Private Tour: Berlenga Grande Island Day Trip from Lisbon
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Private Tour: Berlenga Grande Island Day Trip from Lisbon
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Private Tour: Berlenga Grande Island Day Trip from Lisbon

1 day
Private
Full Day
Instant confirmation
About this activity
Begin your day with a pickup from your central Lisbon hotel by private minivan, and then travel to the charming fishing village of Peniche where you’ll take a boat to Berlenga Grande, a tiny island composed of twisting rock formations and secluded caves. Relax on deck with your guide and ask any questions you have about the day’s itinerary; one of the advantages of a private tour is that the commentary is entirely tailored to your interests.

After around 40 minutes, arrive at Berlenga Grande. Pick up refreshments from one of the beachfront cafes (own expense), and then hop aboard a small boat and lap up the island scenery and coastal views as you cruise to the nearby St John the Baptist Fort (Forte de São João Baptista).

Explore the site with your guide and discover how the 17th-century stronghold was constructed from the ruins of the island’s old monastery. Hear about the pirate sieges and foreign invasions that forced the monks to flee, and learn about the thousands of sea birds that nest in the Berlengas Nature Reserve (Reserva Natural das Berlengas).

Next, stretch your legs during a stroll along the reserve’s scenic paths with your guide. Search the skies for guillemots and other bird species and admire the UNESCO Biosphere Heritage–listed scenery. Then, back at the island’s port, make the most of free time for lunch (own expense). Choose to dine on fresh seafood and fish at a local restaurant or, if you’ve brought a picnic with you, enjoy lunch on the beach.

After eating, perhaps ask your guide for one of the provided snorkeling masks and dive into the calm waters for a look at life below sea level. Then, should you wish, join in on an included kayak excursion to explore the island’s caves. Alternatively, choose to see the caves in a small, glass-bottom boat.

When the time comes, begin the journey back to Lisbon, where your day trip concludes with a drop-off at your hotel.
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Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Private guide
  • Transport by private minivan
  • Round-trip boat trip
  • Use of Snorkelling equipment
  • Kayak ride or glass-bottom boat excursion
Not included
  • Gratuities
  • Lunch
Additional
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Operated by a multi-lingual guide
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Features
Tourism
100%
Cultural
65%
Reviews
4.8
34
s
shawnalvira
5 | 2018-10-03

My family and I 5 adults and 1 child took this tour on 28 Sep 2018. Our tour guide Rita made our day trip to Berlenga Grande Island a great experience. She had a wonderful personality and love of history that really helped make the area come alive. She picked us up right on time, told us all about the area as we made the hour long drive to the docks in a comfortable van. Once at the docks we had a few minutes to grab a coffee and treat before boarding, although the restaurant options were limited at that hour, so I would suggest that you eat breakfast before you're picked up. The boat ride to the island took about 45 minutes and was relatively smooth, although I took some motion sickness medicine just in case. We were blessed with beautiful weather. The morning clouds along the coats burned off by about 10 am and the sky was blue and cloudless on the island. I can't say enough about the beautiful scenery on the island. The fort on the island was a sight to behold. The caves that we saw during the short glass bottom boat ride were breath taking. One complaint: we were looking forward to kayaking, but the option was not available on the day we went, which was disappointing. We're easy going so it wasn't a big deal to us...but if you're counting on it, you may want to confirm it's available before you go. The only other issue was that the water was pretty cold, so snorkeling was tough. We went at the very end of the season though, perhaps it's warmer during the middle of summer. Very refreshing to jump in and out of though! After a long day on the island, Rita led us back to the boat and drove us back to our lodging. Along the way, she gave us suggestions for other things to see and do during our stay. This was a wonderful tour that I would happily recommend to others!

C
Cynthia N
5 | 2017-12-27

Best trip ever!

M
Marta H
4 | 2017-08-05

This was a great tour! Pedro was our guide and was fabulous! The boat ride from the mainland is about an hour. You get to visit the caves and the fort and then have free time to explore the island and the beach. Recommend you bring a lunch. There is only one restaurant. What a great day!

V
Victoria E
5 | 2017-07-17

Once in a lifetime experience. The gorgeous pictures do not do it justice. We had a lovely guide named Rita- she was warm, friendly and professional. There were 5 of us, including two teens and a six year old and it was perfect. Some adventure, some history, some nature and even a little beach time. We took a boat over the the island, ate lunch, hiked around and learned about the flora and fauna, also the history- Berlengas was once a pirate haven. Then we toured the old fort, jumped off the docks into ocean, took a glass bottom boat into caves of the island. There was a small beach where we swam and relaxed and then headed back. Our seventeen year old son said it was the best part of his trip. A few suggestions- if you get motion sickness, beware of the boat ride over and take something ahead of time- the Atlantic Ocean is rough here. BUT- we saw dolphins, which completely made up for it. It is also windy on parts of the island an can feel cold even on a sunny day- listen to them when they email you ahead of time and wear a jacket! But still absolutely perfect excursion!!!!

L
LiviniaP
5 | 2017-07-13

Sensational tour! The area is stunning and it would have been difficult to manage the transport and transfers in one day without a guide. The history, the physical landscape and flora and fauna, swimming in the clear waters, the fresh fish for lunch at the restaurant plus our guide, Miguel was incredibly knowledgeable, accommodating and a great story teller. An amazing day- incredible experience...

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