It’s time for another Portuguese adventure.
Did you know that January is the low season in Portugal? That means it's a fantastic time to snag some great deals for a weekend break.
That's exactly what we did, heading to Palmela Castle, which is super conveniently located within day trip distance of Lisbon, just across the bridge in Setúbal.
We got an incredible deal on our hotel, paying around 100 EUR a night for a 2 night stay at Palmela Castle; probably half of what we would have paid in the shoulder or high season.
A Royal Stay at Palmela Castle
Staying at Palmela Castle itself was an absolute dream. This historic pousada offers outstanding views of the surrounding area, and it's an ideal home base for exploration.
The pousada is very historic, featuring an old chapel on-site, beautiful artwork, and other atmospheric features that made us feel like we’d stepped back in time. We love staying in these unique historic properties, and it's one of the reasons we adore living in Portugal.
Golden Hour is the best time to appreciate the property when the castle ruins are completely illuminated in the late afternoon sunlight. If you're a photographer, Palmela is an ideal break with tons of photo ops around the various ruins and former fortification walls.
Dinner at Castelo de Palmela was another highlight. We savored croquettes served with carrot soup – perfect for the humid winter chill – followed by a delicious dish of chicken and potatoes.
And for dessert? A decadent chocolate cake sprinkled with meringue. I was probably most excited about the dessert given my sweet tooth!
The restaurant itself is set in a very atmospheric arcade surrounding a central courtyard, with vaulted ceilings and historic artwork on the walls..
We also discovered that there are some hiking paths right near the castle. We took some time to walk around and enjoy the viewpoints.
Be aware, the trails are fairly steep, but they are paved or have well-hewn stairs, making them easy to navigate if you're in decent cardiovascular shape. We appreciated that we could access the trails directly from the hotel without needing to drive.
Exploring Palmela Town
We woke up early and drove from Palmela Castle into Palmela town to have a little look around. I took the opportunity for a door photography walk, finding not only some very pretty doors but also some lovely views.
Unfortunately it was a little bit rainy when we were visiting Palmela (one of the perils of taking a trip in Portugal in January) so we didn't do as much as we might have.
Being a Sunday, not many places were open, but we definitely enjoyed having a look around while we were in the neighborhood.
Setúbal Wine Tasting
Another fun thing to do on a weekend trip to Setúbal is go wine tasting! Palmela Castle is a great home base for exploring the wineries in the area. On our way to Palmela, we stopped at Bacalhôa, one of the largest wineries in Portugal.
We’ve taken a tour in the past which included a visit to Bacalhôa’s impressive art collection.This time we just popped in to pick out some wines to take home.
We also revisited Quinta de Alcube, a winery we'd explored on a previous day tour to Setúbal. We sat and had a glass of wine there and bought a whole case to bring home.
The prices were amazing – we got 12 bottles of wine for less than €60 total, and that included some of the vineyard’s reserve wines!
We discovered that Quinta de Alcube has a farm on site. We took a moment to say hi to some lazy pigs. Since we drove ourselves to the winery, we had the opportunity to take a closer look at the forest of cork trees on the property. So cool!
Bird Watching at Reserva Natural do Estuário do Sado
One of the highlights of our winter weekend trip to Setúbal from Lisbon was paying a visit to Reserva Natural do Estuário do Sado. This estuary is located within a protected bay close to the Atlantic Ocean.
We drove to and parked at Moinho de Maré da Mourisca (Moinho Tide Mill). Based on the cool rusted metallic sculptures of herons, flamingos, other waders, and spoonbills that we saw on the walk to the café and small shop, we were excited about the birds we might see.
There are a few short trails that you can walk in this area and we took the opportunity to go for a 30 minute loop hike. We also stopped at the bird hide looking out over the estuary not too far from the parking lot.
Unfortunately, we didn't see too many birds on this trip, just a handful of waders. I was hoping to see some flamingoes, but it wasn’t to be this time (unlike the multitudes we saw on our trip to Aveiro!)
In fact, the coolest birds we spotted were actually the storks that build their nests on the power lines running along the roads in the area. We saw some storks as we were driving out of the Sado estuary.
We didn't make the trip ourselves this time, but from Moinho Tide Mill, you can in theory catch a boat to see the dolphins in Arrábida National Park.
Exploring Setúbal Town
Setúbal town is the largest settlement on the Setúbal Peninsula and we’d been meaning to check it out for a while. Our weekend trip to Palmela Castle gave us the perfect opportunity to explore.
One of the highlights for us was checking out the old mercado (Mercado do Livramento), which is quite historic and boasts some amazing scenes done up in Portuguese tiles (azulejos).
We particularly enjoyed checking out the fish stalls, where there was a huge swordfish on display with vendors cutting fresh slices for a line of customers who were waiting patiently for their turn.
The market also features a number of larger-than-life sculptures that were meant to resemble historic market people – someone selling eggs, someone selling flowers, and my favorite, a lady with a basket of chickens on her head!
We took some time to walk around Setúbal, and I especially enjoyed going inside the Church of the former monastery of Jesus (Igreja do Convento de Jesus). Not surprisingly, it was the ornate doorway that caught my eye given my love of door photography.
Inside the church, we discovered some fantastic Portuguese tiles. It's definitely worth peeking in, especially to appreciate the church’s typical Portuguese Manueline architecture.
Now for something completely unexpected! One of the most surprising things we did in Setúbal was visit a Kansas City BBQ place called Rafeira Taproom & Bayou BBQ. It's popular with the expats that live in the area. We enjoyed some craft beer and delicious brisket for lunch.
We finished our visit to Setúbal with a door-focused photo walk. I found some really pretty doors to add to my door photography collection. There were also some sculptures of dolphins along the harbor in Setúbal town.
We made the effort to walk uphill for some stunning sea views, stopping at Miradouro de São Sebastião, a viewpoint that was lined with beautiful Portuguese tiles.
Why Low Season is Your Best Bet
Just like Lisbon in January, which offers so many fun things to do in the low season, Setúbal and Palmela offer a fun January weekend break.
You avoid the crowds, get fantastic deals, and still experience the vibrant culture and stunning scenery. Taking a drive to the Setúbal Peninsula in January is a more authentic feeling and less rushed way to experience Portugal's beauty in a location conveniently close to Lisbon.
So, if you're looking for an amazing, yet budget-friendly, escape from Lisbon, I think Palmela Castle and Setúbal in the low season are worthwhile stops to add to your Portugal itinerary.
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| For more glorious doors, visit doors.sidewalksafari.com |
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