More than an island, it is a peninsula, because it is connected by 30m of land to the Peniche Peninsula, that is, a peninsula of a peninsula. Its past of volcanic origin is related to that of the Berlengas, 11km west of Peniche. Its annual population is used to the harsh environment of this part of Peniche: the cormorants, seagulls and shearwaters. Here there was an important shipwreck of a Galleon returning from Peru to Spain in the 18th century, leaving a vast treasure on the bottom of the sea, partly recovered.

It is said that one of the boats wrecked here kept the image of the Lady with it. Miraculously, everything was destroyed except the image, which was protected, it is not known how, in a cave excavated by the sea, on the north coast of Papôa. There she stayed for many years until a fisherman's boat found her, intact and sitting on a throne. They were amazed by the discovery and decided to remove it from there immediately, before any harm was done to it by the destructive sea of Peniche. There, the Lady climbed from there and placed her in the old Church of São Vicente and this was later transferred to the current Church of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, where she is still worshiped.