DominguesI have already visited Berlenga Island several times, also known as Berlenga Grande, and I have always fallen in love with the experience. It is a place of perfect nature, still very wild, with caves and brutal rock formations, paradisiacal waters (but cold!), and excellent trails to walk. You can do different types of water activities there, such as simple boat trips, canoeing, snorkelling or even diving.
But to visit Berlenga Island is not as simple as it used to be. A few years ago it was enough to book a boat trip from Peniche well in advance to guarantee an available seat. Today, however, it is necessary to collect some licenses, as rules and access limits were created to protect and preserve the archipelago.
If you intend to enjoy this paradise about 10 km from Peniche, then it is worth reading everything that follows, as I will leave you with all the necessary tips to plan your trip to visit Berlenga Island. 😉
Where is Berlenga Island located?
Berlenga island is, as I mentioned, part of a Portuguese archipelago off the coast of Peniche, which is made up also of Estelas and Farilhões islands. This archipelago is a Portuguese natural reserve, classified by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve since 2011. Berlenga Grande is the only habitable island in the archipelago, and also the main place that exists to visit, although some tourist companies promote boat trips with passage through the remaining islands.
MORE ARTICLES FROM CENTRAL PORTUGAL: - Things to do in Espinho - Things to do in Ovar - Things to do in Aveiro - Aveiro to Costa Nova - Best beaches in Aveiro - Things to do in Mira beach - Things to do in Coimbra - Schist Villages in Portugal - Things to do in Figueira da Foz - Visit Monsanto in Portugal - Historical Village of Piódão - Historical Villages of Portugal - Things to do in Leiria - Visit Batalha Monastery and surroundings - Visit Alcobaça Monastery and surroundings - Things to do in Fátima - Visit Mira de Aire Caves - Things to do in Nazaré - Things to do in Peniche - Best beaches in Peniche - Best beaches in Ericeira - Visit Ursa Beach - Best Beaches in Sintra - Best Beaches in Cascais - Best Costa da Caparica beaches - Best beaches in Setúbal - Best Beaches in Sesimbra - Visit Ribeiro do Cavalo Beach - Best beaches in Tróia, Comporta and Melides
When to visit Berlenga Island?
Berlenga island is undoubtedly a summer destination, with daily boat connections, from May to September, using any of the many tourist companies available.
If it is possible to visit Berlenga Island at other times of the year? Yes, but not with all companies, as some only work in summer. I do not recommend it, however, as clearly the visit will not be as pleasant, as the weather will not be warm enough to enjoy the sea.
How to prepare a trip to Berlenga Island?
To prepare for your trip to Berlenga Island, you should start by thinking about how to cross by boat from Peniche. I’ve always used Viamar, more precisely the boat Cabo Avelar Pessoa, but there are other options at your disposal, and I’ll indicate several of them below. 😉
1. Request Berlengas-Pass and pay the Tourist Tax
The first task will always be to request Berlengas-Pass from ICNF, ensuring that on the day you propose to visit Berlenga Island, the limit of 550 simultaneous visitors has not yet been reached. At the same time that you are requesting this authorization, you are obliged to pay a tourist tax of up to €3, depending on your age.
To request Berlengas-Pass, you will necessarily have to create an account on the website in question, introducing some of your data, such as email, password, name, nationality and identification document number. Account creation is very intuitive, as you will notice.
The second step will be to issue an access ticket to Berlenga Island, and I leave several images below that illustrate this process:
- Select the tourist tax payment method.
- Enter the data of who will visit Berlenga Island.
- Choose the departure and return dates to visit Berlenga Island. In this case, the date will be the same, unless you intend to stay overnight on the island, a suggestion that I will share later in this post.
- Choose the period of visit to the island: morning, afternoon, or full day.
- Confirm the data entered and proceed with the order, paying the tourist tax. Start purchasing boat tickets only when you have Berlengas-Pass issued.
Note that Berlengas-Pass is only necessary for those who intend to disembark at Berlenga Grande. For boat trips around the islands, without disembarking on land, this pass will not be necessary. Note also that the minimum fine for those that access Berlenga Island without a pass is €500. In my opinion, it is necessary to dedicate a whole day to Berlenga Island to be able to enjoy a little bit of everything. However, you will have to pay twice as much for this type of ticket. Finally, Peniche Municipality residents do not pay the tourist tax, but must request Berlengas-Pass as other people do. Children under 5 years old also do not pay this fee and those over 65 years old or under 18 years old pay only €1.5 instead of €3. Link to request Berlengas-Pass.
2. Buy boat tickets to visit Berlenga Island
Having the pass to visit Berlenga Island issued by ICNF, the time has come to buy the boat tickets, online, and according to the authorized dates and times.
As I already mentioned, I always made the crossing to Berlenga Grande with Viamar (Boat Cabo Avelar Pessoa), but there are other possibilities at your disposal, such as Boat Julius, BerlengaTour, or Feeling Berlenga. As it is through these sites that you must make your reservations, I really recommend that you consult them to find out about prices and updated schedules.
I remind you again that I consider it essential to stay a whole day on Berlenga Island, however this will be more expensive in high season, when you will normally have to buy a pack of morning + afternoon, which can reach a price of around €50 per person.
ATTENTION! The crossing by boat normally takes between 30 to 50 minutes, depending on the state of the sea. Nausea is frequent, and you will certainly see someone vomiting, or you will vomit yourself! I always saw people getting sick, whenever I went to visit Berlenga Island. 😉 I leave the alert, so that this fact does not surprise you! Note that on Berlenga-Pass website you will find a list of other tour operators that work in Peniche and on the crossing to visit Berlenga Island. Also note that as you will have to pick up tickets directly at the kiosks on the boarding pier next to Peniche Marina, it is advisable to arrive at least 30 minutes before the departure time of the boat to Berlenga Island.
3. Decide on excursions and activities to do in Berlenga Island
At the same time as you book the boat trip to Berlenga Island, you should also plan the water activities to be done there. There are several at your disposal, which you can purchase from the boat companies mentioned above, to make it easier. I leave you some examples below, but the ideal is to explore directly the various sites mentioned. 😉
- Feeling Berlenga has a very interesting set of visit packs, with the possibility of snorkelling, guided walking tours, boat visits to the caves, and even Diving Baptisms. Always confirm if the equipment will be available and considered in the advertised price!
- Viamar advertises canoeing trips on Berlenga Island, accompanied by a guide and support boat. But it is also possible to rent Kayaks directly on the island.
- Julius indicates that it offers boat trips to the other islands of Berlengas archipelago, or even along the coast of Peniche, subject to prior consultation.
- You can always buy a ticket for a boat trip to the caves directly on the island, as I always have. I always walk to the Fort of São João Baptista, and it is from there that I take the boat trip to the caves, returning by boat to Fisherman’s Village. 😉
Note that you can also decide to visit Berlenga Island with Get Your Guide or Civitatis, making all your reservations directly on these websites that are so well known for excursions in Portugal and around the world. You should still apply for the Berlengas-Pass, don't forget! 1 - Peniche: Berlenga Island Trip, Hiking and Cave Tour 2 - From Peniche: Fast Boat Berlengas Archipelago Round-Trip 3 - From Lisbon: Day trip to Berlenga Island 4 - Snorkelling in Berlenga Island 5 - Beginner's Dive on Berlenga Grande
5. Take out Travel Insurance to visit Portugal
To be protected against several types of travel hazards, I also recommend that you take out travel insurance for your stay in Portugal, and I recommend to do it with World Nomads.
6. Choose where to sleep to visit Berlenga Island
Many people do not need to stay overnight in Peniche or on Berlenga Island, as they leave early in the morning and return at the end of the day to their city / region of origin.
I, however, recommend that you stay at least 2 or 3 days in Peniche region, to also visit the Peninsula, Cabo Carvoeiro, and later Baleal and Peniche Bay, with much longer beaches than those found in Berlenga Island.
As far as accommodation is concerned, you can stay overnight on the island by camping, staying in the rooms at Fort of São João Baptista, or opting for the rooms at Pavilhão Mar e Sol.
- In the first case, you should contact Peniche Tourist Office to request and pay the rental to camp in Berlenga Island.
- For the second case, you should contact the Association of Berlenga Friends, which manages the rental of rooms at Fort of São João Baptista.
- And for the third case, use the contact +351 262 750 331.
If you’re staying overnight on the Peninsula of Peniche, I highly recommend Forte Guest House, which has good prices and at the same time good quality. Furthermore, it is very close to Marina of Peniche (where boarding takes place), and have also ample parking nearby.
| Accommodation | Score | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Neptuno | 8.8 | Consolação |
| Star Inn Peniche | 8.4 | Peninsula of Peniche |
| MH Peniche | 8.7 | Peninsula of Peniche |
| MH Atlântico | 8.4 | Supertubos Beach |
| GO4SURF Lofts | 8.7 | Peninsula of Peniche |
| Casa Berlengas à Vista | 9.1 | Peninsula of Peniche |
| Sea Garden | 9.0 | Peninsula of Peniche |
| Apartamentos Soul Surfer | 8.9 | Peninsula of Peniche |
| Mercearia d’Alegria | 8.9 | Peninsula of Peniche |
| RIDE Surf Resort | 8.7 | Baleal |
| The Wave | 8.8 | Baleal |
| Surfness Lodge | 9.2 | Baleal |
| Perfect Shore | 9.5 | Baleal |
| YEY Baleal | 8.8 | Baleal |
| Baleal GuestHouse | 9.0 | Baleal |
| Castaway | 9.8 | Baleal |
Things to do in Berlenga Island
I will now show you everything you can visit in Berlenga Island, detailing the trails that exist at your disposal and the various tourist attractions that you can discover, both by land and through boat trips to the caves.
1. Berlenga Grande tourist map
I start by leaving you the tourist map below. In it you will be able to identify the routes available for walking, traced in white, and the main points of interest that you find when doing them, for example the Cisterns, the Fortress of São João Baptista, the Lighthouse, Buzinas Viewpoint to Cerro da Velha, and also the Fisherman’s Village with its beach. I will introduce you to all these places in detail further down in this article.
2. Code of Conduct to visit Berlenga Island
Also, don’t forget that there is a code of conduct to respect, after all, this island is part of a natural reserve of high biological interest that is intended to be preserved.
- Always walk on the trails and respect the signs.
- Don’t leave any rubbish, take it with you back to Peniche.
- Do not pick up or damage the plants on the island.
- Always keep your distance from the animals, for example birds, and do not feed them.
- It is forbidden to take domestic animals to Berlenga Island.
- Avoid noises that disturb the environment and the birds.
- Line fishing is only allowed in the identified places. It is not allowed to capture any invertebrates such as octopus, limpets, mussels, sea urchins or crabs. Spearfishing is not allowed.
- If you go camping, do it at the campsite. Bonfires are prohibited!
- On the beach, keep your distance from the cliffs.
3. Main Tourist Attractions to visit in Berlenga Island
As for the main tourist attractions of Berlenga Island, the following clearly stand out:
- Fortress of São João Baptista – It is without a doubt the most fascinating place on Berlenga Island, being its main brand image, when seen from the top of the cliffs. It is a national monument and its construction began in 1651, by order of King D. João IV, having been completed 5 years later. Its function was to protect the island against enemy attacks, for example North African privateers.
- Berlenga Grande Beach – It is the most sought after beach on the island, as it is immediately next to Fisherman’s Village, where the boats dock. It is also known as Carreiro do Mosteiro beach, as there was a real monastery there, built in the 16th century!
- Fisherman’s Village – Due to its proximity to the beach, it has some infrastructure, namely a restaurant, boarding house and the necessary public bathrooms. It is the only settlement in Berlengas archipelago, and its current configuration dates back to the 1940s.
- Castelinho – Located in Fisherman’s Village, it was built in 1952, taking advantage of some structures that belonged to the aforementioned monastery.
- Duque de Bragança Lighthouse – You can see it from Peniche on clear days. It is right at the top of the island, is almost 30 meters high, and reaches more than 40km. Did you know that it was built by order of the Marquis of Pombal in 1758, but was only completed almost a century later?
- The Cisterns – Located at the top of the island, they would serve to retain and supply Berlenga Island with fresh water.
- Viewpoints of Melreu and Buzinas. If you follow the old island trail, which I mention below on this article, you will find these natural viewpoints from where you can see Peniche, and the islets of Cerro da Velha, Ponta, do Meio and even Ilhéu Maldito!
- The Fortress beach and bridge – In my opinion, this is the best place for a swim, as the bridge has a privileged position for excellent jumps into the water. 😉
- The various Geological Formations and Caves of Berlengas Island, such as Furado Grande, Cova do Sonho, Tromba do Elefante, Vale da Quebrada, Carreiro dos Cações, Rochedo da Baleia (next to the fortress), etc. The ideal would be to take the boat trip through the caves, full of details.
4. The 2 Trails of Berlenga Island
There are two pedestrian trails on Berlenga Island, both of which are marked in white on the tourist map I left earlier in this article. Their names are Old Island trail and Berlenga Trail, with the first going to Milreu and Buzinas viewpoints, and the second to the Lighthouse, Cisterns, Cova do Sonho Viewpoint and finally São João Baptista Fortress. So that the information is clear, I leave you below a wikiloc map with a combination of the two!
Other tips to visit Berlenga Island
- Always buy tickets online and do so in advance. I remind you that ICNF authorization is required with Berlengas-Pass.
- Bring comfortable walking shoes. A hat will also come in handy to avoid high exposure to the sun and to prevent seagulls from shitting directly on your head. 😀 This really happens a lot on the island! 😀 😀 😀
- Take a towel and a bathing suit to enjoy the crystal clear waters of Berlenga Island. Don’t forget the sunscreen too! If you have snorkel equipment, pack it in your backpack so you don’t have to rent it.
- There is a restaurant on Berlenga Island, but I chose to have a picnic. How about doing the same and saving some money for other activities? Don’t forget to bring enough water and, in the end, bring all the rubbish back with you to Peniche!
- Take some binoculars with you, to better observe the birds along the walks!
- Respect the code of conduct that I left earlier in this article.
Other Portuguese Islands
If you like nature and even hiking, you know very well that the islands can be a true paradise, and an excellent option for an unforgettable vacation. 😉
In Portugal, my country, we have several other islands, in addition to Berlenga Grande, and I’m not just talking about the Azores and Madeira, which are more obvious! For example, you find awesome islands in Algarve (Ria Formosa), on Alentejo Coast (Pessegueiro Island in Porto Covo), and on the north (Ínsua Island, next to Caminha).
- Madeira Itinerary and Travel Guide
- São Miguel Itinerary and Travel Guide (Azores)
- Terceira Itinerary and Travel Guide (Azores)
- Pico Itinerary in Azores
- Faial Itinerary in Azores
- Algarve Road Trip Itinerary – see part related with Ria Formosa
Visit Galicia Islands, in Spain: Cies and Ons
If you are looking for islands of the same style as Berlenga Island, then you have to head to the north of Spain, and do an itinerary through Galicia, where there are two islands close to the coast of Vigo and Sanxenxo, worthy of your visit. 😉 Cies Islands are, for me, even more beautiful than Berlenga Grande, and Ons Island is not far behind either.
More articles from Central Portugal
MORE ARTICLES FROM CENTRAL PORTUGAL: - Things to do in Espinho - Things to do in Ovar - Things to do in Aveiro - Aveiro to Costa Nova - Best beaches in Aveiro - Things to do in Mira beach - Things to do in Coimbra - Schist Villages in Portugal - Things to do in Figueira da Foz - Visit Monsanto in Portugal - Historical Village of Piódão - Historical Villages of Portugal - Things to do in Leiria - Visit Batalha Monastery and surroundings - Visit Alcobaça Monastery and surroundings - Things to do in Fátima - Visit Mira de Aire Caves - Things to do in Nazaré - Things to do in Peniche - Best beaches in Ericeira - Visit Ursa Beach - Best Beaches in Sintra - Best Beaches in Cascais - Best Costa da Caparica beaches - Best beaches in Setúbal - Best Beaches in Sesimbra - Visit Ribeiro do Cavalo Beach - Best beaches in Tróia, Comporta and Melides
I hope you enjoyed this article about Berlenga Island and on what to do there and how to reach it. Don’t forget to leave your feedback below, or just comment about your own trip.
