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Exuberant and Diverse
Around Setúbal, nature remains almost untouched. The
city is surrounded by three distinct protected natural
areas: the Sado Estuary Nature Reserve, the Arrábida
Natural Park, and the Professor Luiz Saldanha Marine
Park. Nearby are some of the most beautiful beaches
in Portugal—two of which stand out in particular: Tróia
Beach, one of the longest in Europe, stretches over 40
km along the peninsula that bears its name; and Gala-
pinhos Beach, in a privileged spot where the mountain
plunges wild and steep into the turquoise waters of the
Atlantic.
From its white sands, only the shared blues of sea and
sky are visible, along with the many shades of green
from the forest, on whose slopes, scattered among the
trees, stands the Arrábida Convent, dating back to the
16th century.
On the seashore, nestled within this lush natural setting,
lies Portinho da Arrábida, one of the Seven Wonders of
Portugal. And right next to it, the Fort of Santa Maria da
Arrábida—once built to defend this coveted bay—has
been perfectly preserved thanks to its conversion into an
Oceanographic Museum.
Urban Corners and Hidden Secrets
This rich and varied natural setting provides Setúbal with
a diverse range of gastronomic products, many of which
can be found at the Mercado do Livramento. From the
sea: oysters, sardines, prawns, octopus… And from in-
land: cheeses, breads, sweets, wines… And what wines,
and what wineries!
Since 1834, the wines of José Maria da Fonseca have
been produced in Azeitão—a winery steeped in the kind
of magic required to make truly great wine. In the dim
light, amid aged aromas, huge wooden casks lined with
solera rest, slowly nurturing the rich muscats of Setúbal.
The former family home is now Azeitão’s most interes-
ting house-museum, and preserves Portugal’s first bott-
ling machine among many other evocative relics. In this
parish of Setúbal, also famed for its cheeses, traditional
tilework still survives—crafted slowly, entirely by hand.
The colour and drawing of each azulejo is always sli-
ghtly different from the next, even if made by the same
artisan and appearing identical. That’s precisely where
their charm lies.
Setúbal also treasures three remarkable urban ele-
ments: two historic, singular buildings and the grand
Avenida Luísa Todi—an expansive boulevard, or elon-
gated square, that runs parallel to the coast and serves
as the city’s backbone. It is named after the renowned
soprano Luísa Todi, born in Setúbal in 1753.
Portugal’s famed Manueline style was first executed
here by architect Diogo Boitaca in the Church of the
Convent of Jesus—a building where King John II of Por-
tugal ratified the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494, just two
TRAVEL
months after it was signed by the Catholic Monarchs in
Spain. A church that not only dazzles but also endured
the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. Since 1980, it has housed
the Museu de Setúbal.
In the 16th century, one had to defend what was then
one of the most beautiful and strategic bays in the
world. Thus Philip I of Portugal—also Philip II of Spain,
since both Iberian crowns were united at the time—or-
dered the construction of the Fort of São Filipe. It was
meant to defend against pirate raids and possible civil
uprisings, as relations with the crown were tense. The
fortress, designed in a six-pointed star layout, today
offers a stunning viewpoint for sunsets over a one-of-
a-kind landscape.
From this castle one can see the steep mountain cli-
ffs with their white-sand beaches meeting the sea.
Across the way, the Sado Estuary and port come into
view, along with the Tróia Peninsula—its sandbanks
rising or sinking with the tides—and there, leaping
playfully, dolphins can be spotted. At the foot of the
fortress lies Setúbal itself, and to the west stretches
the vast Atlantic, sometimes shrouded in mist and
mystery, always the place where the sun disappears.
Few places in the world gather so many natural ele-
ments—and with such harmony.
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