Berlengas Islands Guide: Ferry from Peniche & Travel Tips

Here’s what it’s really like to visit Berlengas Islands from Peniche, plus my tips to help you enjoy it even more.

Table of Contents

• Intro
• Peniche & Berlenga Island Map
• Ferry from Peniches to Berlenga Grande Island
• Getting There: A Bumpy Ride
• First Impressions
• Exploring Berlenga Grande Island
• Fortress on the Rocks
• Relaxing on the Beach with Crystal Clear Water
• Small Boat Tour to Caves
• Tips to Make the Most of Your Adventure
  • • • 1. Book in ADvance
      • 2. Prepare for Seasickness
      • 3. Pack Day Essentials
      • 4. Bring Snacks & Water
      • 5. Wear your Swimsuit Under Your Clothes
      • 6. Bring Travel Toilet Supplies
• Portugal Travel Guides
• Final Words
• Travel Resources

Intro

Berlengas Islands lies right off the Peniche coast in the Atlantic Ocean. It has crystal clear waters, dramatic cliffs, a fortress, and a famous rock formation that resembles an animal. When in Peniche, visiting the Berlengas Islands, specifically the Berlenga Grande Island, is likely on your list as a thing to do. In this post, I will provide information on what to expect when visiting Berlenga Island from Peniche. Don’t forget to check my tips out too!

Peniche & Berlenga Island Map

The above map shows all the points of interest mentioned in this Berlenga Island post.

HOW TO USE THE ABOVE PENICHE & BERLENGA ISLAND MAP:

Ferry from Peniches to Berlenga Grande Island

with Feeling Berlenga

Feeling Berlenga offers various packages, from the most basic being roundtrip transportation to and from the Island. They also have a combo package that includes a small boat tour to the caves and a more lavish package that includes Scuba Diving. Depending on what you want to do during your time on the island, you can pick and choose your ticket type. Purchase your tickets by clicking here.

We opted to do the Caves Pack which includes roundtrip transfer that leaves Marina de Peniche at 2:45 PM, and leaves Berlengas Island at 6:30 PM. It also includes a boat tour to visit the caves and goes around the major landmarks that you can see from the water.

Getting There: A Bumpy Ride

The Berlenga adventure begins in Peniche, a coastal town about 1.5 hours from Lisbon. From the Marina de Peniche, you catch a ferry across to Berlenga Grande Island (the main island). As mentioned, we chose to go with the Feeling Berlenga who offers various packages to suit your needs and preferences.

The crossing only takes about 40 minutes, but I’ll be real with you… it is ROUGH. The Atlantic isn’t always kind and calm, and my boat rocked like crazy. Do NOT forget to bring seasickness tablets. You will need them.

First Impressions

As we got off the island, the first thing I noticed was the water at the beach, Praia do Carreiro do Mosteiro. The water is unbelievably clear with shades of turquoise that look more Caribbean than Portugal. Not just that but the steep cliffs and colorful rock already made this island such a unique sight.

Turquoise Waters • photos by Jeanie A

Exploring Berlenga Grande Island

The island is rugged, untamed, and blissfully free of big tourist crowds. There are a few marked trails that let you wander around and there is a cafe and a restaurant you can eat at directly up the hill from the port.

You can also choose to rent a kayak and explore on your own a bit, or you can take a short hike to the most iconic sight: Forte de São João Baptista. The hike does involve an upward incline and a downward incline when approaching the fortress.

Explore the Island • photos by Jeanie A

Fortress on the Rocks

This 17th-century fortress looks like it’s from a pirate story. It sits on its own rocky little island and is connected to the main island by a narrow zigzag bridge. The views out to the open Atlantic are dramatic and humbling as you really feel like you’re out in the middle of nowhere.

Fortress of St. John the Baptist • photos by Jeanie A

Relaxing on the Beach with Crystal Clear Water

The island has a small but unique beach, Praia do Carreiro do Mosteiro. It’s surrounded by towering cliffs, and to get to it, you have to follow a narrow cliffside walkway and cross a bridge over a small shallow beach cave. But from the walkway, you can how see the turquoise waters and the dramatic cliffs make this beach one of a kind. You can laze out on the sand, rent a kayak, or swim in the shallow waters.

Path to Beach Praia do Carreiro do Mosteiro • photos by Jeanie A

Small Boat Tour to Caves

If you chose to include a Caves visit in your Berlenga package, then you’d meet back at where the main ferry dropped you off at the Port. You get on a small boat and tour around the island (~30 minutes) with a live guide who talks about the area and sights. We cruised past the stone fortress, amazing colorful caves, dramatic sea arches carved into the cliffs, and even passed a rock formation that resembled an elephant!

Caves Tour Sights • photos by Jeanie A

Tips to Make the Most of Your Adventure

1. Book in ADvance

I recommend booking your ferry tickets to Berlengas Islands in advance so that you can go on your preferred date and time of day.

2. Prepare for Seasickness

The boat ride to and from Berlengas Islands will be choppy since you are crossing the Atlantic Ocean to get there! Be on the safer side and bring seasickness pills like Dramamine.

3. Pack Day Essentials

You are on an island with very limited shops and facilities. So bring sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat, a tote or bag, and appropriate shoes. If you want to hike to the fortress, bring sturdy shoes. If you plan to just relax on the beach, wear sandals. And if you plan to do both, consider hiking sandals (like TEVAs or REEFs), or bring a pair of sandals to switch into for beach time.

4. Bring Snacks & Water

Regardless if your’e hiking or lazing on the beach, bring some snacks and water to keep you energized and hydrated. It can get hot on the island.

5. Wear your Swimsuit Under Your Clothes

If you plan to go on the beach and into the water at all, wear your swimsuit under your clothes already so you don’t have to change. There is a public restroom, but the line can be long (esp the Women’s).

6. Bring Travel Toilet Supplies

The public restroom on the island (which is up the hill near the restaurants), may have limited supplies. So bring some tissue in case there’s no toilet paper, and dissolvable soap sheets in case there’s no hand soap available.

Final Words

Visiting the Berlengas Islands from Peniche was a memorable day trip. It’s not the easiest place to reach, and it definitely doesn’t have the polished comforts of a typical tourist destination but that just adds to its charm. The stone fortress, the colorful sea caves, and the crystal clear waters felt like stepping into a secret world just a short boat ride away. But don’t forget the seasickness pills!

Been to Berlengas Island before? I’d love to hear what you thought.
Let me know your tips or favorite spots in the comments below!