Berlengas Islands

The Berlengas are a small granite archipelago ten kilometres off Peniche, designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve, with only Berlenga Grande accessible - a rough island of pink granite about a kilometre and a half long, riddled with caves and tunnels, holding one of Portugal's most important seabird colonies. Cory's shearwaters breed here in numbers, along with shags, gulls and a small guillemot population at the southern limit of its range; the Berlenga lizard is endemic. On a rock connected to the island by a narrow causeway stands the Forte de São João Baptista, a seventeenth-century sea fort now used as very basic hostel accommodation. Boats do circuits of the caves, including the Furado Grande tunnel. Visitor numbers are capped daily and must be booked in advance, a measure introduced because the island was being damaged.

What you actually see

• The seabird colony - Cory's shearwaters, shags and guillemots on the cliffs.
• The fort - seventeenth-century São João Baptista on its causeway rock.
• The caves - granite tunnels and grottoes circuited by boat, including Furado Grande.
• The reserve - a UNESCO biosphere with a capped daily visitor number.

When to go

June to September, when ferries run; crossings are cancelled in rough seas. A day, or an overnight in the fort or campsite. Book the visitor slot in advance.

Honest expectations

The daily cap means turning up without a booking gets you nowhere in season. The crossing is exposed and rough - seasickness is common. Facilities on the island are minimal and the fort accommodation is very basic. Paths are steep and unshaded, and much of the island is closed to protect nesting birds.

Nearby

Peniche is the departure port; Cabo Carvoeiro is on the peninsula opposite.