7 Best Things to do in Peniche

The largest church in Peniche, the Igreja de São Pedro (Church of Saint Peter) sits at the heart of the historic town centre. It dates back to the late 1500s, a similar period to the fortress home of the Museu Municipal de Peniche. 

While its name might not give much away, the Museu Municipal de Peniche (or Peniche Municipal Museum) is as dramatic as they come. For one thing, the museum's galleries occupy the ancient chambers of Peniche Fortress, which has stood on the rocky foreshore of the peninsula since the 1500s. For another, it spans the history of Portugal from the 40,000-year-old Neolithic finds of Furninha Caves, through boatmaking and traditional lace weaving, to the modern era.

Standing guard at the mouth of Peniche's harbour is the sixteenth century Fortaleza de Peniche (Peniche Fortress). Commissioned during the reign of King João III when this little port was of great strategic importance to Portugal and its empire.

The fortress is built in the typical star shaped form and houses the Santa Bárbara Chapel along with the Sentinel Tower - the first fortification built in the Peniche peninsula.

This outdoor water park is located just off the main road into Peniche, close to many of the most popular beaches. Family-friendly, the site has a fun array of water-based facilities for those of all ages. Younger children are able to splash about in the shallows of the children's pool or slip their way down the dedicated slides. Meanwhile, parents are able to get their dose of daily exercise in the 35-metre main pool.

This pretty little chapel stands at the western end of the Peniche peninsula, near Cabo Cavoeiro, and is believed to date from the 1600s. However, it sits on land that has been considered holy since images of the Virgin Mary appeared in a cave here in medieval times. According to local legend, they were discovered by a pirate seeking refuge. 

Dating to origins in the thirteenth century, the Igreja de São Leonardo is the parish church to the region of Atouguia da Baleia in Peniche. It is the oldest place of Christian worship in Peniche. According to local legend, the church was initially constructed with whale bones that had washed up on the shoreline nearby.

A Portuguese national monument since 1949, almost as soon as it was built it became a burial place for the Counts of Atouguia. Perhaps as a result, it has seen a successive series of embellishments throughout the centuries.

Located around 10 km (6 miles) off the coast of Peniche is the rugged Berlengas Archipelago. This collection of 3 little islands, named Estelas, Farilhões and Berlenga, is virtually uninhabited, well, except for about a million seabirds! Now a nature reserve (Reserva Natural das Berlengas) these islands are home to puffins, seagulls and cormorants and they are very much in charge these days. Not only are the three square kilometres of island protected but so are the surrounding seas which make up a 985 hectare marine reserve.