Almada Waterfront, Portugal
"Almada Waterfront, Portugal"" Painting by Gary Smith

Almada Waterfront, Portugal

December 2021   •   Oil on Board   •   9" x 12"

This is a painting of the waterfront in Almada, Portugal, located on the opposite side of the Tagus River from Lisbon. We took a ferry to the port of Cacilhas and explored this area in 2017.

In decades past, Almada was a center for shipbuilding, and the evidence remains in the many now-abandoned warehouses and other industrial buildings that line the water's edge. But revitalization is coming, and a sprinkling of restaurants such as Ponto Final already draw locals and tourists for fresh seafood and great views.

The enormous bridge that links Lisbon to Almada was built by the same American company that constructed the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Originally named after Salazar, Portugal's dictator from 1932 to 1968, the bridge was renamed the 25 de Abril Bridge to honour the date of Carnation Revolution in 1974 that lead to the restoration of democracy.