From Cabanas to
Serra de São Francisco Ridge

A circular trail that begins in the village of Cabanas and climbs the Serra de São Francisco Ridge which, together with the Serra do Louro Ridge, forms the third ridge line of the Arrábida Natural Park, stretching between Necessidades and Palmela, as a continuation of the Azeitão hills.

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Starting in Cabanas, the trail offers sweeping views over the Tagus estuary and Lisbon, to the north, and over the Serra de São Luís Ridge and the Vale de Alcube Valley, to the south, framed by the grand Arrábida range. Along the way, you’ll find the remains of the Chapel of Nossa Senhora das Brotas and the archaeological site of Alcaria da Portela, dating back to the medieval Islamic period, where characteristic ceramics of that era can still be seen scattered on the surface.

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The Fonte do Sol windmill, one of the eighteen that once dotted Palmela and Quinta do Anjo, is another guardian of this mountain. Perched atop the ridge, the windmills watch over the landscape like silent witnesses to time and history. They capture the eye and spark the imagination, reflecting centuries of the region’s cereal and bread-making heritage.

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In São Gonçalo, Cabanas, the annual Cheese, Bread and Wine Festival celebrates local producers and honours the ovelha saloia, the local dairy sheep breed whose milk gave rise to the renowned and certified Azeitão Cheese.