Things to Do in Ericeira
All the Best Tips from an Insider Perspective
About Ericeira
If you’ve already browsed around this website or maybe even already are in Ericeira, you probably know quite a bit about Ericeira. And you are ready for all our insider tips on things to do in Ericeira. However, to people that are new to the site and Ericeira, let’s give you a quick recap.
Ericeira is a small town situated on the coast of Portugal, only 40 min from Lisbon. Although the town can get quite busy in the summertime it has managed to maintain the charm of the old fishing village it once used to be.
It’s also a town that Portuguese people have a special love for and travelers keep on coming back to. If you want to know more about why, we recommend our post Welcome to Ericeira. However, in this post on things to do in Ericeira, you’ll probably get quite a good insight also. Let’s get to our tips.
Surfing
In Ericeira everything is connected to this watersport and lifestyle that we all love. So despite that most of you probably already knew that you could do this in Ericeira. We still had to start our post on things to do in Ericeira with surfing. A list on things to do in Ericeira without surfing, would have been like a Portuguese person not liking Bacalhau com natas (a very tasty Portuguese Codfish dish that you have to try).
So regardless of if you’re already hooked on surfing or if you have yet to try it. We recommend you to give it a go in Ericeira. Why not even learn how to surf while you are in Ericeira? There are loads of surf schools to choose from.
However, be aware that learning to surf is actually a lot harder than actual surfing. So you are definitely going to need a day off every once in a while. And a day off is perfect for going on a daytrip.
Daytrips
Now Ericeira is far from only for surfers. Since we’ve had plenty of people staying in our guesthouse who never even touched a board during their entire stay, we know this quite well (actually only about 50 % of our guests throughout the years have been surfers). And these non-surfing guests still had an amazing time.
One of the reason that Ericeira is such a good place to stay at, regardless of if you are surfing or not, is that it’s perfectly located for exploring the Portuguese coast. And along the coast, there are a lot of destinations that are great for daytrips.
Our personal favorites of course include the poetical Lisbon as well as the lush national park and majestic palaces of Sintra. And other places that you definitely have to visit if you have the time are: Europes most western point – Cabo da Roca, the insanely huge Palace of Mafra and the highly Instagram friendly seaside town Azenhas do Mar. If you want to save some time you can actually visit a few of these places during the same day.
Another smaller trip that you have to do while you’re here, is to visit a nearby quinta for some winetasting. There are several to choose from. And since it probably won’t take the whole day, maybe you could combine it with a trip to the iconic Thursday market in Malveira.
Daytrips and Beach Vibes
If you have even more time and want some different beach vibes than in Ericeira, you can check out the beach towns of Santa Cruz, Peniche and even Nazaré (famous for its big waves during the winter). And if you are more into a city type of beach vibe, we’d recommend the beautiful Lisbon suburbs Cascais and Estoril.
Sometime the weather along the Portuguese coast can be quite local, so if you happened to wake up in a gloomy Ericeira, it can actually be beautiful beach weather in Estoril.
If you on the other hand want a beach break, the medieval city of Obidos comes highly recommended from guests who’s stayed at our guesthouse.
Another popular destination is the Berlenga islands. Located a 45 min ferry ride off the coast from Peniche, this is your spot to go to if you like snorkeling. The island also offers a dramatic scenery and one of the most scenic fortresses in Portugal.
Walking, Hiking, Cycling or Running
The scenery around Ericeira really makes it a beautiful destination for moving along the coast. And regardless of if walking is your activity of choice, you will definitely enjoy just strolling around the picturesque city center. On top of this, taking a walk along the waterfront of the city center is something special.
If you want to take it a step further there is a poesy walk that you can do along the ocean in Ericeira. The walk starts outside São Sebastião and continues south along the coast towards Praia Do Sul. On the way there will be monuments with poems from famous Portuguese poets.
If you are even more sporty and trekking is your thing, there are plenty of old fisherman trails along the coast around Ericeira. You can basically trek as far as you want all the way to Cabo da Roca or even up to Spain, only time and trekking energy set your limits.
You can of course also run all the trails that you can trek. Just make sure to be careful and never run to close to the ocean as the trails sometimes can lead you out onto very small cliffs. Our personal favorite running stretch is the coastal path between the beaches São Lourenço and Riberia D’Ilhas.
Cykling is another activity that lends itself well to the dramatic coastline. However, unless you rent an electric bike ( 20 Eur/ day with us :), whatsapp: 00351 960193585)), or just cruise around the flat parts of Ericeira, you should be prepared for an intense workout.
Sunsets and Miradores
Along the coast of Ericeira there are numerous miradores – the Portuguese word for lookout spot. Some of them are man made and reachable by cars, while others are shaped by nature and require a bit of a trek. Regardless of which one you choose, they are all great for watching the sunset. And watching sunsets is one of our favorite things to do in Ericeira.
The most popular miradouros reachable by car are the ones above the beaches Foz do Lizandro, Ribeira dilhas and Coxos. And for a more private natural miradouro you can just cross the beach of Riberia D’ilhas and trek up the hill on the opposite side. As the sun sets in the ocean beneath the rocks, you will most likely see at least a few surfers trying to squeeze in some last waves, until the waves become indistinguishable from the darkness of the sky.
Shopping
Another thing that you may want to check out while you are in Ericeira is shopping. Besides the traditional tourist souvenir shopping, you should check out the surf shops. There are a number of them and they all have the latest surf fashion. Regardless of if you are interested in shopping or not, we still recommend you to check them out for the ambiance.
Many of the surf shops are actually so much more than just surf shops. For example does the 58 surf store boast both its own microbrewery and restaurant. While Boardriders has a hip cafée with an amazing wooden deck overlooking the ocean. During high season both of them do live music once a week.
To read more about the shopping in Ericeira, you can check out our Ericeira Shopping Guide.
Sample Food and Local Specialties
While you are in Ericeira, you of course also have to sample the local food and specialties. And as Ericeira is a coastal town, there are delicious seafood restaurants everywhere. So exactly which one should you choose? Well since you are taking part of Ericeira Insider info, there’s no need for gambling. We have written an extensive restaurant guide with our insider top picks, go ahead and check it out.
Besides food you of course also have to sample the local pastry culture. The Portuguese specialty; Pastel de Nata is everywhere, and our favorite place for the local ouriço sweets is casa Fernanda. Yes, the view of the ocean just above Praia dos Pescadores from the café may influence our taste buds.
For the best overall pastries as well as the best cafe mingle in town, we recommend Pão da vila next to the main square. Even if you’ve just stayed a few days in Ericeira, you’re bound to bump into someone you know at Pão da vila.
Nightlife
Once dinner is over and if you aren’t ready to go to sleep just yet, the night life of Ericeira, is quite bustling for being a small town. Especially during the summer and on the big nights out; Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
A lot of days you will find venues with live music, and in the summer it’s a full on street party all around the Tubos bar. And if you just want to sip on something and relax, there are plenty of bars where you can enjoy the local wine together with some Portuguese tapas.
Among the most popular places in Ericeira for after dinner activities are: Adega, Tubos, Barzinho and Ouriço. If you want to know exactly when to go where and all the insider details of the nightlife in Ericeira, check out our Ericeira nightlife guide.
Other Activities
Besides all the things that we mentioned on the list already, there are an endless amount of other activities to do in Ericeira. If you are into yoga there are lots of really good yoga studios to try out, we have written a little bit about each here. And if you aren’t in to yoga just yet, Ericeira is the place to give it a go.
For some more adrenaline, there are a really good skate park next to the Boardrider store. And if you didn’t bring your own board, you should be able to rent one at the store.
There are also some really good mountain biking trails around Ericeira and Sintra. You can either rent a bike, or go on a tour. And for a calmer more relaxing nature experience (but still a lot of fun), we highly recommend Stand Up Paddling. You can do it either on the ocean if the waves aren’t too big, or in the river of Foz do Lizandro. And you can even take part in a yoga class on the board.
Beach Bumming
Although last on the list out of things to do in Ericeira, besides surfing, beach bumming is probably one of the things we do the most here. And since there are a lot of different beaches, each one with its own character, within a 15 min drive from Ericeira, its maybe not so strange. And to be fair, that we can do it together with our number one activity of course also plays a role.
So if you despite googling things to do in Ericeira and ended up reading this post, actually just want to go to Ericeira for a resting and relaxing type of vacation. We can happily let you know that there are more beaches than weekdays in Ericeira. Just bring a book and let your feet sink down in the fine sand.