Sleepy Setubal (Setubal)

Member Name: Praskipark

Product:	Setubal
Date:	09/04/09 (166 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An old Portuguese town that has a lot of charisma and a great film festival

Disadvantages: Could be a bit too sleepy for some

*wrong pic at the top of the page*

Setubal is a Portuguese town situated on the Setubal peninsula which is south of Lisbon and north of the Alentejo. Old women dressed in black, haggling over the price of fruit, weather-beaten fishermen chopping hundreds of fish at lightening speed, small restaurants serving local cod or sardine dishes at low prices - these are just some of the highlights of a visit to Setubal, a lively, bustling market town. Narrow streets lined with tempting shops twist through the town centre and at the quayside, hand painted fishing boats form a colourful backdrop to the fishermen mending their nets and selling their wares.

Setubal is Portugal's third largest town and is a port and industrial centre but the traditional industries such as fish processing and shipbuilding have been undergoing a period of uncertainty although Setubal is still the main centre for the Portuguese sardine industry.

The old town centre on the hillside is an interesting place for a stroll. It is a pretty town with manicured gardens, shady palms. old kiosks, fountains and very narrow pedestrianised streets.

The Igreja de Jesus (Church of Jesus) at the north end of the lovely Avenida 22 de Dezembro is the oldest building in the town and dates from the end of the 15th century. The exterior is Gothic in style but has beautiful Manueline features including the twisted pillars supporting the vaulting and the spiral ribs of the vault above the chancel. I think every church I have visited in Portugal has these twisted pillars and they are very attractive. The pillars in this particular church are made from a pastel pink stone which comes from the local quarry.

The Museu de Cidade, situated in the adjoining monasteries contains a very ancient altar table (c. 1500) from the Church of Jesus. There is a large collection of religious items and many religious paintings which I find a bit stuffy mainly because the subject matter is drab. Part of the collection is dedicated to the famous 18th century Portuguese romantic poet, Bocage.

As in every old town in Portugal there is an archaelogical museum. This one has a large and varied collection of items which have been found in the immediate region. Setubal dates back to the Bronze Age and in one of the collections there is a fascinating collection of Bronze Age pots. It was interesting to take note of the display depicting the history of cork. It is a dying industry now in Portugal which saddens me but I am always interested to know as much as possible regarding cork trees and the manufacturing process of it as on our land in the Algarve we still have some very ancient cork trees which actually survived the great fire that swept the hills of Monchique about 10 years ago. A lot of our other trees like eucalyptus and medronho were burnt down but the cork trees survived.

If you go right to the very top of the hill you will see a strong sturdy 16th century castle and this is the Castelo de Sao Filipe which is now a government run pousada. I have never stayed in the pousada as they are very expensive but I have sat on the terrace and consumed half a bottle of chilled Muscatel wine. The views from the terrace are amazing - you can see the flat plains of the bread oven of Portugal which is the sun baked Alentejo. The best time to catch this view is around 9pm at night just as the air is cooling. As the heat of the day fades away it forms a misty haze which lingers over the glimmering River Sado.

To say that there is some industry here in the town of Setubal it still has a lazy, sleepy feel to it and by 10pm the town will be nearly deserted except for the odd passer by and cyclist. This is a lovely time to sit in one of the parks just to listen to birds squabbling in the palm trees as they fight over branches to roost on.

A ferry plies between Setubal and the long, sandy Troia peninsula where one of the country's biggest holiday complexes is situated. I find Troia a little too built up but what I do like about it is the fact that it is the home of the Portuguese Film Festival. The film festival takes place in September and has been doing since its conception 25 years ago. A large body of Portuguese films are shown but the festival often pays tribute towards Polish and Czech films. Short animations, multi-cultural documentaries and erotic films are showcased also. IF you are a film buff like me then this is a great festival to visit and not a bad time of year. It will still be warm but not too overpowering.

If you fancy a drive out into the hills then head for the thickly wooded slopes of the Serra da Arribida. Hidden amongst the deserted greenery is a monastery that stands all alone. Built in the 16th century this Fransciscan monastery enjoys one of the most dazzling views in Europe. Looking down at the shimmering blue ocean it would be easy to imagine that these tranquil waters were the Mediterranean and not the freezing cold Atlantic. The range of hills above is designated as a nature reserve, in part closed off to the public to protect the extraordinary flora.

Behind the Serra da Arribida the main road crosses the Azeitao where the sweet grapes for Setubal's muscatel are cultivated. One of Portugal's finest wines matures in the Fonseca cellars situated in the centre of Vila Nogueira de Azeitao. If you like wine then the famous cellars are worth a peek. At the winery you will be given a tour and a chance to taste and buy some of the wines at amazingly low prices. Lancers Rose wine is also exported from here to the UK. The cellars and winery is open Monday - Thursday from 9am until 8pm.

Another place of interest which is a little further on than Troia is the Rio Sado Delta. You will pass the scanty remains of the Roman village of Cetobriga which are semi-submerged. The Rio Sado Delta is a nature reserve and the habitat for some rare bird species. It consists of vast stretches of mud flats, lagoons and small forests of umbrella pine trees. They are the short, stocky trees with foliage and branches that form the shape of an opened umbrella and have a very strong pine aroma. Salt is collected from the marshes and the area is also used for the cultiivation of rice. The fields lie below sea level and a series of canals and sluice gates control the water flow.

I have not stayed in a hotel in Setubal because we always had the camper van but from what I saw of the pousada I would recommend a stay in the castle if you can afford it. The sea views are magnificent and the muscatel is pretty good to.

One restaurant I can recommend is O Beco which serves good wholesome Portuguese fare in folk traditional surroundings. All very colourful. You will find that all restaurants in Setubal are traditional and the standard is generally high. No Macdonalds here.

Okay, so that sums up Setubal except for one thing I feel I must mention. Do you remember that good looking, wacky Chelsea manager who has a sardonic wit and a sexy twinkle in his eye - well, he was born and raised in Setubal. Yes, I do mean Jose Mario dos Santos Mourinho Felix or otherwise known to many a football fan as - The Special One.

Apparently, he has been awarded a civic medal for raising the profile of the town.

So there you go - another lovely town in my favourite country - my beloved Portugal.

Summary: One of my favourite town's outside Lisbon