Best Student Accommodation in Setubal, Portugal

The Polytechnic Institute of Setubal

• Casita has 4 accommodation options within walking distance to the university.

• There are 3 bus stops close to campus; Estefanilha (74) is just a 9-minute walk away.

• Rotunda dos Golfinhos is just a 9-minute car ride away from campus.

What is it like to live in Setúbal?

Setubal is close to the shore; it has the 'Sado' river and the downtown is very close to the beach. It's a beautiful city, with many interesting monuments (Convento de Jesus, Museu do Trabalho, amongst others). It has an amazing climate, with a beautiful mountain and the Bay of Troy. It's essentially known for its gastronomy and its excellent fried fish. Places to shop are also everywhere. The city’s people are very friendly, the professors of the international module, and in general, are very helpful and help with anything as do the students.

What is the student lifestyle like in Setúbal?

The school is organized, the teachers are very interested in students and helpful overall. The difficulty of lessons depends on the courses you are taking.

The breathtaking Monastery of Jesus from the turn of the 16th century was designed by Diogo de Boitaca. He was the architect who ushered in Portugal’s Manueline style and the Monastery of Jesus is the earliest example of this architecture. You can survey the building from the square in front, noting the buttresses adorned with gargoyles and differences in outline between the nave and the apse. The feature you need to see inside is the exquisite ribbed vaulting in the choir. Also lovely are the azulejos; in the apse, these have a geometric pattern while in the nave they show scenes from the life of Mary.

StArrábida Natural Parkarting on the western edge of the town is the Arrábida Natural Park. This enormous space protects the Serra da Arrábida mountain range, with one of the only maquis ecosystems in Portugal. It incorporates the entirety of the coastline down to the village of Sesimbra, 30 kilometres to the southwest. Every beach along there has a peaceful, natural feel with no intrusive holiday complexes. Many of the beaches, like the remote Praia do Creiro, are southward facing to avoid the brunt of the Atlantic. Seasoned hikers can lace up their boots for an expedition to the Serra do Risco, the highest cliff on mainland Portugal, 380 metres above the Atlantic and with scenery worth every step.

The Quinta da Bacalhoa estate is held as one of the most beautiful early-16th-century properties surviving in Portugal. It is on the northwestern cusp of the Arrábida Natural Park and since the middle of the 20th century has been the centre of a productive estate. The place has a dual allure; you can drop by for a guided tour of the quinta and its domes, loggia and splendid waterside pavilion, with an arcade and Spanish geometric tiles from the 15th and 16th centuries. You can also visit the museum and follow this up with a tasting session in this wonderful spot.

Getting around is never a problem in Setúbal. The whole central part of the city is not that huge and you can just walk everywhere. Buses (Transportes Sul do Tejo) serve the whole town; they are usually on schedule and have good quality. Taxis and Ubers also serve the city with good coverage.

There's also a ferry across the river to the popular resort area of Troia operated by Atlantic Ferries. The ferry terminal is 15 minutes walk from the railway station and about 10 minutes walk from the bus station. Ferries run about every 35 minutes and take motorbikes, cars, and camper vans, as well as foot passengers.

Casita offers student accommodation in other Portugal cities besides having facilities for student accommodation in Setúbal. Some of these cities are:

Azores, Braga, Lisbon, and Porto.