Setúbal is a city and a municipality in Portugal
with a total area of 172.0 km² and a total population of 118,696 inhabitants in the
municipality. The city proper has 89,303[1]
inhabitants.
The
municipality of Setúbal is composed of 8 parishes, and is the seat of the district of Setúbal on the subregion of Península de Setúbal. It is located on the
northern bank of the Sado river estuary, approximately 40 km south of Portugal's capital, Lisbon.
The
municipal holiday is September 15, which marks the date in the year 1860 on which King Pedro V of Portugal officially recognised
Setúbal as a city.
The
present Mayor is Maria das Dores Meira, appointed by the Unitarian Democratic Coalition.
The
seat of the municipality is the city of Setúbal, located on the northern bank
of the Sado river
estuary,
approximately 40 km south of Portugal's capital, Lisbon. It is also
the seat of the district of Setúbal.
In
the beginning of the 20th century, Setúbal was an important center of
Portugal's fishing industry, sardines in particular. None of the many factories then
created are operating today. Although its industrial life is in decline,
tourism is perceived as a big opportunity for the future since the nearby coast
of the Arrábida
natural park offers beautiful beaches and unspoilt nature. A colony of dolphins
lives in the Sado River, and across the river from Setúbal lies the
peninsula of Tróia,
where several high-rise luxury resorts were built and abandoned after the
realization they were being constructed on sinking, unstable land. As of 2005,
a new luxury resort is planned to replace today's Tróia.
One can view Tróia at Albarquel, a beach located in the very beginning of Arrábida.
The
main historical monument of the city of Setúbal is the Monastery of Jesus, with a 15th-16th
century church that represents one of the first buildings in the Portuguese
late Gothic style known as Manueline.
Also
of interest are the São Julião Church,
also with Manueline portals, and a 16th-17th century fortress (Castelo de São Felipe), now
turned into a luxury hotel (pousada).