Costa Azul is the coastline for Alentejo in the south west of Portugal and stretches from the coast of Lisbon down to the Algarve. Like most of the country, the beaches are impeccable, wherever you stay, you are sure to find a great beach. You are likely to see dolphins swimming and you may also be able to actually swim alongside them. If you are close by, the Troia peninsula is a very beautiful stretch of beach to visit with various restaurants along it. The beaches along the Costa Azul are usually catered towards the tourists in the area and so many towns and villages along the coast have developed sea fronts, which feature the usual services and facilities including small shops and some restaurants.
The towns and villages themselves are usually quite small but Setúbal is the third largest city in Portugal. Setúbal is a pleasant city with fountains and gardens placed around the city to improve its appearance; however it does not appear to be a tourism focused city like larger and similarly sized cities are in other parts of Portugal. Because of this, Setúbal is an ideal city to visit if you are interested in walking around a large city but do not wish to deal with crowds of tourists or typical tourist trap establishments though there are several good shops and a variety of different restaurants that you can go to. One significant building to see is the Fort of Sao Felipe upon the highest hill in Setúbal overlooking the city, this star-shaped fortress was built in the 16th century by the Spanish King Felipe II as a means of defence for the town at the time.
As you go inland from the coast, you will find that much of the countryside areas are full of lush trees with a few roads running through them, dotted with a few buildings here and there on the way to the small villages and towns in the area. There is a large natural park in Arrábida close by Setúbal that was founded 35 years ago; it is home to a wide variety of different animals, birds and also fauna. It is quite a hilly natural park with the highest point being almost 500 meters. It also lies upon the coast and has two lovely beaches of its own that are as picturesque and pleasant as the inland areas of the park. It is quite a popular area with visitors wanting to get back to nature and also enjoy the beaches. If you have the energy for them, the park offers some great long walks but would be quite a rewarding experience.
Looking for self catering holiday accommodation in Costa Azul? Then below is a selection of holiday villas in Costa Azul and holiday apartments in Costa Azul that can be rented direct from their owners. You can either click on each listing for further details or you can use our search engine on the left if you are looking for something in particular.
