On the 5th December, 2021, I made a day trip to Berlenga Island that I made with David (Czech Republic), Sam (France) and Luca (the Netherlands), whom I met at the Peniche Backpackers Hostel. To be more accurate, we visited Berlenga Grande, which is the main island of the Berlengas Archipelago.
Truth be told, I almost didn’t even go as the original trip, which has been planned for the day before had been cancelled at the last minute. I’ve be coming to this area of Portugal (Peniche and the Silver Coast) for about 10 years now, and yet had still never visited Berlenga. So, I’m so glad it ended up working out, and that I got to share it with my three fellow travellers, a really great bunch of guys.
One of the many highlights of our trip was to be able to explore the Fortress of São João Baptista (Forte de São João Baptista), which was constructed in 1651-1656 from the remains of a pre-existing monastery (the Monastery of the Misericórdia da Berlenga), which had previously been abandoned.
I hope you enjoy the short video I made of this day trip, and that it inspires you to make the effort to see more of this wonderful world; and why not start with the places close to home. They are, ionically, the ones we more easily take for granted.
Cheers, Jyri.
From far we have come,
‘Berlenga’ | Jyri Manninen
to this rocky barren isle.
As brothers we see.
A special tribute Haiku poem to this shared trip with my three other ‘Berlenga Bois’.
run for your life 