What is your favourite restaurant in the Setúbal region?

We're asking our fans on our Facebook page what is your favourite restaurant in the Setúbal region. Want to share your favourite as well or just see people's recommendations?

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Summer 2010 in Setúbal (in images)

Beach, Sports, Festivals, Food and music events, and much more took place this last summer in the region of Setúbal in Portugal. See the highlights in this video and visit the website Portugal Dream Coast to know more about this fantastic region!

International World Fishing Competition

The 3rd International World Fishing Competition on an anchored boat takes place on the 4th-12th September in the Sado Estuary with the participation of more than 50 athletes from six different nationalities.

Click to know more about this exciting event:

International World Fishing Competition

Alvalade Medieval Fair

Held annually, this event in Alvalade, south of the district of Setúbal near Sines, relives the Middle Ages with arts and crafts, food, games, jousting tournaments,costume contests, and more.

There could hardly be a more perfect setting for a truly authentic historical event that will capture adults and children’s’ imagination of life in medieval times. The entire town will be dressed to look like medievel times really incorporating the spirit of the event.

Know more here: Alvalade Medieval Fair

Wine Vintages Festival in Palmela

On the 1-7 September it will take place on the Palmela Castle the Festival "Wine Vintages" in its 48th edition.

It is one of the premier events in Setúbal that celebrates the region having the most well-known and reputable wines of the country. It has become hugely popular and a regular sell out attracting ten thousand people, many of whom return year after year. It is an opportunity for you to taste and buy the region's best wines as well as interacting with many wine experts of the region.

Click to know more about this fantastic event: Wine Vintages Festival in Palmela

“Golden Age” at Palmela’s Castle

On the 21st August it will take place at Palmela’s Castle (Castelo de Palmela) the theatre play “The Golden Age”.

The title of this play is the same as the play that took place at Théâtre du Soleil (France) by its director Ariane Mnouchkine, winner of the Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale. The particularity of this play is that it takes place trough a certain path of the castle and the audience has to follow the actors throughout the location.

Know more about it here: Golden Age

Bus Sightseeing Tour

Every Saturday you can now enjoy a Bus Sightseeing Tour which reveals Setúbal’s colourful region. This tour is created around a carefully designed route that takes you to the key places of interest, and a hop-on hop-off facility that lets you discover them.

Click here to know more about this lovely tour: Travel to Portugal

Loving Setúbal, Loving Golf

Each year more and more people around the world come to Portugal and to the Setúbal region to play Golf and this happens for a reason. With some stunning Golf courses and breathtaking views, it has everything you need for the perfect Golf holidays, including one course designed by the famous Robert Trent Jones.

Know more about it here: Golf in Tróia

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 Guide in Portugal: Travel to Tróia

Reachable by a 10 min. ferry ride from Setúbal, this narrow sand-strip south of Lisbon is one of Portugal's best-kept secrets. Boasting 18 km of white sandy uninterrupted beaches and some of the cleanest bathing conditions in the country, Tróia is a true holiday paradise for couples and young families alike. It also has a range of moderately-priced apartment complexes, a tennis centre, several swimming pools and the well-known 18-hole championship golf course.

What to do in Tróia?

• Beach, beach, beach! 18km of white sandy beaches with clear blue water. Here we promise you won't find the heavy crowds of the Algarve. If you're in need of a relaxing beach break, this is the place to be.
  
• Water sports: Beach volley, kitesurf, swimming, sailing, windsurfing, scuba. There is a sailing school and a scuba-diving school where you can rent a sailing boat and equipment and also have lessons , with a range of classes for varying abilities.
  If you chose scuba diving, a popular activity, there is many diverse types of fish and underwater sea life to see. Water sports here are a truly unique experience since is where the river meets the sea.
• Golf: The Troia Golf course is 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. There are also Golf lessons available.
• Tennis: There is a tennis academy in Troia with 10 green courts for you to play day and night. They also offer tennis lessons if you want to learn a new sport while on holidays!
• Roman ruins: If you want to know a bit of history as well, you can also visit the 16th Century Roman ruins in Troia. Some very important finds have been made since excavations began in 1850. The main visible features are fish-salting tanks as large as 3 metres square, port buildings, tombs and baths with traces of mosaic and marble lining.
• Luxury resorts: In Tróia there are several luxury resorts with plenty to offer like spa treatments and shows, if you want to take advantage of the best Tróia has to offer.
  
• Restaurants: In Tróia there are several beach restaurants and snack bars where you can taste the famous fish dishes and seafood of the region of Setúbal whilst enjoying a stunning view of the Setúbal bay and Arrábida mountain, in a really relaxing environment.

Staying in Tróia is a good option if you visit the region of Setúbal, combining relaxation, stunning views and also easy access to the city of Setúbal and the other locations around.

Join us on Facebook and see lots of photos of Tróia.

Sports Illustrated 2010 swimsuit issue photographed in the Setúbal region

The 2010 edition of the sports magazine "Sports Illustrated" was photographed in Portugal. It included models like Cintia Dicker, Jessica White and Bar Refaeli.

Some photos were taken in the capital, Lisbon, and other photos were taken in the
breathtaking scenery of the Setúbal region, at the Portinho da Arrábida beach and in a wine cellar in Azeitão.

See the "making of" video:

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.

Prada postcard sunglasses from Setubal

The luxury fashion house Prada is launching by the end of March a limited edition summer collection of sunglasses that represents 6 cities across the world that are a holiday resort and on Prada’s city trip list.

And one of the destinies is Setubal.

Part of the collection "Postcards Sunglasses" with 6 six different sunglasses, the Setubal ones are totally in mat black with a retro design and tinted lenses in vogue this season.

Prada explains why it choose Setubal:

"Setubal has one of the most beautiful bays in the world. And recently they found more then 200 sea species at Arrabida. Setubal is bright yellow facades and balconies jutting out, welcoming. The famous old Mosteiro de Jesus topped with lace patterned stone and the great, colored ships in the port look, from a distance, like bobbing toys.

To celebrate the new Postcards line, Prada unveils a new short audio-tale by long-time collaborator Steven Meisel accompanied by this delightfully quirky fashion prose:

"We were at the seaside

Water the color of a cloudy bottle.
Maybe Forte dei Marmi or Montauk,
Biarritz or Setùbal.
A faded postcard is my sacred relic.
In lavender ink and her loopy hand:

Wish we were here."

Setubal. Beautifully Yours

Your holidays in Setubal

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.

Setubal photos, from Jose Canelas

"Mourisca"

Jose Canelas photos