If you’re looking for something a bit off the beaten path in Lisbon, then this small island just two hours north of the capital city needs to be on your list! Peniche will be your arrival spot to the area, but Berlengas, a 30 min boat ride away, is the true gem.
Berlengas is a natural reserve park and has limited ferries there daily so some planning will be required. Here you can find crystal clear water, an abandoned fortress turned into a hotel, cafe and mini museum, along with trails to hike around, and a small beach with clear, turquoise water.
This post contains affiliate links from which if you make a purchase I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps me keep the blog running. Thank you in advance!
How to get to Berlengas
Getting to popular places in Portugal is very possible with public transportation. There is a bus that takes you directly from Lisbon to Peniche that will be your first stop. It’s an hour and a half bus ride.
For my trip I used Redes Expressos, which has the most bus routes around Portugal. Prices can vary from 7,90€ as the cheapest option and can go up from there as the date gets closer and the cheaper spots are taken. It cost me 9,90€ for my Lisbon – Peniche bus round trip.
From Peniche you need to take a ferry to Berlengas. The bus station in Peniche is a bit outside of downtown in a somewhat empty area. You can walk 15 minutes from the station to the pier or take a Bolt.
If you’re planning to visit in the summer months, I’d suggest booking your ferry in advance as spots do fill up. We waited until the last minute and were lucky there were spots available on one boat. To avoid many not getting to Berlengas, book in advance!
There’s a daily tourist tax of 3€ per person to visit Berlengas called the Berlengas Pass. Since it’s a natural reserve they want to limit the amount of people visiting and to preserve the island. You can pay the tax on your own or as part of the ferry when you purchase your tickets in person.
What to do in Berlengas
Berlengas is a small archipelago of islands, but you are only able to visit one large island. The island has enough to do to keep you entertained for a day.
You need to visit the Fortress of St. John the Baptist. It’s a fortress you get to via an arch walkway that is over the water. Many of the rooms have been turned into overnight accommodations if you want to spend the night. Even if you don’t sleep here you can pay 1€ to walk around and go to the rooftop area.
Many people including Bebino jumped off the arch bridge into the clear blue water. I also saw people snorkeling in the area, so bring your gear if you want to do this too as I didn’t see anybody selling or renting it out. There is a tour that includes a catamaran and snorkeling with the gear included.
Another catamaran option comes with a Stand Up Paddle tour. Dolphins sometimes come up to the boat so be on the lookout!
If kayaking is more your thing then this is the tour for you! On it you’ll be kayaking and going on a glass-bottom boat trip.
If you don’t want to get into the cold water to see what’s in the water then you should do the glass-bottom boat cave tour. This way you can explore the caves and see the underwater world while staying dry.
There are lots of trails to walk around from the pier to get to the fortress, to see the lighthouse, and lookout points.
What to bring
As in many parts of Portugal, Berlengas is hilly so I’d suggest wearing sneakers and bringing sandals if you’d like, especially if you plan to hike around the island.
A bathing suit is a must so you can go in the water.
Water fountains are not available from what we saw so definitely bring lots of water. You can buy water at the little cafe in the fortress.
Snacks to keep yourself energized as you walk around.
Sunblock to keep your skin protected and put it on even if it’s overcast! It was overcast the day we went and we didn’t put on sunblock and I ended up a bit burnt so don’t forget to put it on.
Where to eat
We didn’t know if the restaurants on the island would be pricey so we brought sandwiches, cherries, chips, and water. Once there we saw that there’s a cafe in the fortress and they have very affordable sandwiches and drinks. There were cheese and ham sandwiches for about 3€ and drinks for about 2€. It can get pretty full and there are limited chairs and tables.
Back in Peniche is where we got hungry and we chose to eat at A Sardinha before getting the bus back to Lisbon. It’s not on a main road but there were colorful fish decorations hanging and it just looked pretty cute.
It was also very affordable. Bebino got sardines for 11€ and I got the octopus for 19€. We each got a drink and the total came out to 35€.
Will you be planning a trip to visit this beautiful island in Portugal?
Portugal Map
Plan your trip around Portugal using my map! There are 325+ locations with links to book your activities from a laptop/computer. Find other off the beaten path spots around Portugal and make an easy and seamless itinerary with my tips and suggestions.
Related Posts
- Lisbon Airport to City Center
- Free Things to do in Lisbon, Portugal
- Unique Things to do in Lisbon, Portugal
- Best Viewpoints in Lisbon
- Amazing Lisbon Day Trips
- Cafes in Lisbon to Work Remotely
- Beautiful Cities in Portugal
- Places to Visit in Alentejo, Portugal
Make sure you’re following me on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for more up to date content on where I’m at and where I’m going next. If you haven’t already, join my email list so you know about my adventures, general travel updates, and more before anyone else!
Viaja more y live más,
