Kayla H.
Yelp
I came here based on a thinly written blog post I found online that had been posted years ago. That is probably my first mistake. :)
I'll start with the "Know Before You Go" (somewhat negatives):
- There is no Welcome Center
- There is no English-language information available
- There are only a few pull-off places and many have DEEP pot holes, watch out
- In the summer, the loop road becomes, partially, one-way (check out the map)
- If you're going to Portinho da Arrabida, it is 1,5EUR to park far away and 3EUR to park closer
To the positives:
- Getting into the park is free
- The park is gorgeous
- The beaches are lovely
- It's only about an hour from Lisbon and is the only unsettled land I saw while in Portugal
If you want to see beautiful coastline, this is a great place to do it. There's also a convent there (I couldn't find any information about it), which is beautiful to photograph (from afar). I've included a map with details about the one-way road situation. Hopefully this will save you some heartburn--and a problem with the law. :)
I ended up getting help from a nice man I saw hiking. He directed me to Sesimbra, which was about 35 minutes away. It was a good suggestion. I wrote a review for the beach there which you should check out (Praia da Califórnia: http://www.yelp.com/biz/praia-da-calif%C3%B3rnia-sesimbra?hrid=3Hg0ianYc40NsXBqPdQ3kQ).
I did see what appeared to be parking areas for hikes/trails. I was unable to find any sure information about them though. Because I was traveling solo, I opted for caution and didn't give it ago.