Just over 30 minutes from Lisbon, Setúbal is a city located in the Arrábida Mountains with natural landscapes which blend between beautiful beaches and mountains covered by preserved vegetation, making the scenery even more stunning. Being a coastal city in the south of the country, the temperate climate allows for pleasant walks even in the cold months of December and January when the maximum temperatures are around 15ºC and to enjoy sunbathing and the beach in the summer with maximum temperatures around 30ºC in August.
Setúbal dates back to the Roman period, which left a very important historical and cultural legacy with centuries-old buildings and constructions. In the Historic Centre, each street, building, façade, pavement, or balcony is a piece of the city’s memory.
Why Book Student Accommodation in Setubal?
Setubal has numerous cultural events, including some of the biggest summer festivals in Portugal (Sol da Caparica, World Music Festival) and an international festival of cinema (Festroia). The city’s several theatres, cinemas, auditoriums, and museums annually receive a great variety of outstanding cultural shows and exhibitions. At night, people fill the streets to meet each other and go dancing in the several entertainment establishments available. Summertime is full of parties and folk festivals, which brightens up the cities of the region with colour, flavours, music, and entertainment on the streets that draw thousands of visitors annually.
Setubal is also home to The Polytechnic Institute of Setubal (IPS), the higher education reference in the region, with a campus in the city and another in Barreiro. It offers a variety of courses in several study fields and different higher education levels (Undergraduate degrees and Master's degrees). It bets on practical teaching, focused on the needs of the labour market. The quality of courses and teachers, a close relationship with the business world, modern laboratories and equipment, and traineeships in the best companies prepare professionals of excellence and ensure high rates of employability for those who choose IPS for their higher education.
Universities in Setubal
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.
Student Life
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.
Must-Visit Places in Setúbal
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.
Transportation in Setúbal
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.
Nearby Student Accommodation In Portugal
Casita offers student accommodation in other Portugal cities besides having facilities for student accommodation in Setúbal. Some of these cities are: