North Portugal Tourism Guide - Peniche

Peniche Portugal Surfing Capital

Peniche was originally an island and was only joined to the mainland in the 16th century when a sand spit formed linking the two. Today it's a peninsular with 15 kilometres of rocky coastline jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean. It is an important fishing port and a major supplier of crayfish, sardines and tuna to Portugal. Today it's famous for its lace made locally (you can see it being made at the two lace-making schools) and for its fish restaurants serving some of the best seafood dishes around. It's a lively resort with plenty of bars, cafes and restaurants.

Peniche is also one of the most famous surfing resorts in Portugal with its coastline all around the peninsular you can always find a great surfing spot suitable for all ranging from beginner to expert level. It has the most consistent swell in Europe and is famed for its "Supertubos", very fast and powerful (tubular) waves, on the south side of the peninsular. Scuba diving, kitesurfing and windsurfing are also popular and there are a wide range of surf camps and schools that offer lessons and courses for all skill levels. Check the links right.

Cabo Carvoeiro, a rugged peninsular topped by a lighthouse, is a good viewpoint 2 kilometres west of Peniche town. The rocks here have been eroded into striking angular pillars and seacaves. This is a popular fishing ground and there are great views out across the ocean to Ilha Berlenga. The Nau dos Corvos restaurant also looks out onto those view and serves good value fayre. Address: Cabo Carvoeiro, 2520 - Peniche. Tel: 351 262 789004. Baleal beach is another popular surfing location, a small island 4 kilometres to the north east of Peniche connected to mainland by a causeway. It is a very popular, laid back place with a string of surf schools where you can hire boards and wetsuits or book lessons, and restaurants dotted along the sandy beach. Check the links right.

Peniche Town & Fort

Peniche's town is fortified with walls and a moat dominated by its impressive 16th century fortress that was built to head off invaders at the narrow entrance to the peninsula.

The fortress, Fortaleza, open Tue-Sun 10.30 am-12.30 pm and 2-6 pm, admission is free was in military use right up until the 1970s and under the dictatorship of Salazar political prisoners had been held here. The Nucleo-Resistencia is a display of artefacts from that time including leaflets of the resistance, education material with the brainwashing slogans of "Viva Salazar!" and prisoners' letters, including secret ones written in tiny handwriting. You can also see the booths that have been preserved near the entrance with their glass partitions where visitors met prisoners - all a poignant reminder of Portugal's not too distant history. The fort also houses the Peniche Municipal Museum which features a display of locally hand-crafted lace which has been a speciality of Peniche for centuries.

There is also a monument nearby commemorating the "lace-women," who wove the intricate "bobbin lace" on top of cylindrical pillows. Peniche Tourist Information, Rua Alexandre Herculano, 2520-676 Peniche. Tel: 351 262 789 571. Fax: 351 262 789 571. E-mail: info@rt-oeste.pt

Peniche Beaches

The long stretches of sand around Peniche and to the north and south of them are all excellent beaches, the majority of which have Blue Flag status.

Sao Bernardino, Consolacao, Medao-Supertubos, Cova de Alfarroba, Gamba and Baleal Norte are all also Blue Flag beaches but with no disabled access although they do have toilets, parking, bars and restaurants nearby and often sun loungers or sunshades for hire. Baleal Sud is also a Blue Flag beaches that has disabled access.

Ilha Berlenga - Berlengas Nature Reserve

Peniche is also the access point for Ilha Berlenga, an island 10 kilometres offshore from Cabo Carvoeiro. The island is only two and a half square kilometres but is the largest island in an archipelago with jagged coastline of stacks, caves and extraordinary rock formations. The islands have been designated a nature reserve, Berlengas Nature Reserve, due to its marine wildlife, clifftop flora and the thousands of seabirds that have colonised the island including puffins, guillemots, gulls, and cormorants.

The reserve office is in Peniche at Porto da Areia Norte, Estrada Marginal. Tel: 351 262 787 910. Fax: 351 262 787 930.

There is no permanent population and along with day-trippers, only fishermen, guides and scientists inhabit the island temporarily. There are some waymarked paths on the island for visitors but most areas are prohibited to avoid disturbance to the nesting birds. The impressive 17th century fort, Forte de Sao Joao Baptista, built into the rock and joined to the island by a causeway is now partially converted into a hostel. This can be booked at the Peniche Tourist Information.

The waters are lovely and clear around the island making diving and snorkelling popular where you can see the reef and marine wildlife up close and there are shipwrecks to be discovered too. You can explore the grotto-like caves and the breathtaking 75 metre long sea tunnel, Furado Grande, by boat that can be hired at the jetty or you can take a guided boat tour around the island. The aptly named Cova do Sonho, Dream Cove, Part of the island became separated by the erosion of the crashing Atlantic waves and is now called Ilha Velha, Old Island.