Beach holiday in Portugal

Portugal is a popular holiday destination and is actually very family friendly.  This summer we gave the Algarve a miss as it is normally very crowded and incredibly hot, and headed north to the fishing town of Peniche.  Beautiful beaches, lovely hotels (we stayed at the MH), and great food, just an hour's drive from Lisbon.  It is much quieter than almost anywhere in the Algarve, the temperature was hot but not searing, and was perfect for a quiet holiday.  The nearby cliffs at the point of the peninsula were spectacular and, as is common with fishing towns, there was a Summer fair celebrating Our Lady (in this case Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem/Our Lady of Fair Voyage) which is associated with the sea-faring nature of the place.  There is also the island of Berlengas, a nearby island classified as a protected site of natural beauty.  We didn't make it there ourselves as we couldn't get a ticket on the ferry but I am told it is a good place for a day trip.  A lovely place to visit with kids. 

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