Arrábida

Arrábida Natural Park is a protected area in Portugal. Founded in 1976, the park occupies an area of 176.41 km2 (68.11 sq mi), (123.30 km2 (47.61 sq mi) on land and 53.11 km2 (20.51 sq mi) at sea) covering the southernmost margin of the Setúbal Peninsula.

Climate

Arrábida has a Mediterranean climate with warm dry summers and mild wet winters. Its exposure to the Atlantic Ocean has a large influence over the temperature and the humidity felt throughout the year. The humid air masses that come from the Atlantic in the cooler months are confronted by the rugged mountains resulting in abundant precipitation in November and December. In the summer, some upwelling occurs around Cabo Espichel which decreases sea temperature and increases the frequency of fogs, which are usually only present in the morning or late in the day.

Serra do Risco

Geography

The park is named for the main geomorphological unit that covers the entire area, designated the Arrábida cordillera or massif, consisting of three subareas:

  • An area of small elevations around Sesimbra, associated with the Serra do Risco and Serra da Arrábida, consisting of hilltops between Outão and Setúbal
  • A zone between the Serra de São Luís and the Serra dos Gaiteiros
  • An area formed by the Serras do Louro and Serra de São Francisco.
Setúbal