The Setúbal Peninsula, also informally known as the Other Band, was a Portuguese statistical sub-region, part of the current Lisbon Metropolitan Area (then designated the Lisbon Region), covering the northern part of the District of Setúbal. It was bordered to the north by the Tagus Estuary and, through it, to Greater Lisbon and Lezíria do Tejo, to the east by Central Alentejo, to the south by Litoral Alentejo and to the southwest by the Atlantic Ocean. It has an area of 1 421 km² and its population was, according to the 2011 census, 779 373 inhabitants.
1 Alcochete
2 Almada
3 Barreiro
4 Montijo
5 Palmela
6
Seixal
7 Sesimbra
The sub-region has areas of high natural and conservation interest, thus providing its inhabitants with high levels of quality of life. To the north, the Tagus Estuary Nature Reserve, to the south, the Arrábida Natural Park and to the west, the Protected Landscape of Arrábida Fóssil da Costa de Caparica.
In the Setúbal Peninsula there is a variety of cultural events, which
include the Almada Festival (theatre festival that also takes place in
theaters in the center of Lisbon); Super Bock Super Rock, which took
place between 2010 and 2014 at Praia do Meco, in Sesimbra; the Avante
Party! at Quinta da Atalaia, Amora; and Seixal Jazz.
Patrimony
Castles & Fortresses
Almada Castle (Almada)
Sesimbra Castle
(Sesimbra)
Palmela Castle (Palmela)
Fort of Santiago de Sesimbra
(Sesimbra)
Fort of Our Lady of Health of Trafaria (Almada)
São
Filipe Fort (Setúbal)
Fort of Santiago do Outão (Setúbal)
Roman
ruins of Troia
Farms & palaces
Fence Palace (Almada)
Solar
dos Zagallos (Sobreda)
Quinta da Fidalga (Seixal)
Bacalhoa Palace
(Setúbal)
Quinta das Torres (Setúbal)
Quinta de Calhariz
(Sesimbra)
Religious Heritage
National Sanctuary of Christ the
King (Almada)
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Cabo Espichel (Sesimbra)
Convent of the Capuchos (Almada)
Convent of Sao Paulo (Almada)
Convent of Our Lady of Arrábida (Setúbal)
Convent of Jesus (Setúbal)
Chapel of the Holy Spirit of Seafarers (Sesimbra)
Hermitage of Memory
(Sesimbra)
Monte da Cruz (Charneca de Caparica)
Church of São
Lourenço (Setúbal)
Church of Saint Simon (Setúbal)
The dry Mediterranean climate and sandy soil during early antiquity
attracted the attention of the Phoenicians and Greeks, who began to
cultivate sweet grape varieties here. The southwestern corner of the
Setubal Peninsula is occupied by Cape Espichel, known in the ancient
Roman era as Promontório Barbárico - Cape of the Barbarians.
In
the Middle Ages, it was of great strategic importance as a place of
struggle with the Muslim states south of the emerging Portugal, which
the peninsula finally became part of at the end of the 12th century. In
the 14th century, the peninsula became the main exporter of Portuguese
fortified wine to England.
Currently, the territory of the
peninsula belongs to the district of Setúbal (about a third of the
territory of the district) and the economic and statistical sub-region
of the Setúbal Peninsula.