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Getting to know Berlengas
The Berlengas archipelago is a nature reserve located west of mainland Portugal that has three small islands / reefs associated with them: Berlenga Grande, Estelas and Farilhões. Administratively, the Berlengas are dependent on the parish of São Pedro in Peniche, district of Leiria.
It was the first area in the country to be considered a “protected area”. With regard to tourism, Berlengas are very popular for underwater activities and there can also be seen the bocage gecko, the sardão and the airo (the latter being the representative symbol of the Berlengas Nature Reserve). Many tourists travel to observe the caves and other natural cavities present in this archipelago.
Regarding the geology of the archipelago, this is characterized by the existence of magmatic rocks (visible mainly on the islands of Berlenga Grande and Estelas); and metamorphic rocks (visible on the island of Farilhões). In this region we find a large number of caves and the existence of the “Varisca” mountain range.
The constant tectonic movements make Berlengas an important place of study with regard to Earth's geology. The climate is typically oceanic, during the winter it is rainier, and between spring and autumn there are some periods of dryness.
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