Casa da Baia & Casa do Turismo

Informs tourists in a culinary way. It’s also beautiful.

Setúbal is stepping up its tourism game. Obviously, the authorities understand that the classic mass handling simply doesn't fit here, so they pursue a more relaxed concept. As a result, the two guest information centers resemble relaxation centers. A highly visible sign of this idea is a gigantic cat, which according to the artist is meant to remind people not to just rush through the city, but to see what's happening in it. Keyword ”slow tourism.”

Great idea. The most beautiful place for this is the first floor of Casa do Turismo — until a few years ago an elitist officers’ club with conservative exhibitions on military themes. Today, you can find here a good selection of regional specialties overlooking the central square. On the ground floor, you can learn a bit about the local wines and buy them at slightly inflated prices.

In Casa da Baia, formerly a kindergarten, the offering is a bit wider. There’s also a nice café built on Roman ruins, and sometimes you stumble upon a live concert here. Quite interesting before or after a dolphin tour is the ”Interpretation Center” with all sorts of theories about the bottlenose dolphin. And, of course, at both places they will answer your tourist questions.