My first trip of 2023 is to Portugal. This time I am on a bit of a scouting trip to Setúbal and then a few days in the Ajuda and Alcântara neighbourhoods of Lisbon. I’m starting off in Setúbal, which is about 35 km south of Lisbon on the north bank of the Sado River.
I really wanted to come here when I was in Portugal in October but ran out of time. The city ticks a lot of boxes for me: good weather year round (compared to Toronto), close to nature and water, good places to run, diversity, culture, reasonably priced and close to an airport.
Getting here was actually quite easy, about an hour on public transit. I jumped on the metro to Estação do Oriente and then transfered to a fast bus that crossed the Vasco da Gama Bridge and through some really beautiful and green rural areas until it got to the city.
Once I got checked into my AirBnB I did a quick freshen up and headed out to grab a bite and do a quick walk around the downtown area. You can really tell that it’s a city in transition. Lots of old buildings being renovated, public art, restaurants and shops. Still lots of work to be done though.
Later in the afternoon I took a stroll along the water. This really is a working river, with fishing boats, cargo ships and ferries running back and forth to Troia – a playground for the rich and famous. Lots of public art again and some really nice scenery. It was great to see the sunset over the Parque Urbano de Albarquel just west of the Praia da Saúde (where you can’t swim).
After a really good night sleep I got up to do a run that I found on Komoot. It was listed as intermediate, but that’s not true. The road up to Forte de São Filipe was insane – 160 m straight up. It was worse than the big hill from Davenport to St. Clair in Toronto. Then you get to trails that aren’t in great shape, no trail markers – but some amazing views. I hit a deadend on the map that I was following and found my way down to a road. On Thursday I’ll need to find another route!
In the afternoon I finished my walkabout downtown. I ended up in this really nice park, Parque do Bonfim. The statues around the park are really cute, there’s lots of green space, water featurs and places to sit and enjoy the weather.
At first glance, I really like this city. The weather has changed, so taking some time to relax tonight. Besides, it’s Valentines and I don’t have a date. 😉
