The town of Palmela stands on a height at the eastern end of the Serra da Arrábida, halfway between Lisbon and Setúbal. From its castle, about 240 metres up, on clear days you can see Lisbon and the 25 de Abril bridge, the Tagus estuary, the city of Setúbal, the Sado estuary and the Tróia peninsula. All around lies one of the country's oldest and liveliest wine regions.
The castle
Palmela castle, Arab in origin, was taken by the Christians in the twelfth century and entrusted to the Order of Santiago, which in the fifteenth century made it its main seat in Portugal. Inside are the keep, the ruins of the church of Santa Maria, destroyed by the 1755 earthquake, and the knights' former convent, now a pousada, one of the country's most atmospheric historic hotels. Exhibitions and events are held in the castle's cisterns and spaces, and the walk along the walls gives the best view of the area. In the town below are the church of São Pedro, with eighteenth-century azulejos, and the town hall square with its pillory.
Wine
Palmela is the heart of the Palmela DOC appellation and part of the Península de Setúbal wine region. The main grapes are Castelão, which gives soft, fruity reds, and Moscatel, used for the famous sweet fortified Moscatel de Setúbal. Many wineries, large and small, offer tours and tastings, and in town the Casa Mãe da Rota de Vinhos is the base for the wine route. In September the Festa das Vindimas, the grape harvest festival, brings grape treading, parades, music and the blessing of the new wine, one of the region's oldest and most popular festivals.
Around Palmela
The municipality is large and includes Pinhal Novo, a railway junction, and villages such as Quinta do Anjo, where the area's Azeitão sheep's cheese is also made, and the prehistoric burial caves of Quinta do Anjo. To the south and west you enter the Arrábida Natural Park, with its scenic roads and beaches, covered in our guides to Setúbal and Sesimbra.
Getting there
From Lisbon it is about 40 minutes by car, or take the Fertagus train or the bus to Palmela or Pinhal Novo.