Troia Peninsula: sand, sea and sardines in Portugal

A long spit of sand on the western edge of Europe has history galore - and a winning way with seafood

181003-troia-top-pr.jpg

Despite its location on the westernmost edge of Europe, the Troia Peninsula was once at the heart of an industry that spanned the continent. As the Romans expanded out of the Mediterranean, they found vast stocks of sardines and mackerel off the coast of what is now Portugal - enough to feed an empire.

Fishing and food still define the identity of Troia and the town of Setubal, its bustling neighbour across the water, but the area’s post-credit crunch resurgence is driven by tourism, whose ever-expanding reach now exceeds even that of the Romans.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More