply within 24 hours with a start time for the best light and a route through the places in this guide.
