Sesimbra lies on the southern coast of the Setúbal peninsula, in a bay sheltered from the north winds by the hills of the Serra da Arrábida, about forty kilometres from Lisbon. It is still a real fishing port, with a long sandy beach in front of the town and a calm, clear sea, and it is one of Lisbon people's favourite summer weekend escapes.
The town and the harbour
The centre is a tangle of steep lanes and white houses running down to the beach. On the seafront stands the Fortaleza de Santiago, built in the seventeenth century to defend the coast from pirates, now home to a small sea museum and a viewpoint. In the harbour, west of the town, you can see colourful boats and the fish auction; Sesimbra is famous above all for peixe-espada, black scabbardfish caught on long lines, eaten here grilled or fried, and for caldeirada and the catch of the day cooked over charcoal in the seafront restaurants.
The castle
Above the town, on a hill about 200 metres high, stands Sesimbra castle, Arab in origin, taken by Afonso Henriques in 1165 and later entrusted to the Order of Santiago. From the walls the view takes in the bay, the coast to Cabo Espichel and, on clear days, the Tróia peninsula. Inside are the church of Santa Maria do Castelo, lined with azulejos, and a small cemetery.
Cabo Espichel
About 15 kilometres from town, Cabo Espichel is a windswept headland of sheer cliffs above the ocean, with a lighthouse and the sanctuary of Nossa Senhora do Cabo Espichel, a seventeenth- and eighteenth-century church flanked by two long wings of pilgrims' lodgings, now partly in ruins, creating an evocative, slightly melancholy atmosphere. Beside it is the small Memória chapel, with azulejos telling the legend of the apparition. On the cliff rocks at Pedra da Mua, Jurassic dinosaur footprints are preserved.
Beaches and nature
To the east the coast enters the Arrábida Natural Park, with turquoise coves reached on foot or by boat, such as Ribeiro do Cavalo, among the area's most beautiful; the seabed is one of the best in the country for diving and snorkelling. To the north-west opens the long Atlantic beach of Meco, and further north the Lagoa de Albufeira, a lagoon loved by families, kitesurfers and birdwatchers.
Getting there
From Lisbon there are buses across the 25 de Abril bridge, or it is about 45 minutes by car. Sesimbra combines well with Setúbal, Palmela and the Serra da Arrábida.