Historical and Natural Arrábida: Private Tour from Lisbon

You start by being picked-up for your private tour, at a hotel or AirBnB in Lisbon. On this tour you’ll visit the natural reserve of Arrábida, where you’ll take in stunning mountain views, and learn about the area’s history, experience some of its top products, and visit its beaches (during the summer).

The first place we will pass is Azeitão, a picturesque region noted for its wines and cheeses. Maybe stop there and have your breakfast, tasting some traditional local goods.

Reaching the Arrábida National Park national park, you will see the breath-taking views of the Sado estuary, which is listed as one of the most beautiful bays of the world. Being in a natural park, you have a few beautiful spots, where you can park and take amazing pictures of the mountain and the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way, you will stop to see from the outside the Arrábida Convent and Lapa de Santa Margarida, before reaching the historical centre of Setúbal.

Along the way, you will stop to see the Arrábida Convent, founded in 1542 by Friar Martinho de Santa Maria, a Castilian Franciscan who was granted the land by D. João de Lencastre (1501-1571), the first Duke of Aveiro.

Reaching Setúbal, you will explore the Livramento Market. In June/2015, USA Today Travel (Food & Wine), considered this market as one of the 10 best fish markets of the world. The market’s distinctive tiled walls, called “Azulejos”, comprised of 5,700 decorative tile pieces, the wall panels measure about 1,259 square feet and depict scenes of everyday local activities such as fishing and farming. See an assortment of local seafood laid out on counters and get to know how the different fish actually look like… Sardines are a favourite at the market. According to the Portuguese National Tourist Office, Portugal consumes 13 sardines per second, during the month of June.

Here we will explore one of the first "star fortifications" build in Portugal, and take in the amazing views over the surrounding locations. Work on the fortress began in 1590 and was completed in 1600. The São Filipe Fortress, resulted of the orders of the king, for the fortification of the coastline that protected Setúbal and the entrance of the Sado river. The interior space, which originally included the Governors House and military. There is a small baroque chapel, still preserved, dedicated to Our Lady dated 1736.

Next you’ll head to a very rare, restored tide mill that was built in 1601. This piece of industrial archaeology stands as a testimony to medieval engineering expertise. The mill still uses the tides as a source of renewable, non-polluting energy. Also you will be able to discover one of the biggest wetlands of Portugal.