Located about 25 minutes southeast of Lisbon is the city of Setúbal, one of Portugal’s oldest cities. It lies on the bank of the Sado River, and is perhaps best known for being the center of Portugal’s sardine industry, and for the fine muscatel wine that bears its name.
Day trippers visit Setúbal to enjoy the long expanses of white sandy beaches found on the Peninsula of Tróia, which can be reached by ferry. Nature lovers enjoy the wide variety of indigenous vegetation that can be found in the Arrábida Natural Park, and can also watch dolphins in the wild at the Sado Estuary Nature Reserve. For more information from the Câmara Municipal de Setúbal, click here.
Also located in Setúbal is the 17th C. fortress-castle that is located high on a hilltop and overlooks the Sado River and the Tróia Peninsula. Today the fortress operates as a hotel, the Pousada de Setúbal – São Filipe, which is currently closed.
If you decide to spend the night you can stay at the Pousada de Palmela, a 17th C. castle perched on a hilltop just 8 km. from Setúbal . For more information and reservations,click here.
Book a private tour! You may want to consider booking a private tour with an English-speaking guide, if you want to visit Setúbal as a day trip from Lisbon. Your personal guide can provide you with information on the city and its historic sites. For more information on our Lisbon Day Trip that includes Setúbal, click here, and for information on all of our Lisbon & Lisbon Day Trip tours, click here.
Photo credit: Sergei Gussev (CC BY 2.0)
For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.