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Depending on what kind of trip you plan on taking, whether this is a surfing trip, a wine trip, a history trip or a beach trip or maybe you want to just explore the small towns in between, kind of trip.
Peniche, Portugal is an easy getaway and a great midpoint spot if you're travelling through Portugal.
Here are the highlights of this Blog post. I would also say that most of this applies to anywhere in Portugal as well!
Great for Solo Travellers
Renting a car is a must!
Small and very easy to get around
Great Surf Beaches
When to Book Surf Lessons
However which way you plan your trip, no matter where you go, I know two things are for certain in this country, and that is:
#1 The Surfing Culture is respected at all times.
It is absolutely amazing to see that people of all ages, from children after school to adults after work or even an entire family together, hit up the beach to surf even for an hour after work/school.
It is such a beautiful thing to see this and I learned so much from seeing this action.
I live in Toronto, On. Canada. Many people here in Toronto feel the need to work past their 5 o'clock end time, they sit in long hours of traffic or they have errands to run.
But in Portugal, regardless if you are married, or have a family, if you are by yourself or you go with friends or alone, you are heading out to the beach and you are surfing. Which makes sense for #2…
2. It's always about 'Pura Vida'! (Pure Life)
Peniche is the first place I ever visited in Portugal.
Peniche is where I learned the meaning of ‘Pura Vida’, ‘Pure Life’.
This lifestyle is life-changing.
Don't you dare think that you will come here and bring your lifestyle with you. No!
You go there and adapt to their lifestyle.
I can see why many people picked up and moved here or would want to move/retire here.
I always thought I would want to retire or live in Italy, but after setting foot for the first time in Portugal, I gotta say, Portugal fits my lifestyle for sure!
1. Great for Solo Travellers
If you are looking to start on a solo travelling adventure or if you just want a quick getaway by yourself, I would have to say out of all the places I have been to, Portugal is that one country you can do that in.
Portugal is not that country where you stay in a resort.
The entire country feels like a resort to be quite honest.
The benefits about this, especially as a solo traveller, is that everything from beaching to dining, to exploring, to shopping, feels normal to do alone. Portugal is a country where you can blend well with the Portuguese culture no matter where you're from!
Part of the Portugal lifestyle is that everyone there enjoys the lifestyle.
From local people to repeat Portugal travellers, there are more people doing things alone than with groups of people.
Also, all locals are super friendly, they speak English and the fact that every place I have been to in Portugal is consistently clean is probably one of the main reasons why this little country with a big heart feels so safe!
Great for women travellers and people of all ages!
You know what? I know we aim to always put the focus on women in terms of talking about solo travelling. But, men, guys, if you want to travel solo, or go on an adventure, this is an awesome place because it is effortless. If you love being outdoors, hiking, walking, running, surfing, or even want to explore places that are rich in history and culture but are not so big that you get lost or become overwhelmed, then Portugal is that place for you.
Every town is small enough for you to literally hit the beach or take a surf lesson in the morning, head out for lunch, head back to the beach or walk the town, take a snooze and get up for a nice evening dinner. No need to make a reservation. There is no “must go to” place to eat at. Honestly, this was a place where I felt that I did not have to Google where to eat. Or rely on some influencer's recommendations online.
As soon as you walk through the town, every place is busy with locals and tourists, so you can just feel where you want to eat. If that makes sense! Every place has a great vibe!
2. Renting a car is a must!
So renting a car is definitely a must here in Portugal, that's for sure!
Well, actually, if you're going to main cities like Lisbon and Porto I guess maybe not.
But because there are so many amazing small towns to visit, then yes.
Believe me when I say, do it! It is worth it!
A few tips about renting a car in Portugal.
Booking a car rental would be the only thing I would recommend doing in advance, like as soon as you book your flight. I would rent a car before booking accommodations first. It will be cheaper to do so in advance and a heck of a lot easier.
Is it safe to drive in Portugal? Yes, absolutely!
I guess because I drive in Italy, for that reason I expected it to be the same, but I was wrong. Basically in Italy you not only have to be a good driver and love to drive but you sure as hell better be confident when driving in Italy. It's fast, tight and aggressive, it's not for the weak!
In Portugal on the other hand, it's the complete opposite of Italy.
If you are Canadian like I am, then you will fit right in. Plenty of room on the road, everyone drives the speed limit and are not aggressive at all!
The biggest difference, there are less stoplights and stop signs, Thank God!
Roads are very easy to drive along. I almost feel like people stay under the speed limit. No one is in a rush to get anywhere here!
The only time it gets a little hectic is in the city, like getting into Lisbon. But it's so laid back that people don't even get frustrated enough to honk their horns.
When driving in the city, it's probably one of the quietest traffic situations I have ever been in. This is great for those who are not city drivers or who are new to driving in other countries because nothing turns on your anxiety than hearing others honk while you barely understand the roads and you're trying to listen to your Google Maps directing you, all while checking your blind spots and knowing that people are watching you. Hahaha, I can picture this now!
But one of the main reasons why you would need a car for sure is because if you're hopping from one town to the next having a car is the best way to do so!
Also, each town that you go visit is so small. You can almost leave the car at your stay and then walk on foot from there wherever you have to go.
Portugal is a very leisurely country. Walking, biking and surfing are the highest forms of transportation in these small towns anyway.
3. Small and very easy to get around!
Don't be afraid to venture off into any small town. Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with any place. In fact, if you want to go somewhere that feels less touristy and more local and a real getaway, consider staying in a small town for your entire trip and from there you can venture off into day trips to major cities or other small towns.
For example, Stay in Peniche, but take day trips to each beach along the coast from Peniche to Nazare.
I live in Toronto and the running joke of living in this city is that it takes an hour to get into Toronto from Toronto and an hour to get out of Toronto from Toronto. Basically, the bigger the city the less you venture off. But I drive through various places in Ontario and 1.5 hours is the minimum commute time to get to another city and we’re not talking about something that far at all. Our roads are built in a gridlock system so you are bound to have longer commute times here due to all the stop lights and signs and being a very populated city where everyone drives.
The province of Ontario is a lot larger. In 5.5 hours I can drive from Toronto to Montreal, which is a total of 542km. Our province is a lot larger so obviously, our reach to the next destination is a lot further.
But in Portugal, in 5.5 hours you can drive from the North end of the country to the beautiful South end of the country. From Porto (North) to Faro (South) it's about 553km. With so many stops in between.
Also, full disclosure, before I travel I tend to look, learn and study the map of any place that I go to as if my life depended on it. I also love maps!
But for some reason, I didn't do that with Portugal. So, if you are worried about getting lost, honestly it would be very hard to do that here.
4. Great Surfing Beaches
If you want an easy trip, Peniche is a must-go to place.
This is also one of the top surfing spots in Portugal.
It really doesn't matter where you stay, to be honest. It's so small you can walk, bike or it would be a quick short drive to get around Peniche.
Here is how I look at Peniche, you can either stay in the main town (click here), which is right at the edge of the coast. This is a cute little town, nice hiking trails and you really get to see the ocean here. However, full disclosure: if you don't like the smell of fish, then maybe don't stay in the actual main town. These guys bring in fresh fish all day and night long, I loved it, but it's definitely not for everyone! But you can stay in the beach areas.
Speaking of beaches, you cannot go wrong with either Praia dos Supertubos, which is on the south side of the Peniche town or Praia Baleal - Sul which is on the east side of the Peniche town. But like I said earlier, please rent a car. Very easy and safe to park your car anywhere here.
However, you know when you're looking at a map to help you decide where to stay?
Like you see where the beach is and you see where the main town is, so you're deciding to stay at either location? We zoom in on a map, and we think we want to be close to the main town but then we think the beach looks far, so maybe we should stay by the beach? But somewhere off the beaten path, there are places that you may think are too far away, but in actual reality, it's not until you get there that you then realize, “damn! It was closer than I thought”. (It was then that I realized how small this country really is!)
Okay well, I had that moment here.
If I had to go back and revisit Peniche, number one it's a great return place if you want to keep up with surfing, such an easy spot, especially for all types of levels. I've been to a few places along the coast here in Portugal and I have to say Peniche was one of the ones that was consistently full of surfers, lots of room so everyone can spread out and they had a few options for all levels, which is great.
But, when I go back, rest assured Praia Baleal - Norte is where I will be staying. Damn! this town is everything from small, to cute, to picturesque, so simple yet has everything. This is what I picture as the definition of ‘beautiful retirement living’. My exact thoughts when visiting here was, "This is what Heaven must feel like!". It's nothing crazy, it's not too big, not too small, very simple yet beautiful and very quiet! This was a sweet spot in Peniche. The more I visit Portugal the more I can see why people would want to retire here.
Please go visit Peniche, Portugal!
5. Booking Surf Lessons
The first trip I took was a 10 day trip to Peniche, Portugal. This was mainly to surf. The second time around I went to Ericeria, Portugal. I talk about this trip in another blog post.
There are always surf lessons being offered everywhere no matter where you go and what spot you stay at!
Do you have to book in advance? NO.
But it's good to see what options you feel comfortable with. I found that anything online was a little more expensive than when I got there.
Do you want private lessons or group lessons? Regardless, you're going to look like an idiot. We all do!
Do you want to rent your own place and do the surf lessons separately or;
Do you want to stay in an accommodation that offers surf and stay lessons?
and even with that offer,
Do you want your own private room, a shared room or dormitory rooms?
I think this is what I loved. The fact that you had so many options that it didn't matter to book anything in advance, just go with the flow while you're there, honestly. There were so many on-the-spot lessons that were always being offered everywhere, that's something I would do next time as well. Remember, this is Portugal, home of the Surf culture, so duhhhh, of course, there are so many non-online places being offered.
My advice, you can't go wrong with any option. Also, if you think certain bookings attract certain age groups, you would be very wrong. My personal preference changed, from the first time I stayed in a Hotel, which I never do. Not that there was anything wrong with it. But not needed for this country. The second time around I ended up booking a private room with a private washroom in a shared house. This was life-changing. The best experience I ever had on any trip. Also, as a Solo Traveller, this is the best option also I am saying this as a 40 year old!
Do what you want with this information!
Just go with the flow!
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