Monday, 8 February 2021

SETÚBAL DISTRICT - VILLAGES, CITIES AND INTERESTING PLACES

 


The Setúbal District is a district of Portugal. It is divided between the traditional provinces of Estremadura and Baixo Alentejo. It borders on the north with the District of Lisbon and with the District of Santarém, on the east with the District of Évora and with the District of Beja, on the south with the District of Beja and on the west with the Atlantic Ocean. It has an area of ​​5,064 km² (8th largest Portuguese district) and a resident population of 911 794 inhabitants (2009). The district seat is the city with the same name. Currently, it is the district with the greatest propensity for development in the areas of health, work, economics, tourism, demography, and education, due to its proximity to the sea, the efficient network of existing schools, and the easy capture of investments in the district.

The relief of the Setúbal district is mostly made up of plains. The main mountains of the Setúbal district are Serra da Arrábida and Serra de Grândola. In Costa da Caparica (in the municipality of Almada) there is a cliff (Arriba Fóssil). The Setúbal district is crossed by the River Sado and its tributaries.

The district of Setúbal is subdivided into the municipalities of Alcácer do Sal, Alcochete, Almada, Barreiro, Grândola, Moita, Montijo, Palmela, Santiago do Cacém, Seixal, Sesimbra, Setúbal, Sines.
The airport that serves the Setúbal district is Humberto Delgado Airport, that is, Lisbon Airport (or Portela Airport), which is located very close to the district capital, about 47 km away.
However, the construction of an airport for low-cost companies in Montijo, one of the municipalities in the district of Setúbal, is in the design phase. Thus, the district will be even better served by air connections with the rest of the world and the main regions of the country such as Porto, Faro, Madeira, and the Azores.

The main road is the A1 motorway, which connects Lisbon to the country's second city, Porto. To access the A1 from Setúbal we will enter the A2 in the South-North direction and do the approximately 48 km of the route.
For those traveling from Setúbal to the south, to the Algarve, the main road is the A2 motorway.
The A6 connects the district of Setúbal to the interior from the Marateca node, passing through Évora and Estremos, until the border, near Elvas.

PLACES TO VISIT
Setúbal, like the rest of the country, has excellent places that are worth visiting. Here are just a few:

Troia Peninsula
The Troia Peninsula is a 25 km long sandy area on the coast of the municipality of Grândola, between the Atlantic and the Sado River estuary (to the east), with the city of Setúbal on the other bank.
In the northern part of the peninsula, you can visit the Roman ruins of Troia. It was a fish salting complex, which operated between the 1st and 6th centuries.
In the last decades of the twentieth century, several tourist developments were built in this place, such as Soltroia and TroiaResort. Two river terminals provide the shortest connection to the city of Setúbal: Cais Sul (ferries) and Ponta do Adoxe (catamarans).

Cabo Espichel in Sesimbra
When visiting Cabo Espichel you will be able to be dazzled by one of the most beautiful views of the Portuguese coast through its viewpoint. Besides, in the same place, it is possible to visit the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora do Cabo Espichel, the Lighthouse, and the small chapel (Ermida da Memória).
You can also observe dinosaur footprints, frozen in time, marking an era where these gigantic animals naturally roamed this place.

Christ the King in Almada
The Cristo Rei de Almada was a way for the Portuguese people to thank God and Jesus Christ for being spared the atrocities of the 2nd world war.
It was opened in 1959, with a height of 215 meters, offering a 360-degree view over the banks of the Tagus River.

Castle of Palmela
The primitive fortification that was at the origin of the Palmela Castle dates back to the period of the Muslim occupation. However, it was during the reign of D. João I that the castle underwent major expansion and reinforcement works, in 1423. It was also at that time that the church was built and where the Order of Santiago was definitively installed, from 1443.

Roman Ruins of Miróbriga (Santiago do Cacém)
The Roman ruins of Miróbriga are located in a fertile area, with vast maritime and mining resources. For this reason, it is believed that this ancient Roman settlement may have played a prominent commercial role. Miróbriga was inhabited from the Iron Age until the 4th century.
Surrounding the forum is an entire area consisting of several buildings such as the curia, the basilica, and some thermal baths.
The site has a Reception and Interpretation Center, under the responsibility of IPPAR, whose hours are from Tuesday to Saturday from 9: 00h to 12: 30h; and from 14: 00h to 17: 30h.





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