Setúbal is a city and a municipality in Portugal.  The city itself lies within the Lisbon metropolitan area.

The municipal holiday is 15 September, which marks the date in the year 1860 when King Pedro V of Portugal officially recognised Setúbal as a city.

City information

The city of Setúbal is located on the northern bank of the Sado River estuary, approximately 48 kilometres (30 miles) south of Portugal’s capital, Lisbon. It is also the seat of the Setúbal District and formerly in the historic Estremadura Province.

In the beginning of the 20th century, Setúbal was the most important center of Portugal’s fishing industry, particularly specializing in processing and exporting sardines. None of the many factories then created are operating today. However, the existing maritime ports, either traditional, commercial and the new marines, keep the city links to the ocean and water well alive and vibrant.

Tourism, based on the beautiful existing natural conditions plus excellent hotels, resorts and infrastructures, is one of the city’s most appreciated resources, due to its interconnection with the Sado (river) on one side and Atlantic Ocean on another, having a coast line with both. The city is also connected with the nearby coast of the Arrábida hills natural park – which offers an unspoiled nature and beautiful beaches to the Atlantic Ocean. A dolphin colony inhabits the Sado River. Across the river on the south bank lies the peninsula of Tróia, a place with vast white/golden sand beaches where several luxury hotels and resorts were recently built. The Tróia peninsula can be sighted from the city, across the river. Albarquel, Figueirinha, Galápos, Galapinhos, Creiro and Portinho da Arrábida are some of the city’s many beaches, located in the north bank of the estuary, at the very beginning of the Arrábida hills.

Culture

The main historical monument of the city of Setúbal is the Monastery of Jesus, which is a 15th- and 16th-century church that represents one of the first buildings in the Portuguese late Gothic style known as Manueline.Castelo de São Filipe

Also of interest are the São Julião Church, also with Manueline portals. The Castelo de São Filipe, is a 16th- and 17th-century fortress on the north bank of the Sado river, overseeing the city. The fortress was converted into a luxury hotel (pousada).

Economy

Setúbal is notable for the industries of pulp, paper, cement, fertilizers,  pesticides, other phytopharmaceutical products, thermal power,  shipbuilding and ship repair there was a lot of automobile assembling industry since the 1950s with several known manufacturers had or have opened assembly halls for the Portuguese market.

Today there are only 3 tradenames nearby currently in production. The Port of Setúbal had a cargo throughput of 6.058 million tons in 2012, making it the 4th busiest port in Portugal, with 7.4% of the cargo throughput in the country.

In the 19th century, the area was notable for the production of sea salt. St. Ubes bay salt was exported as far as Australia in the 1830s.