Why this ride
A 119 km one-way ride from near Charneca de Caparica, about 2 h 14 of riding. Arrábida and Setúbal is the high point. Much of it runs through woodland.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Arrábida and Setúbal Sweep · part 3
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 119 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 2 h 14
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Near Charneca de Caparica
Start and finish here and you are on the south bank of the Tagus, in the pine-scented suburbs of Almada between Charneca de Caparica, Corroios and Sobreda. It is a residential area of houses, schools and supermarkets, without much to look at in itself, but its position is very good: close to Lisbon across the river, and close to the open roads that lead south to the Arrábida hills and the city of Setúbal.
Read the complete Near Charneca de Caparica write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Arrábida and Setúbal Sweep checkpoint 8 is where the day begins. Next is Arrábida and Setúbal Sweep high point.
2. Arrábida and Setúbal Sweep high point
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.
Read the complete Arrábida and Setúbal Sweep high point write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
You top out here; the road stops climbing. Next is Scenic stretch near Pinhal Novo.
3. Scenic stretch near Pinhal Novo
Planning note
about 69 km into the recorded legs you reach Scenic stretch near Pinhal Novo. Next is Back to Arrábida.
4. Back to Arrábida
The Arrábida itself lies further south, beyond Palmela, but the estuary is worth a paragraph of its own because it shapes everything about this part of Portugal.
Read the complete Arrábida write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back to Arrábida closes the day.
Leg by leg
Arrábida and Setúbal Sweep high point to Scenic stretch near Pinhal Novo
Arrábida and Setúbal Sweep high point → Scenic stretch near Pinhal Novo is 27 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Scenic stretch near Pinhal Novo to Back to Arrábida
Scenic stretch near Pinhal Novo → Back to Arrábida is 50 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
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