Ericeira Surf Guide

A guide to score in Portugal

This time in our surf guide series we’ll be taking you to Ericeira Portugal. Ericeira is a small surf town located on the coast just an hour or so Northwest of Lisbon. The village was originally a small fishing village that has transformed into somewhat of a surfer’s paradise. The town has gained quite a bit of popularity in the past couple decades, but still maintains its beautiful fishing village aesthetic and has a small town charm. 

With many different breaks in a small section of coastline the area can provide something for everyone, from complete first time beginners up to CT Tour level pros. There are many quality breaks north and south of town as well that can be easily accessed by bike or car. It also sits just an hour drive south of Peniche, another beautiful fishing/surf town known for great waves! So let’s get into it…

Seasons:

There are waves year round here so you may well get solid waves at any time you go, but there’s a few things to be considered here that we’ll go into detail below

.

Peak Season: September – Early November

This is the ideal time to come, when the North Atlantic starts to bring some solid juice in, but the winds are usually calm or offshore and the water isn’t frigid yet. The climate is similar to fall in Southern California, the sun is often shining, the waters warm(ish), and the crowds are thick. If you’re looking to score good waves with some reliability this would be the time to come.

Shoulder Seasons: November – Early December & Mid-March – April

In the shoulder seasons the winds and weather will be much less predictable especially as you get closer to December and March. You could find yourself with some awesome stretches where there’s solid swell and cooperative winds, the sun will be shining. Or you could find yourself with massive walls of blown out messy waves, rain, and cloudy gray skies. It’s a bit of a roll of the dice, but November and April will be more consistently fun than December or March. The benefit here is the water isn’t mid-winter cold, it’s either still cooling or starting to warm, and the crowds will be much smaller than during peak season.

Off Seasons: Mid-December – Early March & May-August

As stated above, you can find days where it’ll be really fun during this season but the consistency will be far from the peak and shoulder seasons. December-March it’s often gray, cold, and stormy during this stretch of the year. It’s when the biggest swells hit but that doesn’t often translate into fun surfable waves. Especially when the winds are often onshore or sideshore, creating messy, bumpy faces. The water is at its coldest, making this the least inviting season for a visit. 

From May to August swells typically come from the south and are much less frequent. When waves do make their way to Ericeira during this period they’re typically smaller and mellower. The positives of coming during this season are that the water is warm, the sun is generally shining, and the winds aren’t too crazy. This could be a good time for beginners to visit, but you could also end up with the ocean being dead flat. 

To truly score during the off seasons you’d have to go for a strike mission, making it rather difficult/expensive to do from outside of Europe. However if you are located in Europe or the East Coast of the United States it’s more of a viable option.

Surf Spots

As I said earlier, this place has a bunch of quality spots packed into a tight area, so I’ll cover most of the main spots but there’s plenty of other smaller/more low-key spots between and around the popular ones. One of the coolest things about the area is how much they’ve embraced the local surf culture and they’ve even put up signs near the entry points to most spots. The signs are somewhat similar to the ones found in Santa Cruz California where they list the spot name with a difficulty rating similar to a ski area (i.e. green circle= beginner, blue square= intermediate, black diamond= advanced, double black = expert). Some of the more popular ones have basic etiquette rules written out as well, but as with anywhere you travel make sure to show the locals respect and you shouldn’t have any trouble. I’ll start with spots just south of town and move north.

• Foz Do Lizandro – A beach break located a short bike ride south of town, it’d be a bit of a walk from the center of town but it’s doable. You can find lefts and rights here. It’s rather pitchy/steep with plenty of hollow sections and ramps to be found. Great to check out if elsewhere is small/mushy. When it’s really small it’s fine for beginners but if there’s some size it’s best for intermediates +. Works on all tides but better on medium to high.

At the south end of the beach is a large cliff jutting into the ocean with hiking trails along it. There’s bathrooms, a snackbar and large free parking lot, attracting lots of tourists and locals alike 

• Praia Do Sul – Right on the south end of town sits this little section of beach. There’s a mushy right reef/point break that starts near the rocks on the north of the little bay and peels towards the beach. There’s a big channel here so it’s very popular with local surf schools. Don’t be surprised if you see groups of 20+ beginners on foamies sitting on the edge of the wave/inside whitewash. Higher tides are especially user friendly here

With a bit lower tide and stronger swell some punchy rights and quick cover ups can be found off the peak but locals will usually have that completely locked down. There’s also a weird backwash on a lot of the waves making it a bit tricky to surf well. Overall I’d say the spot is good for beginners and intermediates. 

When the tide and swell are right there’s a punchy little left off an inside boil just south of the channel at the point. It can offer a few fun turns if you want a quick sesh in town and are too lazy to travel farther. If there’s more than 2 or 3 others on it though it’s probably best to just skip it. Extremely tight takeoff, with a short punchy wall. This is a more intermediate/advanced wave because it jacks up quick and is steep.

• Furnas – Really more of an outside break at Praia Do Sul, it’s a right point break that only shows its face when the swell is near double overhead. Powerful waves wrap around the short rocky cliffs and peel along a shelf to the inside. It’s a deepwater wave with serious power. Not the gnarliest wave in the area but best left for advanced surfers. 
• Praia Do Norte – Fun spot in the center of town on the north side of the jetty where they launch the fishing boats. Can produce some quality lefts and rights off the reef in the center. Longer rights can be found off the rocks on the north side of the beach. Lots of sketchy submerged rocks/patches of reef. You need to pay attention to the boils and where you’re at. When there’s some winter swell the current can push you directly towards the jetty rocks. Better for upper intermediate to advanced surfers, as you need to be very aware of your location on the reef. Rarely crowded, but also slightly sketchy. Better on mid to higher tides.
• Matadouro – Just north of town, waves here seem to be pretty mushy unless there’s some serious swell in the water. The waves A-frame off a central peak, meaning plenty of rights and lefts available for everyone. Generally it’s a great spot for beginners to intermediates, on bigger days advanced surfers can have some fun on the open faces doing a variety of turns.
• Pedra Branca – One of the most famous waves in Portugal, it’s a hollow left that peels along a shallow reef shelf. It’s an absolute slab that needs optimal conditions to make it safe to ride, otherwise you will most definitely find yourself meeting the jagged reef. Mid to high tide is generally needed, but low could be doable for a madman like Mason Ho… When it’s small it can be fun for the advanced surfer, but when it’s really cranking experts and pros are the only ones found here and it’s one of the best waves in the country. It’s on the way to Ribeira D’Ilhas, when you see the Cesar restaurant turn left down the dirt road.
•  Reef – This is a little finger reef on the south end of Ribeira bay. Winter swells come in and hit the shallow jagged reef and throw a fast gnarly right. One of the gnarliest and best tubes in the area. For experts and pros only!
• Ribeira D’Ilhas – One of the most popular spots in Ericeira, they hold many contests here. It’s mostly a right hand reef/point. The waves are generally kind of mushy but can get really fun with some size. It’s a great spot for the average intermediate surfer on most days. When there’s more size it’s better for more advanced surfers. It’s often very crowded, especially on small clean days. The further south you go towards the channel the mellow the waves get in general. It’s mushier on higher tides, but extremely low tides can make it close out. 
• Cave – A complete right slab. Super hollow, shallow and gnarly. Many pros have broken bones and torn ligaments here. It’s just north of Ribeira, you could either walk along the trail on the cliffs or there’s a dirt road with a little parking area atop the cliff. Then there’s a defined trail down to the water. Higher tides are preferred. Pros and rippers only. If you belong out there you wouldn’t be just discovering it in this blog…
• Crazy Left – Just north of the Cave and south across the bay from Coxos, sits this little section of reef that can produce some awesome lefts. It’s a very fickle wave though, too much swell and it’ll be overpowered, too little and it’ll be barely a ripple. Generally better on a higher tide. When it’s working it can throw a tube on the takeoff and then provide a steep little wall for a couple of turns. Worth a look, but don’t expect consistency. Best for advanced surfers.
• Coxos – The crown jewel of Portugal, touted as one of if not THE best rights in Europe. It’s a right reef/point that peels along a shallow rock shelf into a little bay. On smaller days it feels similar to Lowers or San Miguel, a steep rippable pocket peeling along at an even pace with predictable sections. As it gets bigger things get more serious, the wave will start throwing a heaving tube and it’ll attract the best locals and pros in Europe. It gets quite crowded and the skill level is high. Best suited for advanced surfers to pros. It needs a low to medium tide, with medium being the preferred tide. High tides can make it go flat as a lake. Lower tides are better when it’s small. 

Quick Tips

Getting There – Fly into Lisbon and then from there you can either rent a car or take a taxi/Uber to Ericeira. It’s about an hour drive from the airport, if you get an Uber the pick up area is outside and a little farther away from where taxis pick up. Uber will be about half to ⅓ the price of a taxi. If you do want to rent a car make sure you do that right around the airport as there’s nowhere to rent one in Ericeira. 

Getting Around Once There – Unless you have a group of friends or plan to drive elsewhere you won’t need a car just getting around town. Although a car isn’t necessary, having a bike with a surfboard rack is great if you want to go to many of the breaks outside of town. Otherwise you’re in for a long walk. I rented an e-bike with a rack from a bike shop in town, and it worked out perfectly. It was a bit of a trek to get to Coxos but everywhere from Ribeira and south was super easy. There’s multiple places to rent bikes and e-bikes both in town and just north of town. Aside from getting to surf breaks pretty much everything else is walking distance in town. 

What to Bring – If you’re coming for strictly surfing and staying at surf destinations on your trip I’d recommend bringing your boards and anything else you typically bring on surf trips. In Ericeira there’s an established surf community and multiple massive surf shops in the area that can provide you with anything you might need or have forgotten at home. 

If you’re planning to travel around Europe before or after your surf stint and don’t want to lug your own boards around, you can easily rent high quality surf boards at either Boardriders or 58 Surf Shop. Both are just north of town, maybe a 15-20 minute walk from town center, or a quick drive/bike ride. They’re both easily visible from the side of the coastal road. I rented from Boardriders and had a great experience, they charged fair prices and had multiple boards of varying shapes and sizes. 58 Surf Shop had a solid selection as well, the big difference was 58 required a $400 deposit to rent a glassed board. 

Where to Stay – There’s many options for staying in town. You can check out AirBnb, Booking.com, or Hostelworld to see the many options. I stayed at the Ericeira Surfer’s Den hostel. The place was great. Located right next to the main road it was easy to get anywhere from the central location. They had private as well as dorm rooms. A clean kitchen to cook in, a lounge area, and an area for storing boards. It was walking distance to all the restaurants/cafes in town and was pretty much right next to a grocery/convenience store.

Other Fun Activities – The coastline here is stunning, so one of my favorite things to do aside from surfing was simply hiking along the bluffs that line the coast. There’s hiking trails all along the bluffs that are easily accessed offering great views. There’s loads of great hikes inland as well! Going for a bike ride along the coastal road is another fun activity offering great views as well.  

If there’s some serious swell head up the coast to Nazare to watch some of the biggest waves on earth and some of the craziest people alive charging on them! It’s a guaranteed jaw-dropping show.