By population, Setubal is the eighth largest city in Portugal. But by land area it is actually larger than the second most populated city — Porto.
The most populated areas of Setubal are divided up into neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are bordered by Arrabida mountains in the west and the Sado river in the south. To the north and east the city slowly dwindles away until it becomes countryside. I have lived in various spots around the city since 2021, and walked many, many kilometers through every neighborhood. From all that I have learned I will bring you through the city via this guide to the neighborhoods of Setubal.
We will start in the west, in the areas closest to the beaches, and work our way eastward, zigzagging from north to south. I will highlight what each neighborhood offers for visitors as well as residents, including attractions and stand out restaurants. So, let’s explore Setubal.
Map of the neighborhoods of Setubal
Viso
Viso translates into English as “view” and guess what comes with those views? Hills. Viso is a gorgeous neighborhood on a hill, climbing towards Arrabida Park in the western most part of Setubal’s residential areas. The neighborhood was once one of the poorest, and most dangerous, in the city — filled with shacks, tents, and dirt streets.
Now, as foreigners have set their sites on this area just minutes from the closest beach, it is being developed into something completely different. Luxury buildings are being erected — projects with pools and gyms. But if you tuck in behind those construction sites, you can still find the authentic Viso — small terraced homes with gardens, narrow staircases connecting dead end alleyways, laundry flapping in the breeze that whips through the top of the hill, old Portuguese women sweeping their front stoop, their neighbor stopping for a chat as they stroll through. You’ll want to have your good walking shoes on for any trek up here — the hills become steeper the further you climb, and the sidewalks more treacherous, but the views are absolutely worth it.
Reason to go: The start of the Roman Road is at the very top of Viso. It is one of the few hikes in the area that you can start right from the city.
Eatery not to miss: Confeitaria d’Arrábida — easily one of the best bakeries in Setubal.
Troino
If you’re either moving to or visiting Setubal and you have the chance to stay in Troino, grab it! In my opinion this is one of the best neighborhoods of the city. It is a small area, essentially made up of three main streets which run parallel to one another and are dotted with cafes, restaurants, artisan work spaces, and salons.
One of those streets, Rua Vasco da Gama, is easily one of the most beautiful streets in Setubal. I highly recommend walking it during golden hour as the sun slowly sets behind the church at the far end — it’s truly the most picture perfect Portuguese scene. There has been a concerted effort by locals in recent years to reinvigorate this neighborhood, and those efforts have not gone unnoticed.
The main square of the neighborhood, Praça Machado dos Santos, is lively, especially at lunchtime on the weekends. It’s one of the best places to get some of Setubal’s nicest fish, especially sardines fresh off the grill!
Reason to go: The overall neighborhood-y vibe.
Eatery not to miss: UTopico — one of my personal favorite restaurants in the whole city.
Montalvão
Montalvão sits just to the north of Troino. It is a great neighborhood if you want to be somewhere quiet and residential while still being very central in the city.
The area encompasses quite a lot of older high rises full of apartments. It’s a good place for families and pets. There’s not a huge amount going on directly in the area, but one of the neighborhood’s highlights is Algodeia park — one of Setubal’s many green spaces. And another highlight is just how close it is to everything else. You can walk into the city center within 10 minutes from anywhere in this area.
Reason to go: Algodeia Park
Eatery not to miss: Sports Café Setúbal — not for the food, but it’s a great place to catch a game on one of the many TVs or play a round of pool.
Liceu
Liceu is definitely the most suburban-feeling neighborhood of the city. If you are moving to Setubal with a family and want some more space, this is a good choice. You can get slightly better priced homes, plus there are schools, parks, cafes, and grocery stores at your doorstep.
If you are just visiting I do not recommend staying out here, simply because it is a bit of a trek from Setubal’s main attractions. The highlight of the neighborhood is one of the most gorgeous parks in Setubal — Vanicelos Park. The park has gorgeous paved paths, an enclosed dog area, and tennis and padel courts. On the other side of the neighborhood there is also Parque Urbano da Várzea — a much less polished park but an excellent place for a run, or a long dog walk.
Reason to go: Vanicelos Park
Eatery not to miss: Churrasqueira Crisbeta — for the best takeaway chicken.
Bonfim
Home to both the park and the football pitch with the same name, Bonfim neighborhood is a hub of activity. It is where the downtown bleads into the surrounding neighborhoods. It is where residential and commercial comingle.
Bonfim stadium is what the local club — Vitória FC, call home. This area is an excellent spot to base yourself, whether you are moving or just visiting. As well as having amenities on your doorstep and the city center just a stone’s throw away, you are also just a few minutes walk to the bus and train station which connect you to Lisbon and elsewhere.
Reason to go: Bonfim Park
Eatery not to miss: Churrasqueira Calito — if you’re a ravenous meat eater you will be very impressed with the spread at this Brazilian spot.
Baixa
Baixa, or downtown (literally “low”), is the old town of Setubal. If you’re looking for the ‘cute’ the ‘storybook’ the ‘picture perfect’ it is all here (though it still has plenty of rough-around-the-edges elements to it too). Baixa is largely pedestrianized, and those quiet lanes are decorated seasonally. Throughout the summer they are adorned with streamers to block the blazing sun, and in winter they are strung with twinkling lights to brighten the dark evening hours.
The best thing about downtown Setubal is how many independent businesses there still are. Surrounding the main square — Bocage — there are almost exclusively independently owned cafes (100 Montaditos moved in a few years ago which is a Spanish chain restaurant). If you want to sit out in the sunshine with a coffee and just people watch, this is the spot to do it. I switch between Botequim du Bocage and Delice Garden depending on the weather and where the sun is at.
But don’t limit yourself to Bocage, stroll the streets, cut through the alleyways, jump from square to square. Grab a glass of wine here, window shop there, maybe pick up some local ceramics from a local artisan shop or one of the other great souvenirs from Setubal. Indulge yourself in the luxury of time and slowness as you absorb the quirky charm of Setubal’s center-most neighborhood. But remember, this city is not meant to be glamorous, it is working class. As beautiful as this area is, you can never expect perfection, and that’s why Setubal is such a charmer.
Reason to go: The pedestrian streets and locally owned spots.
Eatery not to miss: Sem Horas — one of the most reliably good, slightly upscale restaurants in the city.
Salgado
I read something recently that claimed that the Salgado neighborhood wasn’t a safe area. I can guarantee you that the author of that piece has never stepped foot in Setubal, because no ma’am!
This area is safe (I can never guarantee your total safety, things can happen everywhere!) and flourishing. Salgado connects the downtown with the train stations. While the main train station is slightly to the north of the neighborhood, there is a secondary station — Praca do Quebedo here, which the CP trains service (not Fertagus).
Living or staying in this area puts you right near everything you might need. The main artery of the neighborhood is Av. 5 de Outubro and it has shops, cafes, restaurants, and more.
Reason to go: Mostly just to pass through but it’s a good place to stay that puts you central to everything in the city.
Eatery not to miss: OhMy! Empanada
São Domingos
This neighborhood stretches from Salgado south to the water. It has another series of gorgeous streets, including one which is on my list of the most spectacular streets in the city — R. Francisco Augusto Flamengo. That street leads up to one of the best viewpoints in the city. Just below that viewpoint are the ferries which you can take over to Troia.
The houses here are mostly terraced homes occupied by one family or converted into apartments. Many still sit in ruins. This is a neighborhood which sits at the forefront of the changes coming to Setubal — it has history and charm but has been worn away by time. But its central location makes it the perfect place for people looking to develop the city, hopefully in a way that stays true to the most important aspects of this neighborhood.
Reason to go: The viewpoint at Miradouro de São Sebastião
Eatery not to miss: La Boheme — this is a bar, not a restaurant, but it is the best bar in Setubal and not to be missed.
Azeda
If you are only in Setubal for a short visit you probably won’t have much need to come all the way out to this northern neighborhood.
If you are in town for a longer time, this is where you will find spots like Alegro — the only mall in the city, which houses shops such as Auchan — a hypermarket, and Cinema City — which shows all big movie releases. There are also all of the fast fashion spots you could need such as Zara, Parfois, etc.
If you are living in Setubal and need to do some DIY home projects, check out Leroy Merlin which is out here. There are also plenty of other box furniture and home goods stores in the area.
Reason to go: Allegro and other shops.
Eatery not to miss: Batikano’s Croissanteria Alegro — notable only because of its gorgeous balcony view.
Pinheirinhos
Working our way back to the south, Pinheirinhos neighborhood sits on the backside of the train station, so while it is ideal for commuters who want to be on the bus or train within minutes from their door, it is farther from the city center than I would recommend for a visitor. There is not much of note in the neighborhood.
Reason to go: Not many
Eatery not to miss: Verde e Branco
Santos Nicolau
From there, moving east, are the only areas in the city that I would definitely recommend not living or staying in. While there are a few spots you could come out here for, it’s not the safest area of the city. As you move east you’ll find that there is more and more social housing. Unfortunately, this does translate into some amount of violence. I have walked through on occasion and felt safe enough, but especially if you are only visiting Setubal, I do not recommend staying here — the safety concerns being one reason, but also for the simple fact that it is a trek in and out of the city.
Reason to go: Mercado da Conceição
Eatery not to miss: Restaurante Decor e Salteado — another one of the best restaurants in Setubal.
Afonso Costa
There simply isn’t much out here. While it may be an interesting place to look for housing if you are moving to Setubal, I do not recommend staying here if you are only visiting.
Reason to go: Not many
Eatery not to miss: Not many
Monte Belo
Monte Belo is divided into two neighborhoods — Monte Belo Norte and Sul, or north and south. These neighborhoods are where the city starts to drip away into suburbs and then quickly countryside.
You’ll find quite a few terraced houses out here, some of them quite a bit larger with gardens and even some pools. There are also a few grocery stores out here, for example you’ll find the city’s only Mercadona in this area. While this could be a nice neighborhood to live in if you had a car and wanted a quieter life, I would not recommend staying here if you are just visiting Setubal as it is quite far from the attractions in the city center.
Reason to go: Mercadona
Eatery not to miss: Restaurante Bem Te Quer — a great option if you are vegetarian.
Bela Vista
If you ask Setubalense what neighborhood they would never go to I can guarantee almost all of them would say this one. This area is dense with social housing which, as I mentioned previously, does translate to higher rates of crime. That being said, there is a beautiful spacious park out here which has gorgeous views across the water.
Reason to go: Green Bela Vista Park
Eatery not to miss: O Frangote – fast food takeaway, but good at it.
