This pairing joins two very different landscapes on opposite sides of the Sado estuary: the wind-scoured cliffs of Cabo Espichel, where a cliff-top pilgrimage sanctuary stares out at the Atlantic, and the pine-backed sand spit of Troia, reached only by ferry across the estuary from Setúbal. They are not naturally a single loop — Cabo Espichel sits on the Arrábida side and needs a car, while Troia is only reachable by boat — so most visitors treat this as two separate day trips rather than one combined itinerary.
| Distance | 60 km from Lisbon (via ferry) |
|---|---|
| Travel time | Ferry Cais do Sodré to Setúbal (55 min) + ferry to Troia (30 min) |
| Getting there | Fertagus train to Setúbal + Atlantic Ferries to Troia (€4.20 / ~$4.60 one-way); combined total €8–€10 (~$9–$11) |
| Address | Troia ferry terminal, 2900-000 Troia Peninsula |
How to get there
- Train + ferry (Cais do Sodré → Setúbal → Troia)
- Car via A2 + Troia ferry
Location
Troia ferry terminal, 2900-000 Troia Peninsula
38.4861, -8.8978 View on map
Highlights
- Santuário de Nossa Senhora do Cabo, Cabo Espichel - an 18th-century pilgrims' sanctuary standing alone on the clifftop, flanked by rows of former pilgrim lodgings
- Dinosaur footprints on the cliff face near Cabo Espichel - fossilised tracks visible in the rock, a reminder this coast was a lagoon shoreline millions of years ago
- Praia de Troia - a long, quiet Atlantic beach on the peninsula, backed by dunes and pine, reached straight from the ferry dock
- Ruínas Romanas de Cetóbriga, Troia - the remains of a Roman fish-salting and garum-production settlement, one of the best-preserved of its kind on the Iberian coast
- Sado estuary boat trips from Setúbal or Troia - a chance to see the estuary's resident bottlenose dolphins, though a sighting is never guaranteed