Berlenga Grande Island Small-Group Day Trip from Lisbon
Lisbon, Portugal
Rating: 
Trip Type: Day Trips
Duration: 10 hours
Visit the postcard-perfect island of Berlenga Grande on this small-group day trip from Lisbon. Travel to the charming fishing village of Peniche, where you’ll board a boat for Berlenga Grande, an idyllic island in the Berlengas Nature Reserve (Reserva Natural das Berlengas). Visit the 17th-century St John the Baptist Fort and wander along the pretty pathways of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Then, explore the island’s caves on an included kayak or glass-bottom boat excursion. Numbers are limited to eight, ensuring personalized attention from the guide.
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Visit the postcard-perfect island of Berlenga Grande on this small-group day trip from Lisbon. Travel to the charming fishing village of Peniche, where you’ll board a boat for Berlenga Grande, an idyllic island in the Berlengas Nature Reserve (Reserva Natural das Berlengas). Visit the 17th-century St John the Baptist Fort and wander along the pretty pathways of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Then, explore the island’s caves on an included kayak or glass-bottom boat excursion. Numbers are limited to eight, ensuring personalized attention from the guide.
Meet your guide at your hotel in central Lisbon, and then hop inside an air-conditioned minivan and travel to Peniche, a quaint fishing village. Here, a boat is waiting to take you and your small group to Berlenga Grande, a tiny island characterized by twisting rock formations and secluded caverns. Find yourself a comfortable spot on deck and relax as you soak up the sun and sea views.
On arrival, after around 40 minutes, enjoy a brief break during which you can stroll along the beach or pick up refreshments (own expense) at a beachfront cafe. Then, board a smaller boat and cut through the dark-blue waters to St John the Baptist Fort (Forte de São João Baptista), a 17th-century stronghold constructed from the ruins of the island’s old monastery.
Explore the site with your guide and hear stories of pirate sieges and foreign invasions. Discover, too, how the island is part of the Berlengas Nature Reserve (Reserva Natural das Berlengas) and home to thousands of nesting sea birds.
After visiting the fort, spend around an hour wandering the nature reserve’s paths with your guide. Take in the UNESCO Biosphere Heritage–listed scenery and scan the sky for guillemots and other bird species.
Back at the island’s port, enjoy free time for lunch at one of the seafront restaurants (own expense). Tuck into fresh fish and seafood dishes or, if you’ve brought your own food with you, head to the beach and eat al fresco. Alternatively, ask your guide for one of the provided snorkeling masks and dive into the calm waters for a look at life below sea level.
When the time comes, join back up with your guide and small group. Then, should you wish, join in on an included kayak excursion to explore the island’s caves. If you’d prefer a less active activity, tour the caves in a small, glass-bottom boat.
After your excursion, begin the journey back to Lisbon, where your day trip concludes with a drop-off back at your hotel.
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