# Setúbal and the Tróia Peninsula Sado dolphins by boat from Setúbal, the catamaran to the beaches of Tróia and its Roman ruins, 45 minutes from Lisbon by car or bus. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/lisbon-region/setubal-and-troia · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Setúbal is a fishing city at the mouth of the Sado, with the Arrábida mountains on one side and, opposite, the sand spit of Tróia. A group of about thirty bottlenose dolphins lives in its estuary all year round, and setting out to find them by boat is the outing that brings almost everyone here. The other is to cross the river in a quarter of an hour to the white-sand beaches of Tróia, with some Roman ruins at the water's edge. From Lisbon it can be done in a day without a car. ## How do you get there from Lisbon? By car, about 50 km via the 25 de Abril bridge and the A2, or via the Vasco da Gama and the A12: about 45 minutes without traffic. Without a car, Carris Metropolitana has direct buses: line 4720 leaves from Oriente, with a metro connection from the airport, and the 4725 from Sete Rios; both end at the Várzea terminal, about 15 minutes' walk from the quay. If you fly from Spain, you land in Lisbon: metro to Oriente and the 4720, or a hire car if you want to combine Setúbal with the Arrábida mountains. ## How do you see the Sado dolphins? By boat, from the quays in the centre of Setúbal. The Sado dolphins are one of the few resident colonies in a European estuary: they do not migrate, so there are trips all year round. Rotas do Sal, with a shop at the Mercado do Livramento, runs a two-hour trip round the bay for all ages from €45.57, which also takes in the Tróia sandbanks. Nobody can guarantee they will appear, and in a ground swell the trip may change or be cancelled: book for the morning, when there is usually less wind. If you are staying on the other side of the mountains, boats also leave from Sesimbra; you will find them on the Serra da Arrábida page. ## And Tróia? Tróia is a sand peninsula about 20 km long between the estuary and the Atlantic. Atlantic Ferries crosses from Setúbal by passenger catamaran, in about 15 minutes and for €4.90 each way, or by car ferry, in about 25 minutes. On the river side the beaches have calm water and the Arrábida mountains opposite; on the ocean side, very long stretches of sand. South of the quay are the Roman ruins of Tróia, the largest fish-salting centre of the Empire: factories with their tanks, houses, tombs and baths, occupied until the 6th century. They are open only from June to September; entry costs €6. Beside them, the Caldeira trail rings a tidal lagoon with herons and dunlins. ## Where to eat and sleep? In Setúbal you come to eat choco frito, the city's dish, served by the eating houses on Avenida Luísa Todi, next to the Mercado do Livramento, the Sado fish market. Go to the market in the morning. To sleep by the beach, across the river: The Anchor Troia, with studios and apartments with a kitchen and an indoor pool, or the Tróia Design Hotel, a five-star in the same marina where the boats arrive, with a spa and casino. ## When should you go? From June to September for the Tróia beaches and the ruins. The dolphins are there all year: in spring and autumn the boats are less full and the sea is usually calm in the morning. In August, the car ferry has queues at weekends; the catamaran, fewer. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Palmela and Azeitão (a 6.5 km), Serra da Arrábida (a 10.0 km), Sesimbra (a 20.6 km), Lisbon (a 31.9 km) ## Qué hacer - **Sado dolphins by boat from Setúbal** (2 h · All ages · Desde 45.57 € per person): A group of about 30 bottlenose dolphins lives all year round in the Sado estuary, one of the few resident estuary colonies in Europe. The boat trips from Setúbal look for them in the bay, between the city, the Tróia peninsula and the foot of the Arrábida range, and along the way pass beaches and white sandbanks. Rotas do Sal, a Setúbal company with a shop in the Mercado do Livramento, runs a 2-hour trip around the bay for all ages from €45.57. They are wild animals: nobody can guarantee they will appear. In heavy swell the trip may change time or be cancelled. - **Boat from Setúbal to Tróia and the peninsula's beaches** (4 h · Everyone · Desde 4.9 € per person per crossing): Tróia is a 20 km tongue of sand between the Sado estuary and the Atlantic, with long beaches of white sand and calm water on the river side. From Setúbal you cross by boat: the passenger catamaran takes about 15 minutes and costs €4.90 each way; the ferry, with a car, about 25 minutes and €21 per car with driver, plus €5.50 for each passenger. Children under 6 do not pay and a bike costs €5.50. From the Tróia quay, the beaches on the river side are a few minutes' walk. Check the timetables on the Atlantic Ferries website: they change with the season. - **Roman ruins of Tróia** (1 h 30 · History; free up to age 12 · Desde 6 € per person): On the banks of the Sado, a few minutes south of the centre of Tróia, are the remains of the largest industrial fish-salting centre of the Roman Empire, occupied until the 6th century: factories with their tanks, houses, tombs and baths. It is a National Monument and is on the World Heritage tentative list. It opens only from June to September: in June and September Wednesday to Saturday, and in July and August Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:30 to 18:00. Admission without a guide, €6 (€5 for students, over-65s, walkers and cyclists); with a guide, €7.50. Up to age 12, free. In July and August there are guided tours on Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:30. - **Caldeira trail and the Tróia pine wood** (Families and bird-watchers · Free): The Caldeira is a lagoon that the tide fills and empties twice a day, exposing the salt marsh and mudflats, where sandpipers, godwits, herons and mergansers feed and rest. The trail circles it and enters the maritime and stone pine wood that covers the oldest dunes of Tróia, with junipers and rare plants. It is flat and short: it takes an hour or two depending on how long you stop to watch birds. Bring binoculars. - **Setúbal's centre and the Mercado do Livramento** (2 h · Everyone · Free): The Mercado do Livramento, at Avenida Luísa Todi, 163, is Setúbal's municipal market and the best showcase for fish from the Sado and the coast: red mullet, cuttlefish, sardines, clams. Go in the morning, when it is alive, and look at the tile panels on the walls. From the market, Avenida Luísa Todi runs along the city's waterfront by the river, with eateries serving fried cuttlefish, the dish of Setúbal. Behind lies the old town, with narrow streets and small squares. ## Dónde comer - **Queda d'Água** (Restaurant, Tróia). Qué pedir: grilled fish to share and some seafood, with a white from the Setúbal peninsula. - **El Cristo** (Restaurant, Tróia). Qué pedir: an Alentejo dish for a change from the fish of the whole coast, or seafood to share. ## Car-free: Setúbal and Tróia without a car, by bus and boat Getting around without a car works well: a bus from Lisbon, the centre of Setúbal on foot, the dolphin boat from the city and the catamaran to Tróia, where the hotels, beaches and ruins are close to the quay. Presupuesto orientativo: 80–170 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **The Anchor Troia** (Apartment): Apartments by the beach The Anchor Troia is on the front line, on the Tróia peninsula, an hour from Lisbon. It has studios, suites and apartments spread over two buildings: Anchor Troia Mar, with direct access to the beach and the pools, and Anchor Troia Rio, with views of the sea, the Arrábida range or the gardens. All have a balcony and an open-plan kitchen. For families Outdoor pool and heated indoor pool, restaurants and bars, and an activity programme for families. With a kitchen in the apartment it is easy to make the little ones' meals. Getting there From Setúbal, by ferry with a car (about 25 minutes) or by passenger catamaran (15 minutes) and a few minutes' walk from the Tróia quay. By road, without the boat, you enter via Comporta, going round the estuary. - **Tróia Design Hotel** (Hotel): A five-star in the marina The Tróia Design Hotel is in the Tróia marina, right where the boats from Setúbal arrive. It is a contemporary five-star resort with rooms and apartments, restaurants, a spa, a casino, a show room and a conference centre. From the upper floors you can see the city of Setúbal and the Arrábida range across the estuary. Who it is for For a couple's getaway with a spa, or for anyone who wants an apartment with hotel services. Booking on their website, cancellation is free and changes are easy. Getting there The passenger catamaran from Setúbal reaches the marina in 15 minutes; with a car, the ferry takes about 25. The beaches on the river side and the Roman ruins are close by. ### Servicios - **Atlantic Ferries boats Setúbal to Tróia**: Passenger catamaran (15 min, €4.90) and car ferry (25 min, €21 with driver) to Tróia - **Lisbon to Setúbal buses (Carris Metropolitana)**: Lines 4720 from Oriente and 4725 from Sete Rios to the Várzea terminal in Setúbal ## By car: Setúbal and Tróia by car, with the Arrábida next door The car lets you combine Setúbal with the Arrábida range and, if you cross by ferry, move around the 20 km of the Tróia peninsula as far as Comporta. If you are only going to Tróia beach, there is no need to take it: the catamaran is cheaper. Presupuesto orientativo: 80–180 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **The Anchor Troia** (Apartment): Apartments by the beach The Anchor Troia is on the front line, on the Tróia peninsula, an hour from Lisbon. It has studios, suites and apartments spread over two buildings: Anchor Troia Mar, with direct access to the beach and the pools, and Anchor Troia Rio, with views of the sea, the Arrábida range or the gardens. All have a balcony and an open-plan kitchen. For families Outdoor pool and heated indoor pool, restaurants and bars, and an activity programme for families. With a kitchen in the apartment it is easy to make the little ones' meals. Getting there From Setúbal, by ferry with a car (about 25 minutes) or by passenger catamaran (15 minutes) and a few minutes' walk from the Tróia quay. By road, without the boat, you enter via Comporta, going round the estuary. - **Tróia Design Hotel** (Hotel): A five-star in the marina The Tróia Design Hotel is in the Tróia marina, right where the boats from Setúbal arrive. It is a contemporary five-star resort with rooms and apartments, restaurants, a spa, a casino, a show room and a conference centre. From the upper floors you can see the city of Setúbal and the Arrábida range across the estuary. Who it is for For a couple's getaway with a spa, or for anyone who wants an apartment with hotel services. Booking on their website, cancellation is free and changes are easy. Getting there The passenger catamaran from Setúbal reaches the marina in 15 minutes; with a car, the ferry takes about 25. The beaches on the river side and the Roman ruins are close by. ## By plane: Flying to Lisbon, then bus or car to Setúbal Setúbal is about 50 km south of Lisbon, across the Tagus, and Humberto Delgado airport is the gateway, with direct flights from almost every large city in Spain. By car, over the Vasco da Gama or 25 de Abril bridge and the A2, about 45 minutes. Without a car, take the metro to Oriente and then the Carris Metropolitana 4720 bus. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **The Anchor Troia** (Apartment): Apartments by the beach The Anchor Troia is on the front line, on the Tróia peninsula, an hour from Lisbon. It has studios, suites and apartments spread over two buildings: Anchor Troia Mar, with direct access to the beach and the pools, and Anchor Troia Rio, with views of the sea, the Arrábida range or the gardens. All have a balcony and an open-plan kitchen. For families Outdoor pool and heated indoor pool, restaurants and bars, and an activity programme for families. With a kitchen in the apartment it is easy to make the little ones' meals. Getting there From Setúbal, by ferry with a car (about 25 minutes) or by passenger catamaran (15 minutes) and a few minutes' walk from the Tróia quay. By road, without the boat, you enter via Comporta, going round the estuary. - **Tróia Design Hotel** (Hotel): A five-star in the marina The Tróia Design Hotel is in the Tróia marina, right where the boats from Setúbal arrive. It is a contemporary five-star resort with rooms and apartments, restaurants, a spa, a casino, a show room and a conference centre. From the upper floors you can see the city of Setúbal and the Arrábida range across the estuary. Who it is for For a couple's getaway with a spa, or for anyone who wants an apartment with hotel services. Booking on their website, cancellation is free and changes are easy. Getting there The passenger catamaran from Setúbal reaches the marina in 15 minutes; with a car, the ferry takes about 25. The beaches on the river side and the Roman ruins are close by. ### Servicios - **Lisbon to Setúbal buses (Carris Metropolitana)**: Lines 4720 from Oriente and 4725 from Sete Rios to the Várzea terminal in Setúbal ## As a family: Setúbal and Tróia with children A day on the water twice over: dolphins in the morning, then the catamaran to the calm-water beaches of Tróia in the afternoon. The Roman ruins, in summer, are open-air and appeal to older children. ### What works best The Sado dolphins, a trip for all ages The catamaran to Tróia and the river-side beach The Roman ruins, free up to age 12 The Caldeira trail, flat ### Where to stay The Anchor Troia, apartments with kitchens and an indoor pool ### Where to eat The market in the morning, to see the fish ### Bear in mind The ruins only open from June to September In heavy swell the dolphin trip may be cancelled ### Qué hacer as a family - Sado dolphins by boat from Setúbal - Boat from Setúbal to Tróia and the peninsula's beaches - Roman ruins of Tróia - Caldeira trail and the Tróia pine wood - Setúbal's centre and the Mercado do Livramento ## With young children: Setúbal and Tróia with toddlers With children up to six, Tróia is easy: the catamaran takes a quarter of an hour, under-6s do not pay and the river-side beaches have little surf. ### What works best The catamaran to Tróia The calm estuary beach The Sado dolphins, on a short 2-hour trip ### Where to stay The Anchor Troia, with a kitchen in the apartment ### Where to eat A picnic on the beach with shopping from the market ### Bear in mind On the dolphin boat there is no shade on deck: hat and water ### Qué hacer with young children - Sado dolphins by boat from Setúbal - Boat from Setúbal to Tróia and the peninsula's beaches - Caldeira trail and the Tróia pine wood ## With teenagers: Setúbal and Tróia with teenagers For teenagers, the draws are the dolphins and a sandy island that can be explored by bike, with Roman fish-salting ruins that explain where the Sado fishing tradition comes from. ### What works best The Sado dolphins from Setúbal The Roman ruins of Tróia, with a guided visit in summer The Tróia peninsula by bike ### Where to stay Tróia Design Hotel, in the marina ### Where to eat Fried cuttlefish on Avenida Luísa Todi ### Bear in mind Bikes pay €5.50 on the ferry ### Qué hacer with teenagers - Sado dolphins by boat from Setúbal - Boat from Setúbal to Tróia and the peninsula's beaches - Roman ruins of Tróia ## Consejos ### See the dolphins in the morning The wind usually rises in the afternoon and the sea gets rougher. ### Cross to Tróia without a car The catamaran is cheaper and quicker, and the beaches are near the quay. ### Check the ruins' opening days In June and September they open Wednesday to Saturday; in July and August, Tuesday to Saturday. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How much does it cost to see the dolphins in Setúbal? With Rotas do Sal, from €45.57 per person for a two-hour trip round the bay. ### How do you get from Setúbal to Tróia? On the Atlantic Ferries catamaran, about 15 minutes and €4.90 each way, or on the car ferry, about 25 minutes. ### Can you go to Setúbal from Lisbon without a car? Yes, on Carris Metropolitana buses 4720 from Oriente or 4725 from Sete Rios. ### When do the Roman ruins of Tróia open? From June to September, from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:30 to 18:00; the days change by month. ### Can you see dolphins in winter? Yes. The Sado colony lives there all year, although in bad weather there are fewer trips.