Hike and Wild Swim Portugal's Setúbal Peninsula
Hike along cliff-top trails and explore remote swim spots with open-water swimming guides
What's Included?
Small Like-minded Groups
Solo-friendly by design, join our small n’ sociable groups of up to 10 like-minded, active and outdoorsy people…
What's it like?
Explore the calm waters of the Serra da Arrábida Natural Park and swim around the wild rocks of Ilhéu da Anixa
Hike the iconic cliffs of Cabo Espichel and swim the magical sea caves and arches beneath
Hop in a support boat and swim the Praia da Baleeira, a secret and seldom-visited cove
Tuck in to traditional Portuguese lunches and bed down in a beachfront hotel, ideally situated for sunset strolls
Key Information
Day 1
Arrive in Sesimbra
Swimming
Meet your host at the airport, jump in the van for an hour's drive to the fishing village of Sesimbra, and check in to your base for the trip. You’ll then head to a traditional village restaurant to meet your swim guides and fellow swimmers for a safety briefing and a chat through the adventure to come. Then it's time to get into the water for an acclimatisation swim in the bay of Sesimbra and feel the crystal clear waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Day 2
Ribeira do Cavalo Beach
Swimming
Hiking
Kick start your first full day of swimming along the Atlantic coast from one of the most beautiful beaches in Portugal - Ribeira do Cavalo. Put on your wetsuit and dive into the ocean surrounded by the imposing cliffs that dominate the landscape in this area. Swim along the coast, passing impressive sea caves that characterise this coastline. Enjoy some downtime in the afternoon before taking a short hike along the iconic Cabo Espichel - a wild and dramatic headland at the southwestern tip of the Setúbal Peninsula.
Day 3
Swim the sea caves and arches of Espichel
Swimming
Hiking
Fuel up on breakfast at the hotel before heading to the southwest of Sesimbra, the most exposed area of the trip. Hop on your support boat to journey towards Praia da Baleeira where your swimming adventure starts today. Swimming here is a unique opportunity enjoyed by very few visitors to the area given the logistics and local knowledge needed. After your swim along the coast, your guides will anchor in the bay of an old fishing port. Tuck into a big traditional lunch after your swim, before heading back to the hotel via Sesimbra Castle.
Day 4
The Abandoned Cape
Swimming
Hiking
Explore the southeast coast of Sesimbra further with a long hike to Armação Bay to take in the 'Abandoned Cape' - an area of steep cliffs and a wild rocky coastline. Hike through this remote and isolated part of Portugal, taking in the surroundings before experiencing an unforgettable swim beneath the cape.
Day 5
Swimming in the Arrábida Natural Park
Swimming
Hiking
Today you’ll explore the beautiful and calm waters of the Serra da Arrábida Natural Park. In the morning you'll will swim at Portinho da Arrábida, a beach nestled in the reserve on the Setúbal peninsula. The waters here are calm and crystalline which makes for a dreamy swim around the rock formations of Ilheu da Anixa as you cross to Praia dos Galapinhos. Settle in for lunch in Setúbal, the cuttlefish capital. In the afternoon you'll stay on dry land, exploring the area on foot with spectacular views of the coastline and the Atlantic.
Day 6
Goodbye Sesimbra
Your wild swimming odyssey had to come to an end eventually. After breakfast, your host will transfer you to the airport in Lisbon in time for your return flight home.
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2 – Day 5
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 6
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
Your hotel in Sesimbra provides a continental buffet breakfast each morning. Lunch is included on every day of the trip, with a combination of meals at local tavernas, cafes or as a picnic. This is done the Portuguese way: with a big quantity of various dishes and for the group to tuck into everything together. You will sit down for a fair amount of time for these meals, and adapt to the local pace. This is very much the local's approach to eating. Enjoy classic Portuguese dishes around the ubiquitous sardines as well as local cakes including the famous pastel de nata.
Evening meals are not included in the trip cost, allowing you to explore Sesimbra after your days out in the wilder parts of the Setúbal Peninsula. Budget around €10 for an evening meal, not including alcohol. Your hotel in Sesimbra also has an excellent restaurant if you don't fancy venturing out.
Vegetarians, vegans and other dietary requirements and allergies can be catered for - please just request on your passenger info form.
What is the accommodation like?
Hotel do Mar
You'll stay at Hotel do Mar in Sesimbra - a 4-star, family-run hotel with sea view balconies, a sauna, bar, restaurant and a swimming pool (if you feel you need even more swimming on this trip!). Accommodation will be in same-sex twin rooms with views over the Atlantic Ocean and a privileged location on the beachfront of Califórnia. Hotel do Mar has direct access to the beach for sunset walks and sunrise dips before the proper swims each day.
Please note that the first choice accommodation outlined above is subject to availability, if the hotel is full on any given departure date you'll stay at a different hotel of a similar standard.
Upgrades
For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room can be booked for an extra charge, see Optional Extras for the price. Please request this at the time of booking (this is subject to availability).
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Lisbon Airport
15:00
Ends
Lisbon Airport
11:00
Transfers
Airport transfers are included if you arrive on the morning of Day 1 in time for the group pick up at 15:00, so please let your host know your flight times. Your trip ends back at Lisbon airport at 11:00 on Day 6, so be sure to book flights that depart no earlier than 13:00. If you're already in Lisbon, you can take the metro or a taxi to the airport to meet up with your host at the start time.
If you need to make your own way from Lisbon Airport to your base in Sesimbra, a one-way taxi from the airport will take 40-minutes and cost in the region of £30 / €35.
Travel options
There are numerous flight options to Lisbon for travellers from various major international airports.
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What's available to hire?
- Wetsuit and buoy - see optional extras for price
Please note that although there are wetsuits available through the host, we advise bringing your own. This will ensure you swim in a suit which fits correctly and will be comfortable to swim in for several days in a row.
What do I need to bring?
BAGS
- Main pack or suitcase
- Daypack 20-30 litres
SWIMWEAR
- Swimming goggles (x2)
- Swimming wetsuit (optional, but advised)
- Swimming hats
- Tow float / Drybag / Swim buoy
- Swim Earplugs (if you use them)
- Waterproof watch (if you use it)
CLOTHES
- Lightweight walking shoes or sandals for the hikes
- Sunhat
- Sweater / light fleece jacket
- Waterproof trousers
- Lightweight trousers/shorts/skirts for the hikes
- T-shirts
- Underwear & socks
- Something to sleep in
OTHER
- Lightweight swim towel
- Waterproof camera
- Sunglasses
- Suncream
- Refillable water bottle
- Small personal first aid kit
- Universal travel plug adapter
- Power bank or solar charger
- Passports (and visas)
- Travel Insurance documents
- Ear plugs
- Alcohol hand-gel
- Energy bars and snacks - read our article on Best Hiking Snacks
Wetsuit hire
Payable Before Departure
Wetsuit hire
…
Double/twin room in Sesimbra (August)
Payable Before Departure
Double/twin room in Sesimbra (August)
… Per Night
Double/twin room in Sesimbra (July)
Payable Before Departure
Double/twin room in Sesimbra (July)
… Per Night
Double/twin room in Sesimbra (June)
Payable Before Departure
Double/twin room in Sesimbra (June)
… Per Night
Double/twin room in Sesimbra (October)
Payable Before Departure
Double/twin room in Sesimbra (October)
… Per Night
Double/twin room in Sesimbra (September)
Payable Before Departure
Double/twin room in Sesimbra (September)
… Per Night
Single room in Sesimbra (August)
Payable Before Departure
Single room in Sesimbra (August)
… Per Night
Single room in Sesimbra (July)
Payable Before Departure
Single room in Sesimbra (July)
… Per Night
Single room in Sesimbra (June)
Payable Before Departure
Single room in Sesimbra (June)
… Per Night
Single room in Sesimbra (October)
Payable Before Departure
Single room in Sesimbra (October)
… Per Night
Single room in Sesimbra (September)
Payable Before Departure
Single room in Sesimbra (September)
… Per Night
Optional Private Room Upgrade
Payable Before Departure
Optional Private Room Upgrade
…
We’re still waiting to collect any reviews from other travellers on this trip. However, all our hosts go through an extensive vetting process to ensure that your adventure is awesome.
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 54kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
- A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
The average water temperature for this adventure is between 20°C (68°F) and 24°C (75°F). Wetsuits are optional at this temperature. You can bring your own or hire one from your host (see kitlist and optional extras).
Click here to read a comprehensive guide on water temperature and required wetsuit thickness.
Yes, feel free to use whatever items help you to complete an enjoyable and successful swim each day. For logistical and safety reasons we only ask you to inform your guide on Day 1 if you are aiming to use any supplementary equipment.
You will be guided by two experienced and qualified swim guides throughout the week. They will be by your side for every stroke of the adventure. For each swim, the group will be split into two smaller groups based on swimming ability. At all times, with the exception of the warm-up swim on Day 1 at Funchal Lido, your swims will be accompanied by a support boat and a kayak. If at any point you need to stop to rest or refuel with a snack, your guides are on hand to assist you out of the water for as long as you need.
Your swim guides and local boat pilot will be constantly monitoring the sea conditions. If at any point the conditions are not optimal on any given day then an alternative swim spot will be chosen. As such the itinerary is subject to change.
Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
The tap water in Portugal is safe to drink. Please bring along your own reusable water bottle to fill up at the hotel and at restaurants to avoid buying single use plastic bottles.
You can leave your main luggage in your hotel room in Sesimbra for the duration of the adventure.
We recommend checking out the country specific information here and also talking to a travel nurse.
Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures and you are required to provide your policy information before departing.
Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure. We also strongly recommend it includes cancellation and curtailment insurance, should you be unable to join your trip for specific reasons such as illness.
We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last-minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
- 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
- 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
- 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
Interested in a more exclusive experience? Opt for a 'Private Group' through the dates and prices tab to book this adventure for just you and your chosen companions.
Our team of Adventure Hunters create exclusive adventures with highly vetted, specialist hosts. We only work with independent, local in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with.
Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).
For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.
Got questions? We've got answers
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Connect before you go
You'll be invited to join a WhatsApp group to get to know each other before your big adventure together. Full details
DEPARTURE DATES
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