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Oyster Foodtruck in Setúbal

2020-09-28T17:17:50.973Z


The coastal city, 40 kilometers from Lisbon, uncovers a rich gastronomy, dolphin watching and the vibrant landscape of the Sado river estuary


Less than 40 minutes by car from Lisbon is the port city of Setúbal, with 125,000 inhabitants.

The possibilities offered by this destination, still somewhat unknown, are ideal to disconnect and indulge in a well-deserved rest.

Take advantage of your arrival in the Portuguese capital —there are direct and cheap flights from the TAP airline from Barcelona, ​​Bilbao, Gran Canaria, Madrid, Malaga and Valencia— to have a wonderful monkfish with chickpeas for lunch at the Salsa & Coentros restaurant (Coronel Marques Leitao, 12) and then continue to Setúbal by car over the 25 de Abril suspension bridge, the longest of its kind in Europe.

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It is worth starting your getaway at the

Moinho de Maré da Mourisca

, an old mill where events are organized and you can have

uma bica

(a coffee) on its terrace.

It is located in a privileged area of ​​rice fields, reed beds and marshes within the natural reserve of the Sado Estuary, one of the largest in Europe with its 23,000 hectares, where more than 250 species of birds can be seen.

There, Célia Rodrigues, at the head of Neptun, explains the sustainable methods used by her aquaculture company to breed one of Setúbal's star products: the oyster.

An informal option to taste it paired with a glass of sparkling wine can be found at Ostras sobre Rodas, a food

truck

installed on

Saúde beach

, on José Mourinho avenue.

It is worth remembering from the Setubalense football coach that his grandfather was the president of Vitória, the local team, whose Do Bonfim stadium can be seen from the rooms of the Meliá hotel, an excellent option to stay near the city center.

Let yourself be recommended by its director, José Brito, and retrace your steps to

Casa do Mar

(avenida José Mourinho, 74), where you can become fond of fried cuttlefish, exquisite squid, and its sweet muscatel pears.

If you are a

Game of Thrones

fan, you

can end the night in the

medieval Bardo tavern

(Detrás da Guarda, 20), where young locals ask for supposed alchemist elixirs (liquors with a higher or lower strength).

There are few things more pleasant than getting lost in the narrow streets of the historic center of Setúbal.

From the remodeled

Convent of Jesus

, in the Manueline style, you can walk to

Plaza de Bocage

, in honor of the 18th century poet (the other great local figure is the opera singer Luísa Todi, who gives its name to an auditorium).

After trying one of the famous cream cakes from the

Capri pastry shop

(Largo da Misericórdia, 38), it is time to discover the facades of the oldest premises, according to Pedro Amado, Nature Affairs guide: the

Adega

home-cooked restaurant

dos Passarinhos

(Tenente Valadim, 17) or the picturesque

gallery Pólvora D'Cruz

(Augusto Cardoso, 37).

enlarge photo Dolphins in the natural reserve of the Sado Estuary, near Setúbal (Portugal).

ALEX ROBINSON awl

Between tiles and muscat

You should be carried away by curiosity in the lively

Mercado do Livramento

(Luísa Todi, 163), with its

Art Deco

façade

and its various stalls where they dissect huge pieces just caught or sell the dogfish, a small cat shark unrecognizable without its rough skin.

Here you must not fail to admire the large tiles by Pedro Jorge Pinto that cover the entire front wall.

If you are interested in the art of decorative tile, an excellent option is to visit São Simão, in Azeitão, 15 minutes from Setúbal, where the manual manufacturing process is explained and one can sign up for a workshop to customize their own.

In this region, where Muscat is king, taste the Periquita y Alambre at the iconic José Maria da Fonseca winery.

You can also visit the Arrábida Monastery, a complex of white houses on the mountainside founded in the 16th century.

Leaving Azeitão behind and returning to Setúbal, a must-see is A Casa do Arrabidine, much more than a tasting of centuries-old liquors: here they await drinks of Ginjeira (cherry liquor) and Bicabagaço (coffee with brandy) in a small museum winery in the Paintings by local artists are exhibited.

The best way to work up an appetite to face the generous portions of grilled sardines from

Estrela do Mar

(Estrada Dos Espanhois, Palmela), a traditional tavern in the middle of a vineyard.

enlarge photo COVA FDEZ.

The local tourist office is housed at Casa da Baía (Luísa Todi, 468), a multidisciplinary 18th century building where, in addition, you can try a gin and muscat cocktail, taste a canned food menu and shop at its

gourmet

shop

( with wines from 36 local producers).

Its director, Paula Vieira, highlights the terrace where they hold concerts, decorated with a colorful graffiti of a large turtle, a mural with the most beautiful bays in the world (next to Setúbal, the one in Santander appears) and an exhibition dedicated to Sado dolphins (emblem of the city), one of the last habitats in Europe where around thirty of these animals live.

Its sighting is an excellent excuse to navigate the

estuary of the Sado River

, the Arrábida coast and the beaches of Tróia and Comporta.

Then you can change boat for

jeep

and enter the Arrábida natural park (17,000 hectares) to the highest cliff of the Portuguese continental coast (380 meters), but not before making a stop at one of its 10 beaches (Galapinhos was declared the best in 2017 for its intact natural landscape);

a free bus allows you to move between them.

On the way back, the impressive

fortress of San Felipe

, from the 14th century, offers an unbeatable panoramic view and the museum of the city tempts you to have a beer on its terrace.

And as the highlight of the evening, a mega

sushi

tasting

at the

Japanese restaurant Sushima

(Barao do Rio Zezere, 6).

Value for money, unbeatable.

Find inspiration for your next trips on our Facebook and Twitter and Instagram or subscribe here to the El Viajero Newsletter.

Source: elparis

All news articles on 2020-09-28

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