Though Lisbon teems with travelers, it’s possible to find pockets of peace outside the city. A 45-minute drive from the city center delivers you to Setúbal, an Old-World fishing village on the southwest coast, surrounded by vineyards, beaches and mountains. Hotel Casa Palmela, a sprawling countryside retreat ensconced by the rolling hills of Arrábida Natural Park, is the place to stay.

© Courtesy of Hotel Casa Palmela

Set on Quinta do Esteval, a grand estate built in the 17th century, the hotel sits on 170 acres of protected land, inviting guests to slow down and seek refuge from Lisbon’s hustle and bustle, whether on horseback, at the outdoor spa or in one of the hotel’s two freshwater pools.

© Courtesy of Hotel Casa Palmela

Each of the hotel’s 21 airy rooms features a balcony overlooking either the vineyards or the estate’s lavender gardens. The rambling property is decorated throughout with antique paintings, original sculpture and 18th-century tilework. A life-sized bronze statue of Diogenes displayed at the entrance greets guests. The statue was completed in 1883 by de Sousa Holstein’s great-great-grandmother, Maria Luísa de Sousa e Holstein, the third Duchess of Palmela.

Zimbral (Portuguese for “juniper”), a farm-to-table restaurant on the ground floor, features vegetables from Hotel Casa Palmela’s own gardens and a fish-heavy menu sourced from nearby Livramento Market, itself a local attraction displaying the breadth of the ocean, from small sardines to 1,000-pound swordfish. Tables overlook the estate’s fragrant gardens.

© Courtesy of Hotel Casa Palmela

A 10-minute drive from the hotel takes you to Arrábida’s coast where you can hike, bike or picnic along the clear-water beaches; limestone cliffs blanketed by Mediterranean shrubland, orchids, peonies, rosemary and juniper; and panoramic vistas overlooking the Atlantic.

© Courtesy of Hotel Casa Palmela

“Casa Palmela is chosen by those who value meaning,” said Salvador de Sousa Holstein, whose family has lived in the former manor house for eight generations. de Sousa Holstein transformed the house, built in 1826, into a boutique hotel in 2016, joining the Small Luxury Hotels of the World network.

Hotel Casa Palmela

Quinta do Esteval, N10 km 33.5,
2900-725 Setúbel, Portugal
tel 351 265 249 650