Arrabida and Setubal

Arrabida Natural Park (1976): Limestone Ridge And Turquoise Coves On The Setubal Peninsula, With The Sado Estuary'S Resident Dolphins · Setubal, Setubal

The Arrabida Natural Park is a limestone ridge that drops straight into the Atlantic on the Setubal peninsula, about 45 minutes south of Lisbon. Its south face is covered in dense Mediterranean scrub and woodland, and below it lie small coves of pale sand and turquoise water - Figueirinha, Galapos, Galapinhos and Portinho da Arrabida - that look more like the Mediterranean than the open Atlantic. At its eastern end is Setubal, a working port city with a fish market, fried cuttlefish and boats that go out into the Sado estuary to look for its small resident group of bottlenose dolphins. To the west are the fishing town of Sesimbra and the cliffs of Cabo Espichel, and inland lie Palmela castle and the Moscatel wine of Azeitao. People come for the beaches, the ridge road, the dolphins and the food. Honestly, this is Lisbon's weekend playground: on summer weekends the coves are packed, the coast road has parking bans and access limits, and Setubal itself is a practical, busy town rather than a pretty one.

The Arrabida coast road between Setubal and Sesimbra, with the Portinho da Arrabida cove about 12 km west of Setubal, Setubal, Setubal, Portugal

The park, its viewpoints and its beaches are open all year and free. In the summer bathing season the coast road to the beaches (the N379-1 below the ridge) has parking bans and access restrictions, and shuttle buses from Setubal have run to the coves - confirm the dates and rules for the year. Dolphin boats leave Setubal most days in good weather. The Arrabida Convent is visited by appointment only. Setubal is about 45 minutes from Lisbon by car or roughly an hour by the Fertagus train across the 25 de Abril bridge (confirm). Book dolphin trips and summer rooms ahead.

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