Peniche occupies a rocky peninsula on the Atlantic coast, about 90 kilometres north of Lisbon. Until the Middle Ages it was an island, then sediment joined it to the mainland. It is one of Portugal's main fishing ports and one of Europe's surf capitals, thanks to beaches facing every direction that offer waves almost every day of the year.
The fortress
The main monument is the fortress of Peniche, built in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to defend the coast. Under the Estado Novo dictatorship it became one of the regime's harshest political prisons: hundreds of opponents were held here, and in 1960 the Communist leader Álvaro Cunhal escaped with nine other prisoners in a famous breakout. Today the fortress houses the National Museum of Resistance and Freedom, which tells the story of repression and the struggle for democracy up to 25 April 1974.
Surf and beaches
Supertubos beach, south of the peninsula, is famous for its tubing waves and hosts a stop on the world surf tour every year. To the north, the village of Baleal, on an islet linked by a strip of sand, has beaches suited to beginners and many surf schools. At the tip of the peninsula, Cabo Carvoeiro has a lighthouse and sea-carved cliffs such as the Nau dos Corvos.
Lace and food
Peniche is famous for renda de bilros, bobbin lace, with a small museum and a school, and for its seafood: grilled fish, caldeirada fish stew and sea urchins.
The Berlengas
About ten kilometres offshore lies the Berlengas archipelago, a nature reserve and since 2011 a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The main island, Berlenga Grande, has crystal-clear water, sea caves, seabird colonies and the seventeenth-century fort of São João Baptista, built on a rock and joined to the island by a bridge. From May to September boats leave Peniche harbour for the island; daily visitor numbers are capped, so it is best to book. The crossing can be rough.
Getting there
Peniche is about an hour and a quarter from Lisbon by car (A8) or bus. Óbidos and Caldas da Rainha are very close.