Less than an hour from Lisbon, this little-known region is home to some of Portugal's best beaches

Independent

6 days ago

With the sun just beginning to rise over the Atlantic, I'm bracing myself to step into cold, crystal clear water when suddenly I see them: a pod of dolphins cuts through the mirror-like surface just metres from where I stand. One by one, around a dozen leap into sight, curving around the mountainside from the open ocean and into the sheltered bay, before slipping out of sight.
I'm standing on the sands at the foot of Arrábida Natural Park, a protected coastal region around 45 minutes' drive south of Lisbon, in Sesimbra – the seaside village I have called home since 2015. Although I've long heard rumours of these marine visitors, it's the first time I've seen them close to home since I discovered this place almost by accident, having fallen deep into a rabbit hole of Lisbon-based property hunting.
The waters here are crystal clear but cold year-round, which is how I've added cold water swimming to trail running as part of my lifestyle here – all the better to balance the dangerously affordable local wines, delicious cheeses, and regular barbecue sessions.
Now, interest in Arrábida is quietly building and the signs of change are already visible. The former four-star Sesimbra Hotel & Spa has been revamped and rebranded as the five-star Sesimbra Oceanfront, where guests now wind their way down to the beach clutching takeaway cups of bubble frappe from the newly opened Crazy Bubble Sesimbra. At the same time, in the back streets locals still sip strong espressos that cost less than 60p and restaurants grill fresh-from-the-ocean fish on rustic charcoal grills set out on the cobbles.
Sesimbra, the fishing village where I've made my home, sits at one end of Arrábida Natural Park, a 176-square-kilometre protected area founded in 1976 that stretches to the coastal city of Setúbal. Here, the blue of the sea alternates with white limestone cliffs and dense Mediterranean vegetation covering the mountain range. The park's nomination for Unesco Biosphere Reserve status would further protect this unique ecosystem where limestone mountains meet the Atlantic.
When I first set eyes on the region back in 2015, it felt like winning the jackpot. Capped by a medieval castle on a hill and with calm, clear waters sheltered from the wild Atlantic, back then, Sesimbra was a truly under-the-radar beach town, where rugged mountains slope down towards beaches with white sand and turquoise water.
Nearby Ribeiro do Cavalo beach – accessible only by steep, rough trails or via the water – often gets compared to beaches in Thailand. Energetic types can kayak there, and in summer, taxi boats make the short, choppy trip out. Once-hidden beaches like this have become an open secret with Lisbon locals, thanks in part to dramatically improved bus links to and from the city.
The beaches that dot the Arrábida coast are frequently named among the most beautiful in Portugal. A short drive from Sesimbra via one of the most beautiful, if hair-raising, roads in the country, the N379-1, is the perfectly picturesque Portinho da Arrábida, where simple fish restaurants sit on stilts over the water. From here, the coast stretching towards Setúbal is dotted with forest-flanked beaches, each seemingly more beautiful than the next.
These paradise beaches can be challenging to reach in high season (June-September) without a bit of planning. The delicate ecosystem has prompted authorities to restrict private car access (Ubers and Bolts are permitted and widely used) to the most popular beaches during peak summer months and police blockades turn away hopeful drivers at checkpoints along coastal roads. The alternatives are shuttle buses from Setúbal to spots like Portinho da Arrábida and Figueirinha, hiking the coastal trails or kayaking along the coast. It's a necessary measure for this protected landscape, where unspoiled beaches remain limited to a handful of beachfront restaurants, and where it's not unusual to see families of wild boar rummaging for scraps nearby.
Off-season spring and autumn months offer pleasant beach days without the coastal confusion and with easier access to secluded spots. The coastline, with its hidden coves – including one with a steep climb down to a small chapel tucked inside – can be explored by boat or coasteering expedition with adventure operators like Sesimbra-based Vertente Natural. For those preferring to explore on foot, the park offers excellent trail running and hiking routes that I've come to know intimately over the years.
Further treasures lie inland. Arrábida sits within the Setúbal Peninsula wine region and is dotted with wineries, from celebrated estates such as the historic José Maria da Fonseca – which makes some of Portugal's oldest table wines from its handsome headquarters in the picture-perfect wine town of Azeitão – to small-scale producers like Quinta de Alcube. This off-the-beaten-track winery, surrounded by vineyards and sun-baked hills, is where locals spend long, lazy afternoons under the shade of cork trees, at tables laden with local cheeses, olives and charcuterie. Don't be afraid to dip bread into the olive oil and the buttery sheep's milk cheese, queijo de azeitão.
If you can't choose between nature and easy access to beaches, restaurants and excellent wine then Casa Palmela strikes the middle ground in handsome style. This refined but homely pousada offers a wonderful restaurant on-site and acres of winding trails suitable for horse riding or hiking, and is within easy reach of nearby beaches and wineries. Even at the height of summer, days and nights here are interrupted by birdsong and hooting owls rather than crowds or traffic.
For wild waves, easy beach access and an enormous stretch of sand, the beachfront neighbourhood of Meco is a popular choice, with bars that buzz in summer and mansion homes housing discreet boutique hotels such as Quinta do Miguel.
Even as word spreads, the region still feels like a well-kept secret. When I arrived in 2015, I knew very few other foreigners in Sesimbra, and the culinary offering reflected the village motto: 'Sesimbra is fish.' This is indeed a seafood-centred town, with locals known as 'peixitos' or little fish. Today, the growing international community means locals are as likely to sip a spicy margarita as the town's traditional o pescado r (fisherman) liqueur.
While there's an increasing number of international eats and vegan cafés, the fish here remains a huge part of the appeal for foodies. If Setúbal is rightly proud of its choco frito (fried, breaded cuttlefish served with chips – the local version of fish and chips), Sesimbra holds the crown for fresh fish. Locals queue out the door at the cash-only, no-reservations Tasca do Isaías, where the catch of the day is chalked up by the entrance each morning, and tables and chairs sit at rakish angles on the flagstones outside. Don't miss espadarte (swordfish) if it's on the menu.
The cobbled back streets remain filled with traditional marisqueiras selling platters of shellfish and crustaceans, but there's visible modernisation along the beachfront: one half of long-standing local seafood spot Ribamar is now Ribabar – a languid, tastefully-lit space serving artfully plated sashimi and pan-Asian seafood dishes.
Transport links have dramatically improved since I moved here. The same company that operates Lisbon's buses now runs services to Sesimbra, and a €40 monthly pass covers both, making the village a popular day trip destination for Lisboetas.
The protected status means that as Arrábida gains deserved international attention, there's little danger of high-rises blooming among the wildflowers that change colour with the seasons. At the height of summer, I still find splendid isolation on morning trail runs and cold water swims, and – even without the dolphins – swimming across the bay as the sun rises over the forested hills always feels magical.
Lucy Bryson was a guest of Casa Palmela.
TAP Air Portugal and Ryanair fly direct from London Heathrow to Lisbon from £89 return. Take the bus from Lisbon Sete Rios to Sesimbra (45 minutes outside rush hour) or rent a car for greater flexibility in exploring the wider region.
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