Parque Natural da Arrábida

Thickly green, hilly and edged by gleaming, clean, golden beaches and chiselled cliffs, the Parque Natural da Arrábida stretches along the southeastern coast of the Setúbal Peninsula from Setúbal to Sesimbra. Covering the 35km-long Serra da Arrábida mountain ridge, this is a protected area rich in Mediterranean plants, from olive, pistachio and strawberry to lavender, thyme and camomile, with attendant butterflies, beetles and birds (especially birds of prey such as eagles and kestrels), and 70 types of seaweed. Its pine-brushed hills are also home to deer and wild boar.