A harbour has stood on this rocky peninsula on Portugal's Atlantic coast since ancient times, and Peniche is now a fishing port of about 15,600 people. Its fortress served under the Estado Novo as a prison for communists and other opponents of the regime. Supertubos (Praia do Medão) hosts the World Surf League's Portugal event, with Baleal another well-known beach, and in summer ferries run to the Berlengas, a nature reserve 10 km offshore and part of the municipality. Geologists cite the peninsula as a unique example of the Toarcian turnover of the Early Jurassic extinction.
Nights sit around 13°C and afternoons around 17°C.
The year in Peniche moves gently: summer afternoons sit around 23°C, winter ones around 16°C.
Most of the rain falls in autumn, least in summer. The wettest month is November, with 98 mm.
The air stays clean through the year.
Days stretch to about 14.8 hours of light in June and shrink to 9.2 in December — something to weigh if you work to a fixed timezone.
No month in Peniche matches what you're after, so come for the place rather than the weather. Expect fast internet (252 Mbps) and a high cost of living (about €1550 a month).
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