Queda d'Água
What to order: grilled fish to share and some seafood, with a white from the Setúbal peninsula.
geocalia
Day itinerary · 38.52° N · 8.89° W
Sado dolphins and Tróia, 45 minutes from Lisbon.
A boat to see the Sado dolphins in the morning, the market and fried cuttlefish, and the catamaran to the white-sand beaches of Tróia. 45 minutes from Lisbon.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Lisboa fromSevilla 1 hMadrid 1 h 15Málaga 1 h 15Asturias 1 h 30Alicante 1 h 45Bilbao 1 h 45Valencia 1 h 45Barcelona 2 hGran Canaria 2 h 30Tenerife Sur 2 h 30
Part of Setúbal and the Tróia Peninsula
Add to my trip
Total time9 h
By car45 min each way
Dolphin boat2 h · from €45.57
Catamaran to Tróia15 min · €4.90 each way
DifficultyEasy
With childrenYes, all ages
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
-
Leave Lisbon 45 min by car
over the 25 de Abril Bridge and the A2, or on the 4720 from Oriente
-
1
Sado dolphins by boat from Setúbal
2 h outing with Rotas do Sal · from €45.57 · book beforehand
+351 938 122 190
- 10 min on foot
-
2
Setúbal's centre and the Mercado do Livramento
the market in the morning and Avenida Luísa Todi
- 10 min on foot
-
3
Boat from Setúbal to Tróia and the peninsula's beaches
15-min catamaran, €4.90
- 15 min by boat
-
4
Queda d'Água
Queda d'Água · fish and seafood by the marina · in summer, daily from 12:15 to 22:30; in winter, call ahead
Zona comercial de Troia, Tróia · +351 265 490 909
RestaurantBook - 15 min on foot
-
5
Caldeira trail and the Tróia pine wood
flat stroll beside the tidal lagoon, or a beach afternoon on the estuary side
-
Back home 15 min by boat
catamaran to Setúbal and back to Lisbon around 20:00
Approximate cost
About €46 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Sado dolphins by boat from Setúbal
A day trip from Lisbon to the other side of the Tagus: Setúbal is 45 minutes away and a group of about thirty bottlenose dolphins lives all year round in its estuary. This plan goes out to look for them by boat in the morning, stops at the fish market at midday and crosses by catamaran to the white-sand beaches of Tróia for the afternoon. It can be done without a car.
The day, hour by hour
8:30 · Departure. By car over the 25 de Abril Bridge and the A2. Without a car, Carris Metropolitana buses 4720 from Oriente and 4725 from Sete Rios arrive at the Várzea terminal, about a 15-minute walk from the quay.
9:30 · Sado dolphins. Rotas do Sal runs a two-hour outing around the bay, for all ages, from €45.57. It also takes in beaches and sandbanks. Nobody guarantees the dolphins and in a swell the time can change: book and confirm the day before.
12:00 · Mercado do Livramento and Avenida Luísa Todi. The municipal market is the showcase for Sado fish, with tile panels on its walls. Afterwards, the avenue beside the river has eateries serving fried cuttlefish, the dish of Setúbal.
13:00 · Catamaran to Tróia. Atlantic Ferries crosses in about 15 minutes for €4.90 each way. On the river side, the beaches have calm water and the Arrábida hills opposite.
13:30 · Lunch at Queda d'Água. A fish and seafood restaurant in the commercial area next to the Tróia marina, a few minutes from the quay. On its summer timetable it is open every day from 12:15 to 22:30 without a break. Outside summer Tróia slows down: call ahead on +351 265 490 909 or eat in Setúbal before crossing, at Tasca da Fatinha, which opens on Sunday from 12:00 to 18:00. For those who prefer meat, El Cristo, next door, mixes seafood and Alentejo cooking from Wednesday to Sunday.
15:30 · Beach or the Caldeira. Spend the afternoon on the sand on the estuary side or on the flat Caldeira trail, beside a tidal lagoon with birds. The Roman ruins only open from June to September and never on Sundays.
18:30 · Heading back. Catamaran to Setúbal and bus or car to Lisbon; you arrive around 20:00.
With children
The dolphin outing is for all ages and in Tróia children under 6 do not pay for the boat. On the estuary side there are hardly any waves.
Time2 h
Change the route
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
El Cristo
What to order: an Alentejo dish for a change from the fish of the whole coast, or seafood to share.
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Setúbal and the Tróia Peninsula
The Sado dolphins can be seen all year round; the beaches of Tróia and the Roman ruins, from June to September. Best in the morning, when there is less wind.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Dolphins in the morning
The wind usually rises in the afternoon.
- 2The ruins, best on a Saturday
From June to September the Roman ruins of Tróia are open from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:30 to 18:00, but never on Sundays.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to see dolphins in Setúbal?
From €45.57 per person with Rotas do Sal, two hours.
How do you get from Lisbon to Setúbal without a car?
On Carris Metropolitana buses 4720 or 4725.
How much does the boat to Tróia cost?
The passenger catamaran, €4.90 each way.
Where can you eat in Tróia?
Queda d'Água, next to the marina, is open every day in summer from 12:15 to 22:30. In winter, confirm by phone.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/portugal/lisbon-region/setubal-and-troia/itineraries/sado-dolphins-and-troia
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.