Route 5 - In dolphin bay land

We suggest a pedestrian route in historic center of Setúbal, starting with a visit to the Church of Jesus, one of the first examples of the Manueline style. Inside, note the columns which are in the form of nautical ropes, and the magnificent vault. The Galeria de Pintura Quinhentista, is one of the finest collection of old Portuguese paintings.

Go next to the Praça de Bocage, this square bears the name of one of Portugal’s greatest 18th century poets. The buildings of interest here are the Town Hall and the Church of St Julian, with its handsome Manueline door.

Carry on towards the Largo da Misericórdia, with regional tourist office of Lisbon beside it. The ruins of a fish salting factory, dating from Roman times, can be seen.

Go down the Rua Antão Girão until you get to Igreja de Santa Maria, totally rebuilt in the 16th century. Next to it is a baroque building, the Casa do Corpo Santo. From the outside, you can see that the side wall is the remains of the wall to protect the town from pirate attacks, a common occurrence at the time.

Go on up until you reach the Arco de S. Sebastião, and visit the Museu do Trabalho. The museum is housed in a former fish canning factory, and explores the traditional activities of the local people through the recreation of a fish canning factory and grocery store.

Returning to the Arco de S. Sebastião, you then go down to the Rua Arronches Junqueiro. You come to the Avenida Luísa Todi on the left. This avenue was inspired by the French boulevards and was built on an old beach, levelled for the purpose, representing the town’s growth at the end of the 19th century.

A visit to the Mercado do Livramento is the perfect end to this walk, since it is one of the most picturesque spots in the city, and the aperitif to walk in one of the restaurants and taste a Sea Soup, Fish Stew or Fried Choco.

Before going on to the quays and taking the ferry across the Sado to Tróia you must be sure to visit the Casa da Baía de Setúbal, an excellent guest room of the region which integrates, beyond the Municipal Tourism Office, exhibition areas and leisure and wine and regional products shop. Here you can find also the headquarters of the Confraria do Moscatel de Setúbal (brotherhood).