Whether lured by rolling waves, beautiful beaches, or delicious seafood, vacationers to Peniche (pop. 27,000) have one thing in common: a love for the ocean. From decor to cuisine, natives and visitors alike can’t get enough of the sea. Peniche is also home to some fantastic rock formations, a 16th-century fortress, and the pristine Berlengas Islands. After a leisurely, sun-filled day, surfers, nature-lovers, and history buffs mingle in the local cafes and bars. Endowed with the best of it all, Peniche makes the perfect weekend getaway.
A giant wall and a small waterway divide Peniche in half. From the bus station, visitors must cross a small bridge to enter the city center. Tracing the inside of this wall is Rua Alexandre Herculano, which passes the tourist office and the central square, Praça Jacob Rodrigues Pereira. The wall ends at the restaurant-lined Avenida do Mar, which continues along the water toward the docks and the fortress. Parallel to Av. do Mar two streets inland is Rua José Estévão, where numerous residenciais can be found. This street and those nearby fill with loud music and bar-hoppers until the morning hours.
Peniche’s budget accommodations are often located above restaurants of the same name; look for signs to find a residencial on Av. do Mar. Rooms in private homes are the best budget options, but ask to see them first and inquire about amenities. The tourist office has a listing of several private rooms, but many ladies will offer you rooms as soon as you walk into town.
The restaurants lining Av. do Mar serve excellent fresh seafood. Despite the multilingual menus, prices are reasonable and plenty of locals mix with tourists. Peniche’s sardinhas (sardines) are reputedly the best in Portugal, as are the seafood espetadas (skewers). The outdoor cafes on Praça Jacob Rodrigues Pereira are lively, even on Sundays when the town is quiet. The market, on R. António da Conceição Bento, stocks produce. (Open Tu-Su 7am-1pm.)
Fortaleza. António Salazar, Portugal’s longtime dictator from 1932 to 1968, chose Peniche’s formidable 16th-century fortress as one of his four high-security political prisons. Today it houses the Museu de Peniche, the highlight of which is a chilling tour of the cells of Salazar’s prison, including replicas of the torture room and interrogation chamber. Outside the museum, a small exhibition traces the fascist dictatorship and underground resistance, from the seizure of power in 1926 to the coup that toppled the regime on April 25, 1974. (Campo da República, near the dock where boats leave for the Ilhas Berlengas. Fortaleza open Tu 2-5:30pm, W-F 9am-12:30pm and 2-5:30pm, Sa-Su 10am-12:30pm and 2-5:30pm. Free. Museum ☎262 78 01 16; www.cm-peniche.pt. Same hours as Fortaleza. Last entrance 30min. before closing. €1.45, under 16 free.)
Beaches. For sun and surf, head to any of the town’s three beaches. They are within walking distance, but bikes can be rented for the day from several local shops (€4-5 per day). The windy Praia de Peniche de Cima, along the north crescent, is the highlight of the three, with beautiful white sand and warm water. (From the tourist office, take a right on R. Alexandre Herculano, cross the bridge over the river, take a left on R. da Ponte Velha, and continue 10-15min. to the ocean. Once at the water, Praia de Peniche de Cima is 300m to your right.) About a 30min. walk farther, Praia de Peniche de Cima merges with another beach at Baleal, a small fishing village very popular with tourists, especially surfers and body boarders. The southern Praia do Molho Leste marks the entrance to Supertubos, also known as the “Portuguese Pipeline” (after the famous Hawaiian break), a perfect spot to watch daring surfers risk bodily injury on the unforgiving beach break. (Praia do Molho Leste is over the river by the rotary at the end of Av. do Mar; cross the bridge and follow the coastline around the Porto de Pesca (15min.). Praia do Molho Leste is just after the jetty.) Beyond Molho Leste lies crowded Praia da Consolação, a favorite of Portuguese families on weekend getaways. The strange humidity and hot rocks at this beach supposedly cure bone diseases. Watch out for elderly visitors seeking relief from their ailments as they often wear nothing but a hopeful smile.
Peniche may seem sleepy during the day, but the town’s nightlife gets going after dinner and continues into the night, especially during summer. The area by the docks has some great bars, as do the streets around R. José Estévão.
For daytime party-seekers, Peniche’s biggest festival starts the first weekend in August, when boats festooned with flags and flowers parade into the harbor to launch the two-day Festa de Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem, celebrating the protector of sailors and fishermen. The town lets loose with carnival rides, live entertainment, wine, and seafood, continuing the festivities that begin two weeks before the launch. If you’re lucky, you’ll be in town during early June for the Sabores do Mar festival, when Peniche enjoys an eight-day celebration of all things seaworthy and offers discounts on local specialty seafood dishes.
Several companies operate boats from Peniche’s public dock, near the fort at the end of Av. do Mar. Viamar ferry. (☎262 78 56 46; www.viannas-berlengas.com.) Ticket booth (open 8:30am-noon and 3-5:30pm) offers 1 or 2 crossings per day. (40min.; July-Aug. 9:30am and 4:30pm, returns 11:30am and 6:30pm; May 15-June and Sept. 1-15 departs 10am, returns 4:30pm. Same-day round-trip ticket €18, ages 5-12 €10, under 5 free.) Other companies have smaller boats at the same price, and though they post schedules, they will leave when full. If they don’t fill up by the scheduled departure time, they will send you off on the big Viamar boat. Smaller boats have earlier and more frequent return times. To stay overnight, buy an €11 ticket each way. Arrive 15-30min. in advance. Reserve camping 3-4 days in advance at the tourist office in Peniche (☎262 78 95 71; tent for 2 people €9.25, 3 people €13, 4 people €16.50). The crossing is somewhat rough, and you may witness or experience sea sickness.
With its enormous orange cliffs rising off the coast of Peniche, the main island of Berlengas is not easily missed,. The inspiration for the setting of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, the rugged Ilhas Berlengas (the main island and the smaller surrounding Farilhões, Estelas, and Forcados) are inhabited by thousands of screeching seagulls. The Reserva Natural da Berlenga is also home to wild black rabbits, lizards, and a very small fishing community. Unfortunately for visitors, the reserve is off-limits to non-researchers, and hikers risk garnering serious institutional fury by stepping off the paths. Nevertheless, the real prize of the islands is the collection of wild rock formations. Deep gorges, natural tunnels, and pebble-strewn caves carve through Berlenga, begging to be explored. Bring a pair of hiking shoes and a walking stick if you plan to hike, as several of the trails are quite steep and strewn with small rocks. At the docks, kayaks are rented by the hour (single €4, doubles €6). The main path (2km) goes up past the lighthouse to the other side of the island, where the formidable 17th-century fortress Forte de São João Batista sits out in the crystal clear water. Accessible by bridge, it now functions as a hostel with a small cafe inside. (☎918 61 41 90. No running water. Reception 11am-2pm and 6-8pm. Singles €11.) The fortress walls have openings that form mini-patios perfect for sunbathing and with unbeatable views of the water. Outside the fortress, small motorboats offer tours of the caves (20min., €4). The main beach lies in a small cove by the landing dock. For those willing to brave the cold, the beach has an accessible cave beside it and a jumping board off the dock.
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