Serra do Bouro a Peniche - 3-5 Days

At the European level, Portugal is one of the richest countries in traces of dinosaurs, particularly from the Jurassic period. Up to now more than 20 different species of dinosaurs were found.

Although traces of dinosaurs presence have been found in several parts of the country, it´s in the west region of Portugal where they are most evident.

In Serra do Bouro you can observe dinosaur footprints scattered along the hillside by the sea. These landmarks offer the opportunity to go back in time and emerge in the Jurassic age, when this giant reptiles rule the world.

Keeping the course by the sea, you can stop by the viewpoint in Foz do Arelho and observe the beautiful Óbidos Lagoon, experiencing its entire splendor.

We recommend a picnic on the banks of the lagoon, so that you can enjoy all the tranquility that the Lagoon as to offer to those who visit it.

After lunch we propose a visit to the museum of Lourinhã, which holds the largest Upper Jurassic Dinosaurs Iberian exhibition and one of the most important worldwide.

The second day begins with a visit to the Roman City of Eburobrittium.

The Roman city of Eburobrittium is located in Óbidos, approximately 800 meters from the edge of the walled village.

The city is located on a gentle hillside, surrounded by hills in the south and east, a plain in the north, and by a semicircular meadow, where it is believed that in the Roman period the Óbidos Lagoon ended.

Here you can glimpse the beautiful landscape over the Óbidos castle, while visiting the ruins of this ancient city, which two millenniums ago was a very important town in this region.

Then we recommend you to take the path that leads to the beautiful medieval village of Óbidos.

This medieval town was conquered by D. Afonso Henriques, the first King of Portugal, on January 11, 1148. This village was always a crossroads of diverse peoples and cultures, such as Celts, Romans, Visigoths, Arabs and Jews.

In all this multicultural heritage, is in the Muslim inheritance, that still remains in the irregular plant of the tortuous and narrow streets, that make the Village of Óbidos one of the Portugal Wonders.

You can have lunch in the Pousada do Castelo restaurant, where you can taste delicious regional cuisine while enjoying a fantastic Portuguese wine, in a warm and refined atmosphere that will awaken all your senses.

Then you can continue to explore the beautiful Óbidos village, which holds centuries of history between its walls, a place of election between Kings and Queens.

The third day begins with a visit to the Peniche Fortress.

This fortress, of military architecture, is located in the city of Peniche, and it´s classified as a National Monument.

Throughout the years it has served many purposes, namely and the best known, as political prison during the “Estado Novo” period between 1934 and 1974.

In fact, the Fortress has an area dedicated to the anti-fascist resistance, allowing the visitants to enter the old prison cells.

At the moment it holds the Municipal Museum of Peniche, where you can see collections of underwater archeology, malacology, shipbuilding and local handicrafts (the well-known “Renda de Bilros”).

In the Fortress you can also have a glimpse of the beautiful Island of Berlengas, a natural heritage that anyone who visits Peniche can´t miss.

The Berlenga Island was classified in 2011 by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve. This Island covers a vast area of marine reserve that surrounds the entire archipelago. It is rich in fauna and flora, and some species found here are unique on earth.

Here you can have lunch in full communion with nature while surrounded by sea, and visit the Island and know all its secrets.