Berlenga ou Berlengas? Learn more about the destination!
Both names are correct.
Located about 10 km west of the coast of Peniche, the Berlengas Archipelago consists of Berlenga Island (or Berlenga Grande), the Estelas islets, and the Farilhões. Therefore, we refer to Berlenga Island when talking specifically about the main island, and Berlengas when referring to the entire archipelago.
The Berlengas Archipelago has been classified as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2011. It has been a protected area since as early as 1465, when King Afonso V prohibited any harm to the natural environment in that territory.
The archipelago is made up of three islands, but only Berlenga Island is accessible to visitors and partially inhabited. The island is approximately 1,400 meters long and 800 meters wide — about the size of 80 football fields.
Flora Curiosity
One of the curiosities of Berlenga is the presence of endemic plant species that developed distinct features, mainly due to isolation and the rocky soil that covers the island. Examples include the Armeria berlengensis, Pulicaria berlengensis, and the Herniaria berlengiana, the latter being notable for its very succulent leaves.
Fauna Curiosity
As for the local fauna, various bird species stand out – they feed on marine resources and find in this archipelago a safe haven for thriving. Besides the gulls, which occupy much of the island, you may also spot shags, shearwaters, terns, Cory’s shearwater, and the Madeiran storm petrel, which has recently returned to nest on the island after many years of absence.
Due to this variety of birdlife — and because the archipelago is a migration stopover — the Berlengas are one of the best places on the Portuguese coast for birdwatching.
