19 January 2008

Berlenga - a magnificent island of Portugal


We were lucky that my friend and colleague, Hugo, told me about an island of Portugal that is very close to the continent...10 km, just 40 min by boat. We couldn´t miss this chance!

Berlenga island is near Peniche; in the port there are several tourism agencies that organize transport or trips to Berlenga. So we chose one with resonable leaving and returning time (to have time to explore :D).

In Peniche

So, we go...in the boat there are more foreign tourists, the majority French. Slowly, slowly...we leave the port behind.



From time to time a small rock-island appears, resting place for seagulls.




After 40 min we get close to the island...it´s exciting to see how it gets closer and closer...




It´s gorgeous!! a wild island, with a colour of a vivid green that I saw only on TV, with a limpid green-blue water, with rocks and seagulls that are everywhere. The image of wild island is a bit attenuated by the numerous tourists, but almost imperceptibly...




There are a lot of seagulls, and they are not afraid of getting closer to people...we gave them some chips :D...it was so funny to see how they come close to you to peck :-)



So we went on exploring...

On the hills of the island, there were very many seagulls, a lot also with chicks. We didn´t climb until the top of the hill, not to disturb them in their habitat


What a green!!

View over the island from the top of the hill


São João Batista fort


At a metre from us...


On the way to the fort


My favourite picture taken in Berlenga


The bridge on which you get to the fort


At the entrance; there is also the posibility of staying over night in the fort, having all the facilities (it´s really cheap, just 11€ per person per night)


On the top of the fort


The lighthouse, named Duque de Bragança


View from up over the most populated area (small fishermen´s houses and 2-3 terraces-restaurants)


It was very hot, so we stopped a little at one of the terraces


In the afternoon we left back to Peniche, very delighted with what I´ve seen, Berlenga being the most impressive place that I visited in Portugal and that had remained very clear in my mind, even after more time

Berlenga...more far from us. Sometime we´ll come back here...

posted by Diana @ 22:51 Comments: 0