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The perfect surf trip to Ericeira

Surf spot praia azul portugal

For everyone who likes surfing, Ericeira in Portugal is the perfect destination. For both the beginners and the advanced surfers there are suitable waves to be found in the Ericeira area; sand bottom or reef, wind from the north or the south, big or small waves. But next to finding the right waves to surf, other stuff is also important for the perfect surf trip: good food & drinks, a good bed (at our place, obviously) and some nice weather. In this blog we’ll tell you all about how to create the perfect surf trip.

How to get there

For starters it’s good to know how to get to Ericeira. You just book a flight to Lisbon. Outside of the high season months tickets are very affordable (within Europe you’ll find them under €100). Renting a car at the airport is a good idea if you plan on driving to different spots. Book with our partner for a reliable rental car. If you’ve put the boards on the roof you drive to Ericeira, where you’ll arrive just 30 minutes later.

If you have never surfed before and want to take surf lessons it’s not really necessary to rent a car. The surfschool can always pick you up at Olá Onda and drop you off after the lesson. And in summer time the Ericeira Beach Bus, that drives from Foz do Lizandro to Ribeira D’Ilhas, can take you to all the surf spots in Ericeira for €1. This bus even has an extra trailer for surfboards, so you can bring your own board.

Surfing in Ericeira

For all levels you’ll find suitable surf spots in the area. For beginner or intermediate surfers spots like Ribeira D’Ilhas, Foz do Lizandro and São Julião are recommended. Ribeira D’Ilhas because it’s most of the time a fairly easy wave, and Foz do Lizandro and São Julião because they are beachbreaks. Experienced surfers can find their waves at Coxos and Pedra Branca where they’ll find high quality waves year round.

Even when the swell gets really big there are several good spots to find that are still surfable. With (a lot) of swell from the north you can go to Praia dos Pescadores in town or Praia do Sul. If the waves are really small, the beachbreaks of Foz do Lizandro and especially São Julião are good, because they always catch a lot of swell.

Surfing outside of Ericeira

carcavelos surfing lisbon portugal

Sometimes the waves get too big in Ericeira and there can bee too much wind that messes up the waves. Luckily, there are numerous other spots you can go to, to hide from the wind. All these spots are accessible with car from Ericeira.

One hour drive north of Ericeira there’s Peniche. Because of the peninsula (land sticking out into the sea) there are good waves to be found with every wind- and swell direction. When the wind is from the north, Molhe Leste is sheltered. With wind from the south, it’s offshore at Cantinho da Baia. In this bay between Peniche and Baleal there is a long sand beach where the waves will be good with a big west swell.

When the swell gets big and the wind is from the north, it’s also a good idea to go towards Lisbon. Between Cascais and Carcavelos there are some right hand pointbreaks where wind from the north is offshore. Big swell from the north or west will just curl into the coast here and it can get really good.

Find more info on all spots in the Ericeira region in our Ericeira Surf Spot Guide.

The weather in Ericeira

ericeira beach ola onda guesthouse portugal

Some sun would be nice during this perfect surftrip. Luckily, it’s sunny a lot here in Ericeira. The best time to travel here is from april to november, when you’ll have some sunny days guaranteed. Especially in September and October, when it’s already getting cold in Northern Europe, Portugal can be really nice. And in these months there is either no wind or offshore wind. So don’t forget your sunscreen.

Food

fish food ericeira portugal

When in Ericeira, eat seafood. From your own barbecue or in a restaurant, as long as it’s fresh. A great local thing to try is the ‘polvo’, octopus. Caught right off the coast of Ericeira, between the rocks, the polvo is a real local treat. Another local delicacy you must try is ‘percebes’, goose barnacles. It’s a kind of shellfish that grows on the rocks. There are a lot of good seafood restaurants in Ericeira and outside of town. The best ones are usually the ones with fluorescent lighting, paper tablecloths and a very big flatscreen on the wall playing football. As a starter you always get bread with some olives, butter and tuna paste. You only pay for this entree if you eat it; good to know.

Our favorite fish restaurants:
Mar D’areia – Rua da Fonte do Cabo 49, Ericeira
Clube Naval – Rua do Facho 22, São Pedro da Cadeira
Boca Santa – Esplanada Antero de Quental 3, Santa Cruz

Got excited for a surf trip in 2018? Get in touch with us to book your room!

Read the article in Dutch on the Boardshortz website. If you have any suggestions for tips we should add to this blog, please let us know!

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