38.48° N · 8.99° W
A limestone range that drops into the sea between Setúbal and Sesimbra, with coves of still, clear water at the foot of the slope, dolphins that live all year round in the bay and cliffs that you explore by kayak or by hopping from rock to rock.
What to do
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Coves of still water at the foot of the Arrábida mountains, from Figueirinha to Portinho; in summer you get there by bus. Free access.
Boat · 2–3 hrs · With a marine biologist · From €50
Guided sea kayaking beneath the Sesimbra cliffs or off Portinho, in the Arrábida marine park: 3 hrs, from €40.
Itineraries
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
May, June, September and October: water already or still warm, calm sea and either no traffic restrictions, or with them but without the crowds. In July and August the beaches fill up and you can only get there by bus, bike or on foot.
How you travel
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
From September to May, the car takes you along the high road of the sierra, down to Portinho and on to Sesimbra and Cabo Espichel in a day. In summer, from 7:00 to 20:00, the beach road is closed to cars: park in Setúbal and continue by bus.
Who you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
It is one of the friendliest coasts in Portugal to visit with children: bay beaches without strong waves and boat trips of two or three hours. The only thing to plan is how to get to the sand in summer, because cars cannot get through.
Here the challenge is in the water: jumping from the rocks, paddling beneath the cliffs and looking for dolphins. It works well to give each day one sea activity and leave the afternoon free on the beach.
Where to stay
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Why we like it: A 29-room pousada in the convent of Palmela castle, with views of the Arrábida and the Sado, free parking inside the walls and small dogs welcome.
Why we like it: Municipal campsite at Outão, inside the Arrábida Natural Park and 5 km from Setúbal, with bungalows, motorhome pitches and tent pitches by the Sado.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
What to order: the fried cuttlefish, which is what gives Setúbal its fame, and a grilled fish from the display case to share.
Nearby
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
38.54° N · 8.96° W
By carLuxuryBy plane
38.52° N · 8.89° W
Car-freeBy carBy plane
38.44° N · 9.10° W
By carCar-freeBy plane
38.64° N · 9.24° W
By carCar-freeBy plane
Tips
First thing the water is stiller and there is room on the sand. In the afternoon the wind rises: that is the time for the high road and the viewpoints.
Sesimbra has the harbour from which kayaks and boats leave; Setúbal, the buses to the beaches.
The water is still warm and from the 16th the beach road reopens.
You can't from 7:00 to 20:00, and if the Creiro car park fills up it closes completely. The bus from Setúbal is quicker than any traffic jam.
By car, along the Badajoz and Évora motorway as far as Marateca and from there to Setúbal: about six hours from Madrid. If you arrive by air in Lisbon, Setúbal is about 50 km to the south across the 25 de Abril or Vasco da Gama bridge, and the Fertagus train links Lisbon with Setúbal without changes. Sesimbra, on the other side of the range, can be reached by car or by bus from Lisbon.
Outside summer, by car: the high road of the range links Setúbal, Azeitão and Sesimbra, and the coast road drops down to Portinho. From 4 June to 15 September, from 7:00 to 20:00, the beach road is closed to private cars: leave the car in the free car parks in Setúbal and take buses 4474 and 4470, which are included in the Navegante card. Bikes, motorbikes and taxis can get through.
Kayaks, coasteering and dolphin boats, especially in July and August and on June weekends. The Arrábida convent can only be visited by appointment. Staying at Portinho is almost impossible: look in Setúbal, Azeitão or Sesimbra.
Questions
Outside the bathing season, yes. From 4 June to 15 September, from 7:00 to 20:00, only buses, taxis, motorbikes, bikes and pedestrians can pass.
In the Sado estuary and Setúbal bay, where a resident population of bottlenose dolphins lives. Boats leave from Setúbal and Sesimbra.
Yes. Figueirinha has still, shallow water with the bus beside it, and the boat trip to see dolphins works for almost any age.
Two or three: one for beaches, another for the sea (kayak, dolphins or coasteering) and half a day for Cabo Espichel and the road through the range.
Yes, by car outside summer. In summer, with the train to Setúbal and the bus to the beaches, it is better to sleep there.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/lisbon-region/arrabida
