Palmela's castle crowns a hill above the Setúbal plain, and from this high point you see everything: the Sado estuary to the south, the Tagus and Lisbon to the north, the Arrábida range filling the horizon, and on a clear day a slice of the Atlantic. The Moors held the castle until it fell to the first king of Portugal in the twelfth century, and it was later the headquarters of the Order of Santiago, a military order whose knights helped defend the frontier. The fortress, now partly a hotel, has a bastion walk that is worth the climb.
The Palmela region is the heartland of Moscatel and of the Península de Setúbal wines in general. Castelão is the signature red grape, and the sandy soils produce wines with a distinct, earthy flavour. Each September the Festa das Vindimas fills the town with music, parades, and the treading of grapes, and the smell of crushed fruit carries on the air. A tasting at one of the nearby cellars is a pleasure, though a rider must be wary.
The riding around the hill is varied and pleasant. Winding lanes run through pine forests and past farms, climbing and dropping among the foothills of the Serra do Louro and the Arrábida beyond. There are blind bends, patchy surfaces and sudden dips, and spring brings wildflowers while summer brings hot dry air and the scent of pines. The road up to the castle itself is steep, with a tight hairpin and little room for parking, so a motorcycle is a great advantage.
Fuel and services are no problem. Setúbal is large and sells everything, Palmela has stations on its outskirts, and cafes in the old town serve coffee and pastries with a view across the vineyards. The shortest route to the Arrábida ridge road starts from here and takes only a few minutes.
If you plan an evening ride, the light on the castle at sunset, a warm gold on pale stone, is one of the loveliest sights in the region. Be careful afterward on the descent, when the road is in shadow and the tyres cool.