A half hour drive south of Lisbon brings you to a region connected to the capital by two bridges and a modern train and yet has escaped mass tourism, for now. Within the peninsula are the Arrabida Natural Park and its cliff edge coastline curving from one spectacular view to another. Below beaches nestle along its southern side. The west side of the peninsular has kilometres of beaches from Caparica to Sesimbra with good waves for surfing.
Setubal city possesses the faded grandeur of a prosperous past. A miniature Lisbon with pedestrianised streets and a mosaic paved avenue of trees ideal to take a coffee in their shade or peruse the stalls of the many fairs that come to town. Lisbonites come to Setubal just to eat the fresh fish grilled in the open air and then wander along the shore.
This is a region of vineyards and the renowned Moscatel dessert wine. Home to the gooey Azeitao cheese made of sheep’s milk and pasteurised by the thistle flower, to Lusitano horses and classical riding. There are activities here such as deep sea fishing, windsurfing, kite surfing canoeing hiking, biking and golf. Bird watching in the estuary and dolphin watching aboard a catamaran.
Arrabida National Park Website Visit Setubal Map