By PAULO SILVESTRE [email protected]
In this monthly travel feature, Paulo Silvestre takes readers on a guided tour of the best places to visit in Portugal. Paulo provides inside information and useful tips to assist you in planning relaxing trips and enjoyable days out. You’ll discover the best of Portugal and enjoy celebrating its unique culture! Paulo holds a degree in Media Studies and his hobbies include playing in a band.
LOCATED BETWEEN the Sado Estuary and the Atlantic Ocean, Tróia was first developed by the Phoenicians and later used as the Roman fishing and fish-preserving centre of Miróbriga from I AD until the earthquake in 412, which destroyed it completely. The Tróia peninsula is situated just 40 kilometres away from Lisbon and is close to the beautiful city of Setúbal. One interesting detail is the origin of the name Tróia, which still remains a mystery today.
Accessible by ferry boat from Setúbal, Tróia is one of Portugal’s best-kept secrets. With 18 kilometres of golden continuous beaches, 1.5 kilometres in width, it boasts some of the cleanest bathing conditions in Portugal.
Tróia is a holiday paradise for couples and young families, offering a variety of moderately-priced apartment complexes, a tennis centre, many swimming pools and an 18-hole championship golf course.
 Troia’s beach |
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Further down the Tróia peninsula you will find Carrasqueira, an old fishing area where you can still see traditional reed houses with their thatched walls and roofs, and fishing boats stuck in the mud.
Miróbriga ruins
Another place to discover is the Roman ruins of Miróbriga. They can be sighted on the estuary side of the promontory, just a couple of kilometres from the ferry terminal.
Important discoveries have been made at the ruins since excavations began in 1850. The central visible features are fish-salting tanks as large as three metres square, port buildings, tombs and baths with traces of mosaic and marble lining.
Miróbriga is not the only patrimonial attraction offered by the peninsula. There are also ruins that were, once upon a time, one of the biggest fish salting preservation centres.
The archaeological station of Tróia provides one of the most interesting examples of conserved fish manufacturing of the lost Roman Empire. Built in the beginning of the first century AD, it remained in full operation until the fourth century AD. This complex still includes considerable constructions, proof of the intense industrial and commercial activity.
The Botanical Dunes Reserve is another place of interest. The vegetation is rich and relies on the sandy landscape. There you can find endemic species like the cocleária menor (horseradish), the aromatic tomilho carnudo (thyme) and the camarinheira (crowberry).
Golf course
For your leisure, Tróia has a golf course that is probably one of the best in Europe although perhaps one of the least well known. It was designed by the famous American golf architect, Robert Trent Jones Sr. For golf fans and enthusiasts you can find out more by
 ‘For your leisure, Tróia has a golf course that is probably one of the best in Europe although perhaps one of the least well known. It was designed by the famous American golf architect, Robert Trent Jones Sr’ |
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visiting www.troiagolf.com. You will be amazed!
Set in front of the Sado River and bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, another place worth spending some time is the Tróia tourist complex, one of the peninsula’s key attractions.
The reasons which make Tróia such a pleasant place to stay include its proximity to Setúbal, the Arrábida mountain range and the Estuary Reserve of the Sado River. These are enough to provide this tourist spot with great potential. It’s definitely a place to visit.
Discover it!
Paulo Silvestre can be contacted by emailing [email protected]
