Seixal

Seixal is a city of about 185,000 people (2011) near the Tagus River on the Setúbal Peninsula in Estremadura, Portugal.

Understand




Seixal (say-SHAHL, /sɐj.ˈʃaɫ/) municipality has 158,269 residents (2011), with about 31,600 in the city proper.

Since the Roman era, the Tagus bay has been a region of human settlement, from many of the archaeological discoveries at Quinta do Rouxinol, in Corroios, and Quinta de S. João, in Arrentela (beginning in the period of the Portuguese Age of Discovery). A land of fishermen and seigneurial holdings, the municipality of Seixal evolved over the centuries, always with the connection to the river. It was across the Tagus that many of the region's products (fish, cereals, salt, olive oil, wine and fruits) were exported to the regional capital. In the 15th century, due to its prime location, various dockyards and shipbuilders began constructing river boats and trans-Atlantic ships. At the same time, the tides of the region were used to develop mills, such as the tidal mill in Corroios in 1403, fostering various the millers, caulkers and carpenters along the river. It was in Seixal that the brothers Vasco da Gama and Paulo da Gama built vessels for the trip to India. While Vasco da Gama was in Lisbon to prepare the trip, Paulo da Gama commanded carpenters and caulkers in the construction of the ships. Estêvão da Gama, the father of the brothers, was commander of Seixal. The construction of the ships was the beginning of what is known as the Portuguese Discoveries.

At the beginning of the 16th century, the population of the territory numbers three dozen homes, and by the 18th century there was a population of 400 inhabitants. By the 18th century, the municipality became a aristocratic retreat for the nobility in nearby Lisbon, resulting in the construction of several vacation villas, such as Quinta da Fidalga, Quinta do Alamo, Quinta da Trindade, Quinta de São Pedro and Quinta de Cheiraventos.

Around the bay, there are several factories that were important in the development of the municipality, such as the Fábrica de Vidros da Amora (Amora Glass Factory, the Companhia de Lanifícios da Arrentela (Arrentela Wool Co.), the Mundet Cork Factory in Seixal; and the cod drying buildings on the Ponta dos Corvos. These early factory installations transformed the municipality from a rural outpost into an industrial centre, eventually resulting in the installation of the steelmaker Siderurgia Nacional in 1961.

Get in
You can get there from Lisbon by car by crossing the 25th April Bridge and taking Highway 2.

You can take a boat from Cais do Sodré.

Lisbon is 15 km (9.3 mi) away, via the Fertagus train lines that connect Lisbon to Fogueteiro.

Seixal has bike paths along the bay that link Amora and Seixal, passing through the parishes of Seixal, Arrentela and Amora.

See

 * Visit the church (rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake)
 * The Cultural Forum (with library, art gallery and auditory)
 * The Eco-museum
 * The Amora's Coreto
 * The Moinho de Maré in Corroios

Do

 * There is a river beach called Ponta dos Corvos.

Eat

 * Pizzaria Verde e Amarelo
 * João de Ourique
 * A Petisqueira
 * Timbre de Sabores
 * O Bispo
 * Hamburgeria do Rio

Drink
At night you can have fun in the bars along the avenue along the river, in Amora.

Go next

 * Setúbal
 * Lisbon