Historical and Natural Arrábida: Private Tour from Lisbon

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. 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).

   40 min

2. 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.

   30 min

3. 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.

   30 min

4. 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.

   30 min

5. 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.

   1 hAdmission included

6. 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.

   1 hAdmission included

7. 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.

   1 h

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 7 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Lisbon

• Its from-price is 58% below the median of the 1396 day trips we list in Lisbon.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 449 of 1396.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Lisbon

Lisbon spills down its hills to the Tagus estuary, a city of tiled façades, rattling yellow trams, viewpoint terraces and late, unhurried dinners.

The old quarters hold most of the charm. Alfama's tangle of lanes climbs to São Jorge Castle and echoes with fado in the evening, the Baixa's orderly grid runs down to the vast Praça do Comércio on the river, and Bairro Alto and Chiado mix bookshops and cafés by day with bars by night. Viewpoints such as Santa Luzia and Senhora do Monte frame red rooftops and shining water.

Top-ranked sights in Lisbon: Commerce Square (Praça do Comércio), Pena National Palace (Palacio Nacional da Pena), Alfama.

See all 4320 experiences in Lisbon