Surf Holidays Ericeira The Mecca of Portuguese Surf

Its hard to capture the beauty of Ericeira in a few words. You have to come and see for yourself! The town is unlike any of the usual overpopulated tourist towns that can be found by the sea in Europe. Instead you will experience a beautiful traditional old Portuguese village, where fishing has been the main focus for centuries. The old town sits on top of huge magnificent cliffs that over look the Atlantic below. Below each cliff are stunning beaches each blessed with some of the best surf in Europe. A surf culture has grown as a result and infuses with the old traditional way of life to create a unique balance where old and new sit side by side perfectly.

The fishing village and surrounding areas of Ericeira (pronounced Eery-Say-Rah) have plenty to offer those who want to take a break from the white sandy coastline on their Surf Holiday. Hours can be spent getting lost among the narrow cobblestone streets, enjoying a coffee or a beer in the many cafés and bars, chatting to the locals and admiring the cliff top views. There is a fantastic selection of restaurants, with seafood a specialty naturally. Whether you stay in a private accommodation or an Ericeira Surf Camp you will fall in love with the place.

And when you finish your surf there is nothing better to do than just laze on the beach in the glorious Portuguese sun, especially on Foz do Lizandro beach with its new promenade lined with cafés & bars.

There are also an abundance of surf and fashion shops. Quiksilver have their flagship Portuguese store complete with surf bar, skatepark and late night DJ! Skateboards can be rented from €3 per hour.

Activities in Ericeira

The Tourist Office in the centre of town will be your best friend and has a list of all the surrounding Golf courses (including the PGA Championship course Penha Longa) - www.portugalgolf.pt

The area has many options - MTB, tennis, big game fishing, mountain biking, hiking and 4x4 in the local forest, horse riding, and other water sports such as kitesurfing and windsurfing.

Restaurants & Bars in Ericeira

Portugal is well known for it's delicious seafood and Ericeira's fishing traditions have spawned some great restaurants. Our favourite is Tic Tak and Tik Tapas run by brothers Pedro and Francisco. Canastra on the sea front serves some of the best seafood in town and has incredible sunset views.

In Ericeira you have many bars including the popular La Luna, Pedro Pescadoro and the cocktail bar Bamboo. A beer will cost you just €1.50. One of the oldest nightclubs in Portugal, “Ouriço”, is picturesquely located overlooking the cliffs and the Atlantic Ocean. Ericeira is not an all night party town; its bars have a more laid back chill out feel rather than the type that pump out loud music.

Surrounding towns

Dont' miss the monastery in Mafra on your way up from Lisbon - you can bypass the town but it's worth driving through to see the spectacular building. Sintra makes a great day trip, with its spectacular Pena Palace, the summer home to the long gone Portuguese Monarchy.

30 minute south of Ericeira are the coastal areas of Cascais & Estoril. Beautiful beaches lined with cafés, restaurants and fantastic 19th century Mansions - this area is considered the Monte Carlo of Portugal. You will also find Europe’s largest Casino, the famous Casino-Estoril.

Lisbon

You’ll arrive in Lisbon airport and drive 30 minutes north to Ericeira. However the city of seven hills is a city not to be missed. For sights and information log on to www.visitlisboa.com

Lisbon is a great shopping city. Prices are be less expensive than many of its Western European counterparts. High street fashion shops can be found in the Baixa area, especially the pedestrianised Rua Augusta (for clothes, shoes and luxury goods from the likes of Louis Vuitton and La Perla) and the Chiado and Bairro Alto (especially Rua Garrett for clothes and linen and neighbouring streets for ceramics, young designer fashions and haute couture). Avenida da Liberdade hosts big name fashion such as Calvin Klein and Emporio Armani.

One stop new shopping malls are becoming increasingly popular; the best being the Centro Vasco da Gama, with its own cinema, restaurants and shops like Zara, Pull and Bear, Bershka, Mango, Dali, Massimo Dutti. For more info log on to www.centrovascodagama.pt

Its also worth getting the bus or a taxi into Lisbon to try out the restaurants and nightlife. A taxi back will cost you €60 approx. The Barrio Alto district is the main area, a maze of streets full of people enjoying the city's bars and clubs.

Football

Two massive local football teams divide the city – tickets for Sporting Lisboa or Benfica can usually be bought on the day at the stadiums. For info on the Portuguese league check out www.footballportugal.com

Ericeira is only a 30 minute drive from Lisbon airport (see map below), allowing you to surf Portugal's best waves in no time. You can also fly to Faro in the South of Portugal (3 and a half hours drive away) or to Porto in the North of Portugal (also 3 hours drive away)

Flights to Lisbon

Please note to check airports as new routes & airlines may begin operating at any time. Below are just some that fly to Portugal. www.wegolo.com is a website that lets you know who flies where from different cities.

www.aerlingus.com
www.flytap.com
www.ryanair.com
www.britishairways.com
www.flymonarch.com
www.easyjet.com

How to get to Ericeira from Lisbon Airport

Transfers - Book a Private or Shared taxi's and mini buses with our shuttle bus partner here

Bus - From the airport take the underground metro to the main bus terminal Campo Grande in Lisbon centre (20 - 30 minutes). Buses leave every 1hr30 minutes to Ericeira, approx. journey time is 75 minutes. First bus to Ericeira is at approx 8am, last bus 23hr. Approx. cost is €7. Timetable available here www.mafrense.pt

Taxi - From Lisbon airport to Ericeira. Approximate time 40 minutes. Cost €60-€75.

Car Hire - We have a discount car hire section on our website where you can rent a car. Rent your car from the airport and drive up. It is not possible to rent a car from Ericeira.

This is where you surf Europe's best coast line and let the fun begin.There are over 12 surf breaks along the Ericeira coast, with different options for all standards. With so much choice you'll feel like a kid in a sweet shop! The area was introduced in the Stormriders Surf Guide to Europe with the heading "Enter the Heartland".

World Surf Reserve
In 2011 it was awarded the title of 'World Surf Reserve', there are only 2 other places in the world that share the title: Santa Cruz, US and Manly, Australia.

If it is your first surfing holiday to Ericeira then head straight to Foz do Lizandro and Sao Juliao beaches south of town, they are perfect beginner and intermediate surf spots. Closer to town is Praia do Sul. Another great beginner beach breaks. All best at mid tide but surfable at high and low tide also.

For Intermediates you have the reliable and safe reef break Ribeira d'Ilhas, which host the WSL World qualifying series surf championships every year. And for the more adventurous you have the world class Coxos. That's just naming a few, there are too many surf breaks to mention here!

Don't forget to explore further up the coast - 25 minutes away is Santa Cruz and an hour away is Peniche, home to the World renowned Supertubos and host of the Rip Curl Pro since 2009. 30 minutes south of Lisbon is the Cascais coast with the famous Praia do Guincho surf beach. And when north winds are blowing you can venture further south towards Carcevelos beach and the other surf spots along the Lisbon coast.

Come Surf Ericeira with us…