When you mention Ericeira to people living in Lisbon, they get a special almost dreamy look in their eyes. And as for travelers from all over the world having visited Ericeira, they keep on returning.
So why is it that travelers and locals alike are considering Ericeira such a special place? Let’s have a look.
The Charm of Ericeira
Originally Ericeira used to be a small fisherman village. Although nowadays the sightings of weather bitten fishermen, isn’t as common as it once used to be.
Instead the old fisherman village has grown to become more of a small town where locals, hip digital nomads and surf bums mingle interchangeably. But despite this change of scenery, Ericeira has managed to maintain its laidback and picturesque beauty.
With its cobblestoned walking streets and charming white houses, the Ericeira city center is as pretty as a Portuguese village gets. However, it’s probably the dramatic coast and beaches that really draws you in.
The Beaches and Coast of Ericeira
In Ericeira there are no shortage of beaches. From the wild and in the winter more deserted beaches São Julião south of Ericeira, to São Lourenco a few km north of town, Ericeira has about ten different beaches. And all of them are within a 15 min car ride from town.
To name a few, there are the (during high season) bustling and busy city beaches of Praia Do Sul, Praia dos Pescadores and Praia Norte all within a few minutes of walking from the city center. And you also have the kids friendly Foz do Lizandro, and the surfers paradise of Ribeira Di’lhas.
In between all of these beaches there is a dramatic coastline linked by cliffs and amazing viewpoints. If you are into hiking or jogging, you are in for a treat. And if you just want to take in an amazing sunset in the Atlantic Ocean without too much effort, there are plenty of viewpoints accessible by car.
However, regardless of where you are getting your vitamin sunset, you will most likely see some surfers in the water. As surfing is prominent in the tiniest little sand grain of Ericeira.
Surfing in Ericeira
Ericeira is all about surfing. In 2011 Ericeira and its surroundings was declared a world surfing reserve and it’s currently the only one in Europe.
Besides being a world surfing reserve, one of the most special features of the surf in Ericeira, is the amount of world class breaks within a tiny stretch of coastline that Ericeira boasts. Just within the 4 km reserve, there are 7 breakes. And outside of the reserve there are a lot more. Thus its maybe not so strange that Ericeira is the home town of the world famous Portuguese surf hero Tiago Pires.
Now what happens in the water also influence what happens on land. Everywhere you go in Ericeira, you will see and experience a surf vibe. On top of this everyday type of atmosphere, you also have several huge surf events every year. From the vans Duct Tape longboard festival in May to the surf film festival in July and the world surf league competition week at the end of September.
Although the surfing can be good all year around, the most reliable time for scoring amazing waves is between May and October. To get the most out of the surf we would recommend renting a car. As for managing the cold water of the Atlantic, you need a good wetsuit – 4/3 thickness works all year around.
Things to do – Besides surfing
When or if you are not surfing or beach bumming, there are of course plenty of other things to do that will make you fall in love with Ericeira. As we already mentioned trekking or jogging over breathtaking cliffs, you probably understand that it’s one of our favorite activities here.
Wine tasting at a nearby quinta, stand up paddling in the river of Foz do Lizandro, horseback riding by the beach, or yoga at one of the many yoga studios in Ericeira, are some of the other things that we highly recommend.
The location of Ericeira also makes it an ideal base for daytrips to classical Portuguese tourist destinations such as Sintra, Cabo da Roca and Lisbon. Cabo da Roca and the beach praia Ursa together with the necessary hike to reach the beach, being one of our insider favorite daytrips.
And when you’re not busy with exploring, you of course also have to sample the local cuisine.
The Delicous Food
When it comes to Food in Ericeira, there are an array of restaurants offering sea food and traditional Portuguese food. In fact, when you’re walking down the cobblestoned streets in the city center, it will be very difficult to find a street that doesn’t smell of delicious freshly caught grilled Dourada.
Some of the local delicacies that you have to try includes Arroz de Marisco and Polvo a Lagreira. Regardless of if you’ve tried freshly caught octopus before, it probably wasn’t as tender as it comes in Ericeira. And regardless of where they are served and which name they have given it on the menu, the clams will be delicious.
Once you’ve got your quota of Portuguese food and sea food filled up. Or if you are a vegetarian, there are of course plenty of veggie options also.
And if you haven’t been to Portugal before, you are in for a very special sweet treat. Just take a seat at one of the many cafés in Ericeira (preferably one with ocean view) and bite in to the crunchy and creamy national pastry sensation – Pastel de Nata.
Accommodation in Ericeira
Another Reason why Ericeira is such a great place to visit is all the amazing accommodation available. However, although the heavy influx of tourists during high season, there are actually not that many hotels available. Which just goes to show that Ericeira is not your normal type of tourist destination.
Instead of big hotel chains there are an array of beautifully curated smaller accommodations with personality. To find the exact one for your needs, you can check out the accommodation section of this site, where we have written reviews of all the most popular accommodations.
From the luxurious petite guesthouse of Laneez to the Classic Hotel Vila Gale, there is bound to be the perfect accommodation for you.
The Weather
So when should you visit, and what weather should you expect? Well as written above the most reliable surf is between May and October. So if you are into reliable surf these months are your best bet. It’s also during these months that the weather is most stable.
During the other months of the year the weather is a bit more fickle and cooler. However as these are the most unreliable months when it comes to weather and surf, it also means they will be the most uncrowded months.
Regardless of what time of the year you visit, we’re sure you will have an amazing time. And most likely as soon as you get back to your own country, you will start to ponder when that return trip is going to happen.
As insiders that work in the hospitality business here, we see people coming back all the time.
There you have it, a short introduction to this place we call home and Ericeira. If you want to continue to take part of our insider knowledge and get more in depth tips, we recommend you to check out the rest of the site.
If not, see you down at Ribeira!
