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Setúbal Voyage Tips and guide

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    Setúbal is a city in Estremadura, Portugal, on the northern bank of the Sado River estuary. The city is connected with the nearby Arrábida hills natural park, which offers an unspoiled nature and beautiful beaches on the Atlantic Ocean. A dolphin colony inhabits the Sado River. Across the river on the south bank lies the peninsula of Tróia, a place with vast white/golden sand beaches where several luxury hotels and resorts have been built. The Tróia peninsula can be sighted from the city, across the river. Albarquel, Figueirinha, Galápos, Galapinhos, Creiro and Portinho da Arrábida are some of the city's many beaches, located in the north bank of the estuary, at the very beginning of the Arrábida hills.

    Understand

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    Casa da Baía

    Setúbal (s(ih)-TOO-bahl, /sɨ.ˈtu.baɫ/) is a coastal town, known for its fishing activities, traditions and industrial area. It's the capital of the Setúbal district. You might also want to check out Serra da Arrábida, for the nature part of Setúbal.

    Setúbal is notable for the industries of pulp, paper, cement, fertilizers, pesticides, other phytopharmaceutical products, thermal power, shipbuilding and ship repair. There is a lot of automobile assembling industr. The Port of Setúbal was the 4th busiest port in Portugal in 2012, with 7.4% of the cargo throughput in the country.

    Visitor information

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    Get in

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    Praça de Bocage
    The ferry to Tróia, at Doca das Fontaínas
    Miradouro do Portinho da Arrábida

    By plane

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    The nearest airport is Humberto Delgado Airport (IATA: LIS) in Lisbon.

    By train

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    You can access Setúbal by trains from Lisbon, and most towns in the surrounding area. You also have lots of trains from anywhere to Lisbon, if there is not a direct train to Setúbal, you might want to consider getting one to Lisbon, and then to Setúbal. Also, if you are already downtown in the vicinity of Praça de Comércio, you don't have to backtrack to any of the rail stations, but can instead take a ferry from Terreiro do Paço terminal to Barreiro across the river and pick up a train from there; it's a different branch than the Lisbon-Setúbal line, and the combined travel time would be about the same.

    • 1 Setubal Railway Station (Estação Ferroviária de Setúbal), Estrada dos Ciprestes - Edificio REFER. Setúbal central station where the Fertagus and CP- Comboios de Portugal train companies operate. Setúbal train station (Q8841939) on Wikidata
    • 2 Praça do Quebedo station, Largo da Estação Ferroviária, Praça do Quebedo. Praça do Quebedo station (Q10275794) on Wikidata
    • 3 Apeadeiro de Praias do Sado-A, Rua Principal das Praias do Sado. CP Services: Lisbon Urban Trains; Lines: Sado Line. Praias do Sado-A halt (Q9062115) on Wikidata

    By car

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    It shouldn't be a problem to find your way, Setúbal is a major town in the area, so, if you are around, you will have signs to point out your way. It is approximately 48 km (30 miles) south of Lisbon.

    By bus

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    There are buses that serve from Lisbon to Setúbal every day and almost every hour a day, if you're in the capital it won't be a problem. There are also buses that serve the surrounding area towns.

    By boat

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    The Tróia is a peninsula near Setúbal, and that is probably the only way to commercially reach Setúbal by boat.

    • 4 Ferry Tróia (Atlantic Ferries), +351 265 235 101, . The ferry terminals are located at Doca das Fontainhas, in Setúbal and Cais Sul in Troia (next to the Soltroia urbanization). Average Ferry time travel: 25 minutes.
      The Catamaran terminals are located in Cais 3, in Setúbal and next to the Marina of Troia. Average Catamaran time travel: 15 minutes.
    • 5 Taxi Boat, +351 913 292 058, . Taxi-boat service to Tróia as well as to the beaches of Setúbal.

    Get around

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    Map
    Map of Setúbal

    On foot

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    The historic center of Setúbal, as well as the adjacent Avenida Luisa Todi, are flat and great to walk around, and where you can find a number of attractions, including the Livramento Market, the Convento de Jesus and the Setúbal Museum, on your way. If you can, stop for a meal at one of the many restaurants there.

    By car

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    It is mandatory to take a tour, by car, motorbike or tuk-tuk, through Serra da Arrábida. Start at the end of Avenida Luisa Todi and walk through the Arrábida Natural Park where you will pass by fantastic beaches and stop at the viewpoints with a magnificent view over the Bay, considered one of the most beautiful bays in the world.

    By bus

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    Buses serve the whole town and are generally OK on schedules and quality.

    By Tuk Tuk

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    By scooters

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    • 7 Trotinetes elétricas Bolt (Bolt Electric Scooters). The parks are located on Avenida Luísa Todi, in the east and west, in the Parque Urbano de Albarquel, in the squares of Bocage and do Brasil, in the ferry dock, in the Convento de Jesus and in Avenida Rodrigues Manito.

    See

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    Livramento Market
    Castelo de São Filipe
    Azulejos in Castelo de São Filipe
    7ª Bateria do Outão, in Serra da Arrábida, in Setúbal
    Moinho de Maré da Mourisca, in Sado Estuary Natural Reserve
    Sunset at Moinho de Maré da Mourisca
    Dolphins routes and routines @CIRES


    Stroll through downtown Setúbal on foot and discover the best of the city. Just ask how you can get to Avenida Luísa Todi, and the rest will work out just fine. You can see some of the nicer monuments, architecture and daily life there. Also, at the end of the venue you will enter Arrábida. And anywhere to the sides is filled with shops and typical streets with humble tascas (small coffee shops) where some of the best seafood in the country is served at cheap prices.

    • 1 Livramento Market (Mercado do Livramento), Avenida Luisa Todi 173, 2900-462. Mercado do Livramento (Q61987420) on Wikidata
    • 2 Castle of S. Filipe (Castelo de São Filipe), Estrada do Castelo de São Filipe, 2900-300. 16th century castle on the north bank of the Sado river, overlooking the city, classified as a National Monument of Portugal. Castelo de São Filipe (Q8963003) on Wikidata Fort of São Filipe de Setúbal on Wikipedia
    • 3 Moinho de Maré da Mourisca (Mourisca Tidemill), Herdade da Mourisca. Tu-Su 09:30-19:30, M closed.. The Mourisca Tidemill, located in Sado Estuary Nature Reserve, is one of four known tidal mills in the Sado Estuary, and is in a prime location for birdwatching. Mourisca tide mill (Q10331514) on Wikidata
    • 4 7ª Bataria do Outão - Coastal Battery, N379-1. Abandoned Coastal Battery overlooking the entry into Setubal's harbor and the sandy coast southwards. Amazing views and ghostly buildings. Free. 7ª Bataria do Outão (Q21082360) on Wikidata
    • 5 Igreja do Convento de Jesus (Monastery of Jesus of Setúbal), Largo de Jesus. National monument. free. Church of the Monastery of Jesus of Setúbal (Q3137311) on Wikidata Monastery of Jesus of Setúbal on Wikipedia
    • 6 Interpretation Center of the Common Bottlenose Dolphin of Sado Estuary (CIRES), Avenida Luísa Todi 470. M-Su 09:30-20:00. This interpretation center has an exhibition on the Sado Estuary Common Bottlenose Dolphin colony, the only one in a Portuguese estuary and one of only three communities of these mammals residing in the European maritime space. Free. Interpretation Center of the Common Bottlenose Dolphin of Sado Estuary (Q107485919) on Wikidata
    • 7 Arrábida Nature Park. Arrábida Natural Park (Q3049849) on Wikidata Arrábida Natural Park on Wikipedia
    • 8 Palácio e Quinta da Bacalhoa, Estrada Nacional 10, +351 916 485 206. The visit to the Palácio da Bacalhôa is carried out on a guided tour, with an average duration of 1h30; Guided tours: 10:00 and 15:00 (other times on request). Price: €8. Quinta da Bacalhoa (Q2123275) on Wikidata
    • 9 Estação Arqueológica do Creiro (Roman ruins of Creiro). Roman ruins of Creiro (Q63565703) on Wikidata Roman ruins of Creiro on Wikipedia
    • 10 Miradouro do Portinho da Arrábida, Estrada Nacional 379-1. Free. Miradouro do Portinho da Arrábida (Q66965689) on Wikidata

    Do

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    José Maria da Fonseca - Wines
    Bacalhôa - Wines
    Albarquel beach, in Serra da Arrábida
    Figueirinha beach, in Serra da Arrábida
    Galapinhos beach, in Serra da Arrábida
    Creiro beach, in Serra da Arrábida


    You might want to go to Arrábida to enjoy nature at its best in the Setúbal area, but be careful, it's really not that hard to get lost there. Also, in Avenida Luisa Todi, and if want to experience the typical morning for many people, you can go to the fish market and see things around. Theatre Luisa Todi, if you are a theatre fan; shows will be in Portuguese, though.

    You can also go for a walk in Albarquel Urban Park, near the Luisa Todi avenue.

    • Watch football at Vitória FC. In 2020 they fell foul of registration requirements and were double-relegated to Campeonato de Portugal, the third tier of soccer in the country. Their home ground Estádio do Bonfim (capacity 15,000) is next to the park.

    Dolphin watching tour

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    Visit Wine Cellars

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    Beaches

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    • 6 Galapinhos Beach (Praia de Galapinhos), Rua Círio da Arrábida, +351 265 545 010. Galapinhos beach, in the Arrábida Nature Park, in Setúbal, was considered the most beautiful beach in Europe in 2017 by European Best Destinations. Travelers from all over the world decided it was "the most beautiful beach in Europe, the perfect beach in unspoiled nature". Free. Galapinhos beach (Q62125906) on Wikidata
    • 7 Figueirinha Beach (Praia da Figueirinha), Rua Orlando Curto, +351 265 545 010. Beach in Serra da Arrábida. Free. Figueirinha Beach (Q10352598) on Wikidata
    • 8 Albarquel Beach (Praia de Albarquel), Estrada da Rasca, +351 265 545 010. Beach in Serra da Arrábida. Free. Albarquel Beach (Q4709424) on Wikidata Albarquel on Wikipedia
    • 9 Galápos Beach (Praia de Galápos), Rua Círio da Arrábida, +351 265 545 010. Beach in Serra da Arrábida. Free. Galápos beach (Q62126041) on Wikidata
    • 10 Creiro Beach (Praia do Creiro), Rua Círio da Arrábida, +351 265 545 010. Beach in Serra da Arrábida. Free. Creiro Beach (Q62513087) on Wikidata
    • 11 Coelhos Beach (Praia dos Coelhos), Rua Círio da Arrábida, +351 265 545 010. Beach in Serra da Arrábida. Free. Coelhos Beach (Q49324251) on Wikidata
    • 12 Saúde Beach (Praia da Saúde), Avenida José Mourinho, +351 265 545 010. Urban beach in Setúbal. Free. Saúde Beach (Q20059264) on Wikidata

    Walking tours

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    • 13 Parque Urbano de Albarquel (Albarquel Urban Park), Avenida José Mourinho, +351 265 545 010. Open 24 hours a day. At the foot of the Arrábida mountain range and next to the Sado river, this green space, with about four hectares, offers a fantastic view over the Sado river estuary and the Tróia peninsula. Ideal place for the practice of sports, where cycling is allowed, it houses the Municipal Center of Marcha e Corrida de Setúbal (Setúbal walking and running center). This park, in addition to a viewpoint, also has a children's playground, restaurant, café-bar with a terrace and an exhibition gallery. Free. Urban Park of Albarquel (Q64485249) on Wikidata

    Speleology

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    Tourist caves and dissemination of speleological heritage in Setúbal

    • 14 Lapa de Santa Margarida (St. Margaret's Grotto). Lapa de Santa Margarida (Q66967850) on Wikidata
    • 15 Gruta da Figueira Brava (Figueira Brava Cave). The Gruta da Figueira Brava is an obligatory stop for those who do not suffer from claustrophobia, as it was there that traces of the Neanderthal Man were found. Figueira Brava cave (Q62099279) on Wikidata

    Learn

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    There are several schools in Setúbal, and a polytechnic institute that is becoming nationally famous for its quality. It offers courses on the most varied areas ranging from Sports to Business Administration, Nursing or Mechanical Engineering.

    Buy

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    There are many shops spread around the city, as normal. In the Luisa Todi area you will find many small shops and bigger clothing shops mostly. And there is the Shopping Center Alegro Setúbal, for your bigger needs.

    • 1 Livramento Market (Mercado do Livramento). 07:30–14:00. Fresh food market. Mercado do Livramento (Q61987420) on Wikidata

    Regional products

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    Eat

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    There are many typical restaurants where you can eat good grilled fish and typical food. There's also a good deal of fast-food shops and pizza places. You can also find Indian and Japanese food.

    Budget

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    Mid-range

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    Splurge

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    Drink

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    There's a nice selection of bars in downtown Setúbal.

    Sleep

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    Most hotels and accommodation you can find are probably downtown (once again, Luisa Todi Avenue) and there is also a hotel near the Bonfim, which is near the bus station.

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    Mid-range

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    Splurge

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    Connect

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    Stay safe

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    Setúbal is considered a generally safe area but it has some of the major problematic neighbourhoods in the country.

    There are some parts of the city you might want to avoid, but the shabbiness will warn you of that. By day even in those parts you shouldn't have any problems, but be cautious. Take the usual precautions, mostly at night, in downtown Setúbal, but usually you won't have a problem. Avoid being alone but if you find yourself in that situation, just walk in very well lit places and with many people around or call/grab a taxi to take you to your destination.

    Cope

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    Go next

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    Routes through Setúbal
    LisbonAlmada  NW  SE  Alcácer do SalFaro


    This city travel guide to Setúbal is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.


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