WIN A WEEKEND IN SETÚBAL WITH OUR WEBSITE!

We're happy to announce today the launch of the new website Portugal Dream Coast!

To commemorate we're offering you a wonderful weekend for two in a romantic windmill in the Arrábida mountain. All you need to do is visit the site Portugal Dream Coast, answer the question and enter the prize draw. :)

If you wish to give us feedback about the website, ask questions, give suggestions or just say Hi!, we would like to hear from you, please contact us.

We're big on Facebook, thank you!

Did you know that Portugal Dream Coast' Blog is on 4th on TRAVEL category on Facebook, 4th on PHOTOS and 1st on LIFESTYLE!

A big huge THANK YOU to everyone that made this possible, after all this Blog is for you. Don't forget to share it with your friends! :)

Pretty soon the website Portugal Dream Coast will be live and to commemorate it we'll be offering a weekend on a romantic hotel in the Arrábida Mountain. Stay tuned! :)

See the Blog Portugal Dream Coast on Facebook.

Tróia International Golf Cup 2010 - in August!

Between the 26th and 28th August it will take place in the region of Setúbal the Tróia International Golf Cup, one of the most important Golf events taking place in the summer time in Portugal.

If you're a Golf lover you simply cannot afford to miss this event. It will take place at the Tróia Golf Championship Course, considered amongst Golf players to be one of the best top golf courses of the world and was considered by “Golf World” magazine to be one of the best 100 Golf courses of Europe. Robert Trent Jones Senior designed the course and it opened for play in 1980.

The 368-metre par four 3rd is one of the finest sea holes in Portugal but there are more stunning holes in this course. The holes are laid out on the dunes whilst magnificent pinewoods line most of the fairways on the inland side. The course is challenging but whilst playing the player has charming views across the sand to the magnificent blue Atlantic.

This is a magnificent time of the year to visit Tróia not only to see this event but also because of the stunning climate and everything the region has to offer in terms of travel holidays.

Why not combine your Golf passion with a visit to the stunning Tróia white sandy beaches and enjoy the wonderful Portuguese food available? Contact us if you with to know more.

Curious? See for yourself:

Website Portugal Dream Coast

Em poucos dias estará no ar a versão beta 1.0 do site PORTUGAL DREAM COAST. Neste site haverá espaço para publicitar no MUNDO empresas de actividades, hotelaria, restauração, produtos e serviços únicos que temos na região de Setúbal.

Quem estiver interessado em ser publicitado entre em contacto connosco através do email joaolcabral@netcabo.pt

In a few days the 1.0 beta version of the Portugal Dream Coast website will be live. In this site there will be space to promote to the world companies related to activities, hotels, restaurants, retail, and unique products and services that we have in the region of Setúbal.

Everyone that is interested in being promoted please contact us through the email joaolcabral@netcabo.pt

Setúbal's Guide: Arrábida Mountain

Over the last few weeks we've been telling you about several lovely locations in the region of Setúbal. Now we want to tell you about one very special location considered by many as simply the heart of this region.

The originality of the scenery and harmony of Man in his environment reveal a perfect integration of the two in a natural and socio-cultural context which surround it.

These chalky hills have the only surviving example of primitive Mediterranean vegetation. Tucked away in the heart of Arrábida's Natural Park, the formation goes back 180 million years. The soil and mild climatic features, considered the best in Portugal, have produced a lush vegetation rich in species. The park covers the Arrábida Hills, which mediterranean-like vegetation and microclimate resemble Adriatic locations.

Although the 50km-long ridge of the Arrábida attains a maximum of only 501m (Alto do Formosinho), the views from the top are truly spectacular, giving the impression of much greater altitude. The strategic position of the Arrábida Marine Park makes it an ideal laboratory to travel for studies on marine biodiversity and climate change.

What to do in the Arrábida mountain?

Beaches: Relax on the sand at Portinho da Arrábida, a delightful small beach nestled in a bay with calm, crystal blue-green water that is excellent for swimming and diving. Make a visit also to Figueirinha, it looks out over the Bay of Setubal and has the beautiful backdrop of the Serra da Arrábida hills. The popularity of this beach is aided by both the ease of access and the calm waters and is suitable for windsurfing at low tide, when a cove is created by a sandbank.
Walking Tours: Travel here and dive yourself into the wild landscapes of the Arrábida mountain on a guided walking tour which offers you a chance to capture the true essence of the region.
Sports: Mountain Biking, hiking, sea kayaking are some of the many sports you can practise here, since the mountain and the bay below offers perfect conditions for these sports.
Jeep tours: This is the most popular safari trip practiced in the surroundings of Lisbon,with stopovers in places for fantastic views of the mountain and the ocean.. Tip: Combine the tour with a wine and cheese tasting.
Photographing: With a beautiful and breathtaking scenery, the Arrábida mountain is the place to travel and to be for landscape photographers.
Arrábida Monastery: Built on 1542 by Frei Martinho de Santa Maria, this monastery is hidden between the lush vegetation. Used by religious orders in the past, it has the "old monastery" with some rooms built inside the rocks and the "new monastery" where later was built the kitchen, library, watch tower and other rooms. The monastery is currently owned by the Orient Foundation, with many cultural events taking place.
Just relaxing: This location is perfect if you're looking for the tranquility and peace that only the contact with nature offers. A perfect place to meditate, relax or just listen to the nature sounds.

And why not combine several activities together to make the perfect holidays?

The Natural Park of Arrábida is an area of excellent views, culture, history and hundred-year-old traditions as well as having an economic importance regarding tourism. Add it to your travel guide!

The nature park (land and sea) is currently being proposed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site and was a "Gift to the Earth" by the Portuguese government through WWF in the International Year of the Oceans (1998).

Visit us on Facebook and watch the video with stunning photos from the Arrábida mountain.

My dream coast Newsletter

Soon we'll be having a Newsletter with tons of what-to-do-ideas, tips, news, quizzes and other fun stuff about the Setúbal region. Sign our newsletter now and be the first to receive the news straight into the confort of your email. :)

Send an email to info@portugaldreamcoast.com with your first and last name, email address, job title and country and you'll receive a confirmation email back.

Setúbal's Guide: Travel to Sesimbra

Sesimbra is an oceanfront, picturesque fishing village in a sheltered bay overlooked by a Moorish Castle that offers wonderful views from its ramparts.

Is about 40km due south of Lisbon and is situated nestled at the foot of the hills of the Arrábida mountain and inside a sparkling blue bay, protecting it from cold northerly winds.

In the old town is a 17th century fort overlooking the sea, a good starting point for a scenic walk before hitting the beach that, although crowded in the summer, has unpolluted waters ideal for swimming. Sesimbra is a pretty place to escape and a wonderful place to eat fantastic fish, stroll on the promenade or relax on the stunning beach with its enticing clean blue water.

Sesimbra retains much of its fishing village atmosphere. The many local churches are still regularly full of the faithful praying for a good catch and the safe return of their men. In late afternoon the fishing boats return and there's a fish auction on the dockside. That same fresh fish can be sampled at one of the several restaurants along the shore. Tuna and Swordfish are stars in the local menu.

Fun things to do in Sesimbra:

• Cabo Espichel: An impressive and mystical promontory with breathtakingly large cliffs which drop almost vertically several hundred feet into the Atlantic. The views of the coast and ocean are stunning.
  
• Medieval Castle: At the top the hill behind the town, on the site of a Moorish fortressDom Sancho II, stands the restored medieval castle built in the 13th century which also encloses a 12th century church, Church of Santa Maria, and affords wonderful views from its ramparts.
• Hills of Arrábida: Glorious views of the coast and the countryside abound as you drive along the knife-edge ridge in this nature reserve which hides in its abundant flora.
• Beach: Hit one of the many beaches around Sesimbra. One of them, named Lagoa de Albufeira , is an excellent location to practice windsurf, kitesurf, surf, scuba diving, or simply relax on the white sand.
  
• Shopping: Alongside the sea promenade there's several shops with local products,
  
• Restaurants: Dine in one of the many beach-front fish restaurants after taking a relaxing evening stroll along the promenade.
• Nightlife: In the Summer, people enjoy just going out. There is street animation, live music and some trendy bars.

The countryside of Sesimbra is covered with an abundance of rosemary, myrtle, cistus and thyme which give it that characteristic 'vacation' smell. You can travel by car or reach Sesimbra by buses that leave several times during the day from Setúbal.

There is also a construction plot in this location, should you love Sesimbra to much that wish to build the perfect holiday home.

Visit us on Facebook and see more photos of Sesimbra.

Your Summer Holidays in Setúbal

3 minutes of watching this and you'll want to get on a plane straight out here... :)

Bay of Setubal - One of The Most Beautiful in the World

The bay of Setubal was voted a member of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club. This cut out estuary is leaned with the buttresses of Serra da Arrábida and separates the Atlantic Ocean by the peninsula of Troia. 23000 ha are classified as natural reserve.

As the most important natural habitat for the conservation of the bottle-nosed dolphin, fulfilling one of the nature requirements demanded by UNESCO, The Bay of Setubal will benefit from added values, notably from the international projection of the city.

Its main aims are to link the city to the river and valorize the environment. In particular the Sado Estuary Nature Reserve and the Arrábida Natural Park, which has unique characteristics and contains species that can only be found in areas near the Mediterranean.

There are also excellent beaches, especially Figueirinha, Galapos and Portinho da Arrábida (a magnificent sheltered bay), And on the other side of the River Sado, within easy reach by ferry, there is the Tróia peninsula with about 18 kms of beaches and a golf course.

Setubal. Beautifully Yours

Your holidays in Setubal

Roxette video recorded in Troia

Did you know that Roxette's music video "Anyone" was recorded in Troia?

The Galapos beach

One of the most amazingly beautiful beaches of the Setubal region is the Galapos beach in Arrabida. Relaxing on the white sand means that you have the bright blue sea ahead of you and behind the stunning Arrabida mountain, sheltered from strong winds by its delightful cliffs.

Very often known as the "caribbean" of Portugal, this beach is a quiet place to relax and enjoy your holidays. The sea is very quiet which makes it a fantastic place for scuba diving and snorkeling due to its stunning underwater scenery.

Facilities: restaurant, sun shades for rent, car parking, lifeguard during summer time, toilets

Join our Facebook group and see more photos of Galapos beach.

Who knows the Setubal region?

. People that love relaxing or having romantic holidays know that the Setubal region is not crowded as the Algarve and they can actually walk along the white sandy beaches at their own pace.

. Golf players know Troia in Setubal because is has one of the top and most challenging Golf courses in Europe as well as the most beautiful sea views from a Golf course in the country.

. Dolphin lovers know the Setubal bay because is the only place in Portugal where you can watch dolphins in the wild. And they can even call them by their names!

. Scuba divers know the Setubal bay is great because they regularly vote it as one of the top diving spots of Europe.

. Cuisine and wine lovers know Setubal because it has one of the tastiest cheeses in the country, the best fish dishes and the well-known Moscatel wine, as well as several desserts and cakes that make them always wanting to come back for more.

. People that love nature know Setubal because of the stunning Arrabida range (which soon will be considered world heritage) where you can have the desired relaxing contact with nature, playing sports, walking or just meditating.

. People that love Sailing love Setubal, not only for its wonderful conditions to practise this sport, but also because its one of the locations where the World Sailing Match takes place.

. People that love photography know that Setubal offers the most stunning landscapes in Portugal.

. People that love beautiful Resorts and Inns know that the Setubal region has the most exclusive and romantic ones.

. People that like to know about a country's culture love Setubal because of the many cultural events happening and also the many historic locations they can visit like the Roman ruins in Troia.

What are your reasons to know Setubal?

If we can make you feel even a small part of what you could feel here, this Blog has served its purpose. Our time here, we hope, will make it easy for you to travel to Setubal or even choose it for your next Portuguese vacations. We're always adding to the Blog so keep looking back to for more information about this beautiful spot.

If there are any items you'd like to see on the Blog, please just let us know, this Blog is for you. Any suggestions or questions: carlaccsilva@gmail.com

“I live in Algarve but holiday in the Sado region ... we just love it there.”

Sarah Sykes, British citizen and follower of this Blog

The "Queijo de Azeitão", gourmet cheese

One of the many delicacies you can taste in the Setubal region is the "Queijo de Azeitão", or Azeitão's cheese. It was named after the village where it was born and it is said that only experienced artisans have the know-how to produce this gourmet favorite.

Made for generations at the foot of the Arrabida Mountains, the Azeitão’s Cheese is produced from the raw sheep’s milk, the producers only add thistle and salt. The cheese is coagulated with cardoon thistle instead of traditional animal rennet and it has a buttery texture.

The cure has the duration of 20 days at least. During this time every day cheeses are turned, cleaned and washed, every time its needed, to keep the crust clean and smooth. The pastures where the sheep of Azeitão graze are lush and covered in herbaceous scrub, giving the milk its characteristically rich and unique flavor.

The end product is a thick, smooth, and soft cheese with a strong, earthy aroma. When left at room temperature, the cheese becomes almost a melty yellow cream and it is eaten by using a spoon to take it out and spread it on bread or crackers.

It weights about 100 gr. or 200 gr. a piece (approximately 8 ounces). Molded in cloth, Queijo de Azeitão has a rustic appearance that adds to its romance and tradition. All the cheese have a sequential number and an origin certificate. This cheese and a bottle of Moscatel make an outstanding and distinct souvenir.

If you never tasted Portuguese cheese before, we guarantee that this is a good place to start.

Commemorations of João Vaz's work in Setubal

On the 27th February at Casa da Baia is going to take place the exhibition and conference "João Vaz and Setubal", to commemorate the work of the deceased João Vaz, a well-known painting artist from Setubal.

If you're visiting Setubal and want to know more about this region this is an excellent opportunity, since the strong bond between this artist and Setubal is present in all of his works. Most of his beautiful paintings are landscapes of the region of Setubal: the salt marsh, the bay, Arrabida, but he also has some more urban paintings of the city as well.

João Vaz (1859-1931) had a very distinct technique and was one of the first painting artists using photographs. Surely an event not to miss.

Portugal Atlantic Tour 2010 - Equestrian Event

Herdade da Comporta near Setubal is helding from the 17th February and until the 22nd March the most important equestrian event in Portugal, named the "Atlantic Tour", on its 4th edition.

For five weeks this “equestrian city" brings together 350 riders from 26 countries, 750 horses and, all told, an estimated total of roughly 5000 visitors and participants. The 8 competitions being held will all count to the world ranking.

The region has been steadily attracting more and more horse riders and visitors from all over the world. This year’s event will also have two entirely new sections, Dressage and Horseball.

Amongst the world famous riders that have their participation confirmed, are Kevin Staut (France), Penelope Leprevost, winner of the 2009 edition, Michael Whitaker (UK) and the leader of the Portuguese ranking Luis Gonçalves.

Spectators can watch the events from close up or, if they prefer, from one of the two restaurants made available to visitors.

You still have time to visit this region and watch this fantastic event at Comporta! Let us know if you have any questions and/or need help with your stay. We can also inform you about daily results from the competitions. Just email us on joaolcabral@netcabo.pt. And don't forget to check our tips about Setubal! :)

The Moscatel of Setubal

Portugal is one of the most renowned producers of wine in the world, the country has a long tradition in winemaking, in fact, the history producing wine in this country comes from much earlier than the foundation of its Nationality. The well-known Portuguese wines include Port wine, Madeira wine, red wines, white wines, “vinho verde” and, of course, the moscatel (sherry), of a topaz with red undertones colour.

This large area of Setubal, influenced by the proximity of the sea, soil poverty and by low productions is the cradle of Moscatel. The Moscatel wine obtained from the Setubal peninsular region is constituted by the liqueurous casta or grape variety.

Pressed and wine brandy added then fermented with the skins over winter. Then aged 8 years on 200 litre barrels before bottled and shipped for sipping.

When you're visiting Setubal you must definitely try it!The taste is sweet and bitter at first, clear taste of figs and raisins with nuts and sunlight! Together with a hint of tannins on the mid palate. Back end is sugar and plum marmelade and a little pepper feel and also a dry feeling to balance all the sweet.

Tip: Try it with a chocolate dessert.

Setubal photos, from Jose Canelas

"Mourisca"

Jose Canelas photos

What can you enjoy in Troia

This region has been a major touristic attraction for many years due to its excellent location and many, many options available. Although a touristic place, it is also quiet and peaceful and here you're surrounded by mother nature: from one side you have the Atlantic ocean and white sandy beaches, on the other you have the 500-metre high Arrábida Mountain range, which soon will be considered world heritage due to its beautiful nature reserve.

Here you can breathe in the fragrance of pine groves or also acquaint yourself with the golf course fairways. A unique, unspoilt place offering unforgettable experiences. Here, sky's the limit.

Holidays in Troia can include:

- enjoying the sun in one of the many lovely beaches,
- indulging yourself in a round of golf on some of the most challenging and breath-taking golf courses in the country,
- embark on nature walks or biking on the Arrabida (The Arrábida Natural Park, covering an area of approximately 26,687 acres, has predominantly Mediterranean vegetation, with some rare species unique to the region),
- go on a boat trip and you may be able to see pink flamingos flying above you and lovely friendly dolphins swimming below you. Truly an experience you'll never forget!
- Sailing, diving and kite-surfing are also activities you can enjoy here.

And to end a perfect day in Troia, and before you taste the wonderful Portuguese cuisine, why not watching the sunset on Melides Beach?