Setúbal Overview

There’s no question about it, Setúbal is a city of the sea—you can smell it in the air and see it on the menus. But unlike the coastal developments in the Algarve, Setúbal leaves travelers with more options than just beaches and bacalhau (cod). The wild dolphin population in the Reserva Natural do Estuário do Sado offers a relaxing opportunity to commune with some of Mother Nature’s perkiest creatures. If you’re fleeing from campy tourist traps in a quest to discover the real Portugal, Setúbal will more than oblige, with central city squares full of traditional lojas (shops), cobblestone streets, and statues of Portuguese statesmen. Though the trip from Lisboa is lengthy, Setúbal takes no more than a day or two to visit, and it makes a good base for daytrips.

Trains: leave from Estação Praça de Quebedo, which can be reached conveniently from the city center, Estação de Setúbal (☎265 52 68 45), in Pr. do Brasil (a 10min. walk down the same street) and Estação do Barreiro (50min., 2 per hr. 5am-noon, €1.60), where you transfer to a boat to get to Lisboa.
Buses: leave from Av. 5 de Outubro, 44 (☎265 52 50 51). From the tourist office, walk up R. Santa Maria to Av. 5 de Outubro and turn left; the station is about 2 blocks down on the right, in the building with “Rodoviária” written vertically down the front. Buses go to: Évora (2hr.; 10:25am, 5:10pm; €10); Faro (4hr., 3:05pm, €15.80); Lisboa’s Praça de Espanha (1hr., 17 per day 6:55am-10pm, €5.20); Sesimbra (45min., 9 per day 7:20am-8pm, €2.60).
Ferries: Transado, Doca do Comércio (☎265 23 51 01), off Av. Luísa Todi at the waterfront’s end, sends ferries to Tróia (15min.; every 30min.; €1.15, ages 5-10 €0.55, under 5 free).
Taxi: Rádio Táxi (☎265 23 33 34) is at Av. Luísa Todi and by the bus and train stations.

Orientation And Practical Information

Setúbal’s main artery is Avenida Luísa Todi, a wide boulevard parallel to the Rio Sado. Farther inland from Luísa Todi is Avenida 5 de Outubro, and between the two major roads lies a dense district of shops and restaurants centered around the Praça de Bocage. Avenida da Portela runs perpendicular to Av. 5 de Outubro, past the train and bus stations.

Tourist Office: Posto de Turismo da Costa Azul, on Tr. Frei Gaspar, just off Av. Luísa Todi near Lg. da Misericórdia (☎265 53 91 20). English, French, and Spanish spoken. Open May-Sept. M-Su 9:30am-7pm, M and Sa the office closes 12:30pm-3pm. Oct.-Apr. open M-Sa 9:30am-6pm. M and Sa closes 12:30-2pm. There is another municipal branch at R. Santa Maria, 2-4.
Currency Exchange: Banks line Av. Luísa Todi. (All open M-F 8:30am-3pm.) Agência de Cambios Central, Av. Luísa Todi, 226 (☎265 54 80 40) has currency exchange. Open M-Sa 9am-7pm.
Police: Station at Av. Luísa Todi, 350 (☎265 52 20 22).
Pharmacy: Farmácia Normal do Sul, Pr. de Bocage, 135 (☎265 52 84 50; open M-F 9am-7pm, Sa 9am-7pm).
Hospital: São Bernardo, R. Camilo Castelo Branco (☎265 54 90 00).
Laundromat: Lavanderia Donini, R. Oliveira Martins, 17 (☎265 52 71 54). Open M-F 9am-1pm and 3-7pm, Sa 9am-1pm. €2.25 per kg.
Internet Access: Cybertody, R. São Cristóvão, 7 (☎265 22 12 54). Follow the sign for Residencial Bocage off Av. Luísa Todi. It’s in the building in front of the Residencial on the 2nd fl. €1.65 per hr. Open M-F 10:30am-11pm, Sa-Su 2:30pm-11pm.
Post Office: at Ctt Correios, Praça de Bocage (☎213 55 35 05). Open M-F 9am-12:30pm and 2:30-6pm. Postal Code: 2900.

Accommodations

There are a few good pensões along Av. Luísa Todi and near Pr. de Bocage, or ask at either tourist office for a list of available quartos in private houses.

Pousada da Juventude de Setúbal (HI), Lg. José Afonso (☎265 53 44 31; fax 53 29 63). Facing the river, walk right on Av. Luísa Todi until you reach a large plaza on the left with a salmon-colored building in the center. Cut in front of the building to the parking lot; the pousada is the building ahead with the 2-story glass tower. The pousada has clean, cozy rooms, a common room with TV, and a friendly multilingual staff. Provides 30min free internet access. Reception 8am-noon and 6pm-midnight. Check-out noon. 4-person dorms €9; doubles €18, with bath €22. HI discount 15%. V.
Residencial Bocage, R. São Cristóvão, 14 (☎265 54 30 80), off Av. Luísa Todi, has fully loaded suites without fully loaded prices. Conveniently located near the main avenue and several cafes. Recently renovated rooms include bath, phone, TV, A/C, and breakfast. The front desk staff is helpful and friendly. Jan.-Mar. singles €29, doubles €40; Apr.-July €37/45; Aug. €38/50; Sept. €37/45; Oct.-Dec. €29/40. AmEx/MC/V.
Pensão O Cantinho, Beco do Carmo, 1-9 (☎265 52 38 99), is in an alley off Av. Luísa Todi behind Lg. do Carmo, near the police station. Spacious rooms above the restaurant have private baths and are among the cheapest in town. Reserve ahead in summer. Singles €10-15; doubles €20. Cash only.

Food

Seafood places line Av. Luísa Todi, up the street from Doca do Comércio; watch as they cut and fry your fish on sidewalk grills. You can also head to the Barrio das Fontanhas at the end of Av. Luisa Todi, an area frequented by locals.

Duarte Dos Frangos, Av. Luísa Todi, 285 (☎265 52 26 03), across the plaza from the youth hostel. Chatty locals and a friendly staff makes the place warm and welcoming. Ask for a meia of pork portuguesa (€6). Fish and meat entrees €5.50-14. Open daily noon-3pm and 7-10pm. AmEx/MC/V.
Novo 10, Av. Luísa Todi, 422-426, is one of the best seafood restaurants around. Try Setubal’s famed specialty, choco frito. Additionally, the beef (€8-12) is among the best in town. Open daily noon-2pm, 7pm-2am. AmEx/MC/V.
Cais 56, Av. Luisa Todi 56, (☎265 23 84 75). A great hangout with good pizza and choco frito (€6) . Open M-Tu, Th-Su 12pm-3pm, 6:30pm-10:30pm.

Sights And Festivals

The town’s most impressive sight, the 16th-century Forte de São Filipe, sits just outside the city. Designed by Italian engineer Filipe Terzi, the fortress was built in 1582 during the Spanish occupation of Portugal and took almost 20 years to finish. The star-shaped fortress is now a luxury pousada , but anyone is free to explore it. During the last week of July and first week of August, the Feira de Santiago, held in Lg. José Afonso, brings a carnival, folk music, and enormous outdoor market to Setúbal. The fair is accompanied by Portuguese bullfighting at Pr. dos Touros by the train station. Setúbal’s best beaches are Praia Figueirinha and Praia Galapos (buses run from the main station to Figueirinha, 20min., round-trip €2.80). Vertigem Azul, Edificio Marina Deck Rua Praia da Saude, 11D-Loja 10, near the fisherman harbor (☎265 23 80 00; www.vertigemazul.com), offers dolphin-watching daytrips (€30, children €20) in addition to kayaking, snorkeling, and jeep tours (approx. €15 per hr.). Planeta Terra, Praça General Luís Domingues, 9, rents street, hybrid, and mountain bikes from €8 per day. (☎919 47 18 71; www.planetaterra.pt. Delivery available. Reserve ahead.)