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Situated to the south of the peninsula is the hub Setubal, actually Portugal's third largest port after Lisbon and Porto, although it certainly isn't industrial here. Renowned for both its fishing and fish restaurants and its many historic buildings and museums, Setubal makes a superb Portugal holiday base or indeed a day trip. The adjacent stunning Arrabida Natural Park and Marine Park adds considerable rural character to the Setubal area. To the west of Setubal centre are stunning beaches backed on by the Arrabida Natural Park. To the south is the natural reserve of the Sado estuary, home to numerous birds and wildlife including bottle-nosed Dolphins (dolphin watching trips are popular round these parts!).
Its easy to get to Setubal from Lisbon via fast trains or buses (weblinks right for timetables). There's some real architectural gems here in Setubal such as the Igreja De Jesus and the Castelo Sao Filipe and checkout the choide of museums including the Museum of Work (Museu Do Trabalho Michel Giacometti), the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography and the 16th century art mecca - Galeria Da Pintura Quinhentista. Setubal Tourist Information Centre is on Praca do Quebedo, Setubal. Tel. 265 534 402.
Famed for its fishing routes, fishing has been going on down here in Setubal since Roman times! They combined fishing with the salt fishing process/handy salt pans nearby. Setubal remained a small fishing centre up until the 19th century, when industrialisation brought boom times.
The centre of Setubal, around Praca de Bocage is pleasantly pedestrianised, making it easy to explore Setubal's centre on-foot. Ferries and boat trips galore move across the Troia estuary nearby.
Just to the north of the centre sits the Igreja De Jesus on Praca Miguel bombarda. An important site, it's the earliest known example of Manueline design.
The Galeria Da Pintura Quinhentista on Rua do Balneario Paula Borba has original panels from the Igreja de Jesus, plus a slection of 16th century Renaissance paintings. Move to the Museu Do Trabalho Michel Giacometti - the museum of work on Largo Defensores da Republica for a thorough no nonsense look at the sardine canning industry - the museum is set in an old sardine canning factory! There's a glimpse here into the history of Portuguese rural life rare amoungst the palaces and pomp of the Lisbon area. Well worth a look. Other sights in Setubal include the Castelo Sao Filip up on the west hill (500m). This Portuguese castle dates from 1590, and was actually built to ward off English attacks on the Armada. Visit also the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography on Avenida Luisa Todi - it's free to enter and there's everything here from Roman mosaics to some rather weird religious carvings and paintings from the more recent 19th century.
The beaches to the west of Setubal, backed on as they are by the Arrabida Natural Park (weblink right) are stunning. Not by chance is this southern Lisbon coastal area known as Costa Azul!
Best beaches West of Setubal include Portinho da Arrabida Galapos and Figueirinha. You can hop on a bus from central Setubal to all these beaches.
The Arrabida Marine Reserve is a hotspot for dolphin watching, boat trips and watersports such as canoeing. There's a choice of companies that offer boat trips (see weblinks right for details).
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