There’s an overpriced restaurant and snack bar at the pier, plus a bar at the fortress a wiser move is to self-cater at Peniche’s excellent fresh market and bring a picnic with you to the island. Backed by cliffs and fronted by azure waters, the walk to the 16th-century fortress is obligatory – it’s one of the most beautiful swimming holes I’ve ever been to.

Visitors are relegated to Berlenga Grande, a dry and rocky island that’s home to a small beach and a variety of birds, as well as some easy, clear hiking trails. Tickets for a variety of boats, fast and slow, are sold by several vendors at Peniche’s pier, and the trip takes at least 45 minutes.

Located six miles off the coast of Peniche, the tiny archipelago has been attracting visitors since Phoenician times. When work is done, it will house a museum dedicated to the Portuguese who resisted fascism.Įager to hit the coast, I leave my bags at the hotel and buy a ticket for a day trip to the Berlenga Islands. Closed for renovations when we were in town, the fortress dates to the 16th century during the 20th century, it was used as a prison for political prisoners during Portugal’s four decades-long dictatorship.

Perched on an elevated, rocky peninsula jutting out into the Atlantic, Peniche has a historical center that’s dense and charming, fronted by the imposing Fortaleza de Peniche. My first view of the Atlantic Ocean comes after ascending a hill in Lourinhã, just south of my destination. The route is almost exclusively inland, with a brief crossing through Lisbon’s wine region. I’ve booked a seat with Rede Expressos, a privately run bus service, for the hour-and-a-half ride to Peniche. My trip kicks off rather unceremoniously at Sete Rios bus station, just north of central Lisbon. The spectacular Forte de São João Baptista on Berlenga Grande, off the coast of Peniche © Austin Bush / Lonely Planet Lisbon to Peniche

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