One hour south of Lisbon, the Serra da Arrábida drops straight into the Atlantic, and the village of Azeitão has been making wine since 1834 in the cellars of José Maria da Fonseca, the oldest table-wine company in Portugal.
You start on the panoramic ridge road of the Arrábida Natural Park, stop at viewpoints over the blue bays, far from the Sintra crowds. In Azeitão, a guided visit takes you through the José Maria da Fonseca cellars, where casks of Moscatel de Setúbal have been ageing for generations, followed by a tasting of the house wines. Then visit a working azulejo workshop, where painters still decorate tiles by hand and you can paint your own if you like, and finish with the village classics: Azeitão sheep's cheese and the famous tortas.
In summer, roughly early June to mid September, the access roads to the Arrábida beaches close to private cars for most of the day. Your guide knows the rules and plans the route around them, so your day flows instead of ending at a barrier.
