Working Fishing Port / Fish Auction

Peniche is a town on a rocky peninsula that was once an island, and from the earliest days, it has lived from the sea. Today, it is one of the busiest fishing ports in Portugal, and the harbour is the place where the town's identity is most visible. Boats in blue, red and white fill the basin, nets and floats are piled on the quay, and gulls wheel overhead, while in the early morning the catch is landed and sorted in a cold, noisy and efficient process that has changed little in a century.

The main species caught off Peniche are sardines, mackerel, horse mackerel, hake, sea bream and octopus, along with spider crab and other shellfish, and the lobster that has made the town's name among gourmets. The fish is landed at the harbour's wholesale market, the lota, where it is weighed, graded and sold at an electronic or traditional auction early in the morning to buyers from restaurants, shops and canning plants. The auction is a working commercial operation rather than a tourist show, and access is usually limited to professionals, so it is wise to ask at the tourist office or the harbour authority whether visitors may watch before getting up at dawn. Even if you cannot enter the hall, you can see the boats arriving and the crews unloading boxes on the quay, which is an experience in itself.

The harbour has a history of its own. For centuries, Peniche's men fished the Atlantic, including the cod banks of Newfoundland, and the town also had a canning industry that employed many women. The fortress that stands at the entrance to the harbour, the Fortaleza de Peniche, built in the 16th century and strengthened later, was used during the 20th century as a political prison by the dictatorship, and it now houses the national museum of resistance and freedom, which is among the most moving museums in Portugal. The Berlenga Islands, a nature reserve a short boat ride offshore, are served by boats from the harbour in summer.

For visitors, the harbour offers one of the best ways to eat fish. Restaurants around the port serve the day's catch grilled, in rice or in the caldeirada, a fish stew with potatoes, tomato and onions, and the grilled sardines in summer are a favourite. Many of the places are simple, with paper tablecloths and generous portions, and the freshness is the selling point. Lobster is the speciality for those prepared to pay.

Visit in the morning for the activity, and have lunch at the port. The area is free to walk around, and it is a short stroll from the old centre and the fortress. Comfortable shoes are useful, as the quays can be wet and slippery. The port suits food lovers, photographers and anyone interested in the working life of a Portuguese coastal town.