Setúbal

Introducing Setúbal

Despite being a sizable port town with no beaches, Setúbal (shtoo-bahl) still draws its fair share of visitors. Among its attractions are Portugal’s first-ever Manueline church; a castle with sweeping views; and a compact pedestrian centre with a jumble of clothing shops, outdoor cafés and simple guesthouses. Still, it’s the seafood that draws most people here, particularly regional specialities like caldeirada (fish stew). Setúbal is also the closest town to the lovely beach-edged Parque Natural da Arrábida, and the Reserva Natural do Estuário do Sado, which is home to around 30 bottlenose dolphins and the winter abode of more than 1000 flamingos. The estuary’s mud banks, marshes, lagoons, dunes and former salt pans house white storks (spring and summer) and resident marsh harriers and little egrets.

The Romans did a lot of fish-salting here, then came the Barbarians, then the Moors. The town developed after the 13th-century Reconquista, but it only boomed after 19th-century industrialisation.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009