| PENICHE |
The quaint fishing port of Peniche lies in the shelter of a
great headland on Portugal's rugged Atlantic coast.
As late as the mid-16th century, the town was part of an 8-kilometre-wide
island, although an accumulation of sand gradually joined it
to the mainland to form the present peninsula.
Today, the town is most famous for its lace-making and numerous
fish restaurants, which during the summer serve up some of the
tastiest sardines in Portugal.
What to see. At the water's edge on the south side of
town stands the 16th-century Fortaleza, used as a prison during
the repressive Salazar regime. It now contains a musuem of local
archaeology and crafts, incorporating former cells, solitary
chambers and the visitors' grilles.
In Largo 5 de Outubro, the Church of the Misericórdia
has 17th-century painted ceiling panels depicting the life of
Jesus Christ and patterned azulejo glazed tiles from the same
period.
Nearby. A 3-km walk eastwards lies the breezy Cabo Carvoeiro
and the Chapel of Our Lady of Remédios, which contains
18th-century blue and white azulejo glazed tiles. Laced with
grottoes and coves, the Berlenga Islands are an hour's journey
by boat from Peniche. Berlenga Grande, the largest of the group,
is a nature reserve with nesting sites for seabirds. It also
has a 17th-century fort. |
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| © 2007 Maisturismo |
