Serra da Arrábida

The Serra da Arrábida Natural Park, amidst the deep blue sea and the green of the hills, is an excellent place to test your physical condition.

Situated by the sea, the park offers some of the most stunning coastal scenery in the Lisbon area. The highest point is in the Serra do Risco, a magnificent cliff 380m high. Good ways of getting to know this pristine place, featuring pure Mediterranean vegetation, are by hiking or cycling the waymarked footpaths. You can choose the most appropriate level of difficulty, and even make night trips.

Like a wall of green sticking out over the Atlantic, the hills offer shelter to small coves of white sand where, despite being on the edge of the ocean, the sea is almost free of waves.

Portinho da Arrábida is one of the most beautiful beaches and a great place for scuba diving, with unique flora and fauna to be discovered in the clear waters of Pedra da Anixa, a small island just off the beach. You can discover it all in the Oceanographic Museum, housed in the fortress of Santa Maria da Arrábida. Galapos, Galapinhos and the secluded Praia dos Coelhos are some of the other beaches in this protected landscape, which are well worth exploring. Figueirinha beach is one of the most visited.

The Sado Estuary Nature Reserve has other attractions, whether it is the dolphins accompanying your boat trip, or because it is a very special bird observatory, with more than 250 species to be sighted. Moinho de Maré da Mourisca (the Moorish Tidal Mill) is one of the best places to do this.

To further unravel the Sado estuary’s secrets, take a trip on the galeões do sal, traditional boats that cross the river to Arrábida, or even on a trawler. The contrast between the white of the salt flats, the blue river, the green of the pine forest and the golden sand is the guarantee of a time well spent.

In autumn and winter, flamingos cover the estuary with a blanket of pink, and in spring and summer the miles of beaches on the Troia peninsula provide an escape from routine. The white storks that build their nests on church steeples and on the highest chimneys are a familiar, customary sight for the local people.

In this region, men have always followed the course of the River Sado, – which runs from south to north, contrary to what is usual in Portugal – to enjoy the gifts of nature, undertaking activities such as fishing, salt extraction or rice growing.

With luck, your trip will be enriched by the symbol of the estuary – the dolphins accompanying you with their magnificent leaps. For a different viewpoint, a balloon flight is a great suggestion and an experience you will not forget.

Setúbal.

Setúbal was inhabited in ancient times by the Phoenicians, and by the Romans who settled on the south bank of the River Sado (in Tróia, opposite the present town), who called it Cetobriga, from which the name Setúbal is derived.

It was the Romans who started one of the region’s most traditional activities – gathering salt and preserving food in salting tanks whose remains still exist on the Tróia Peninsula.

The development of Setúbal has always been linked to the seafaring activities facilitated by its location at the mouth of the River Sado, and it was already one of the country’s main ports in the 14th century.

Its agricultural produce is also important, some of which is mentioned in documents dating back to the 14th century, in particular grapes, wine, oranges and fish. The wines produced in the surrounding area are still famous today, especially table wines and the moscatel called Setúbal, which can be tasted in the cellars in nearby Azeitão, which also produces excellent cheeses and delicious tarts.

The city was the birthplace of outstanding Portuguese cultural figures, particularly Bocage (a 19th century poet, famous for the ironic tone and social criticism that he put into everything he wrote), and Luísa Todi (an important lyric singer). The Convent of Jesus, which houses the Municipal Museum, is in the Gothic-Manueline style, and the Fort of São Filipe, now converted into a “Pousada” (country-house hotel) from which one can enjoy a fantastic view of the city, the River Sado, Tróia and the Arrábida mountain range, also deserve special mention.

Around Setúbal there are nature conservation areas, in particular the Sado Estuary Nature Reserve, where it is still possible to watch dolphins in the wild, and the Arrábida Natural Park, which has unique characteristics and contains species that can only be found in areas near the Mediterranean.

Comporta.

Located on the southern tip of the Tróia Peninsula, the huge sandy extent of Comporta Beach is a regular summer favourite, given good means of access and plenty of parking space.

Forming part of the Sado Estuary Nature Reserve, Comporta Beach has been well preserved with the original dune vegetation surviving along with the adjoining pine forest.

The sea is lively providing fine conditions for kite surfing, with competitions regularly held here.

Alcácer do Sal.

Graciously laid out over the right bank of the Sado river and rising up a gentle slope, Alcácer do Sal has been settled since the earliest of times. Archaeological remains have been found that date back to the Neolithic period not to mention evidence of Greek, Phoenician and other Mediterranean peoples having passed through.

Named by the Romans Salacia Urbs Imperatoria, the location took on major importance for the Empire due to its excellent location alongside the Sado river that was then an important thoroughfare. It was primarily used to transport local products (wheat, olive oil and wine) out to other parts of the Roman empire. At the time, Alcácer was one of the most important inland ports on the Western peninsula further establishing a reputation for manufacturing salt (hence the addition of Sal (salt) to its name) and salting and processing fish.

During the Moorish occupation (from the 8th century), Alcácer became capital of the Al-Kasser province. The walls of the old fort were reinforced with the Muslim city protected by two rings with the battlements overlooked by 30 towers making it one of the largest defensive forts on the Iberian peninsula.

Nevertheless, in 1217 it was conquered by king Afonso II, with the help of the Crusaders who joined the fight on their way from Syria and the Holy Land. It was then handed over to the Military Order of Santiago to establish its headquarters here.

While it may have lost its military and trading importance, Alcácer do Sal maintains intact its enviable beauty. From the castle, looking south, there is sharp bend in the river Sado, irrigating the smooth green plain that pre-empts the great Alentejan plain. Recently restored to take in a pousada (manor hotel), the castle is named after its Christian conqueror: Afonso II. From here, laid out below, around the four points of the compass, are magnificent panoramic views over the rivers and fields, ideal for reminiscing over the heavy and varied traffic that used to pass by below.

A wander around Alcácer do Sal reveals the most charming aspects of the city, with its alleys and stairways leading up to the castle. Take the opportunity to look in on some of the main points of interest such as the Church of Santa Maria do Castelo (Saint Mary of the Castle), the Chapel of Senhor dos Mártires (Lord of the Martyrs), the Church of Santo António (Saint Anthony), the Church of Santiago and the Municipal Museum of Archaeology.

Should you prefer the coastline, there are some quality beaches to be had at Comporta, Torre, Carvalhal, Raposa or Galé.

Looking forward to see you!

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