On Saturday 2 August at 08.30 we will assemble at Marina de Oeiras (immediately to the east of the fort of St. Julian) to join a three-hour guided visit to Bugio island by boat (departing 09.00), to see the lighthouse, fort and prison cells. The visit will be followed by an optional lunch at the restaurant of the Associação de Comandos at the Bataria da Lage at Oeiras and a visit to the three cannon installed there as part of the Barron Plan to defend Lisbon after WW2.
This is a rare opportunity to visit the island and only 20 places are presently available. For this reason we must limit bookings to members only and must insist on payment when the booking is made. In the event of cancellation after 13 July, refunds will only be possible if there are people on the Waiting List. If weather conditions make it impossible for the boat to visit the island, you will of course receive a full refund and our Vice-Chairman will conduct an optional walking tour of the Oeiras coast forts and other historical sites.
The price of the visit to Bugio will be €35. This visit is jointly organised by Espaço e Memória – Associação Cultural de Oeiras, Aquastart, and the Câmara Municipal de Oeiras. It is not recommended for people with reduced mobility.
The cost of the optional lunch will be in the range of €20 to €25, payable on the day. As we are still in the process of finalising luncheon arrangements, paid-up participants for the boat trip will be contacted about the lunch nearer the date.
When booking, please check your personal profile as we will need to provide the organisers with your correct name and date of birth.
Work started on constructing the Torre de Bugio fort in 1571, during the reign of Filipe III of Portugal (Filipe I of Spain). A master of engineering, the fort took nearly 100 years to finish, being completed in 1657. It first housed a wooden fort built on a circular stone base. The lighthouse tower was built in 1693 and was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1755. Its silhouette gives rise to its name - ‘bougie’, the French word for a candle. It has served not only as a battery to provide crossfire to the Oeiras coast, but also as a prison several times, and as a manned lighthouse from the 1940s through to 1982, with the lighthouse keepers staying for spells of 29 days.