Ericeira: the surf capital of Portugal

Ericeira is a traditional Portuguese fishing village with history dating all the way back to the 12th century. Ericeira is located only 32 km northeast of the bustling capital city Lisbon. The hospitality of its people, the harmony of the old village with its narrow cobblestone streets, local culture, the sea, the fishing, the cuisine, the bold Atlantic views and great surf make this town a great place to visit.

Food lovers will find in the village many great restaurants and cosy cafe’s to enjoy the local fresh sea food and typical Portuguese delicacies such as the pastel de nata. The prices of food and drinks in the restaurants are very affordable. You’ll also find many non-portuguese restaurants from pizza to sushi and a burger place for a quick bite between the surf sessions. After dinner you can pop in one of the many cool bars to enjoy a gin tonic or a local beer. In the nightclub the party continues until dawn if your party feet are itching.

For shopping the village offers many traditional handicrafts shops and fashion as well as shops of international surf brands such as Billabong and the Quiksilver Boardriders club. For more excellent shopping from luxury stores to small vintage boutiques and big brands you can head to Lisbon.

For active holidayers Ericeira offers countless sport opportunities. The village is famous for being the only surfing reserve in Europe. Next to surfing you can do many other water sports, go mountain biking in the breathtaking Atlantic coastline, try horseback riding or go for a hike. For skateboarders there is a big skate park at the Quiksilver Boardriders club. To keep your body and mind fit after surfing you can take a yoga class.

The culture lover can eat their heart out in and around Ericeira. The village has many monuments and the old village itself exhales history and stories from the past. 25 km from Ericeira you can find the Unesco world heritage town of Sintra, also known as the town of the fairytale castles. It is located within the Sintra mountains and right next to the Sintra-Cascais natural park. Only 10 km from Ericeira is the palace of Mafra, the biggest palace in Europe that was built by the King John V in the 18th century and is told to have nearly bankrupted the whole nation.

Weather

Ericeira has a hot mediterranean / dry-summer subtropical climate that is mild with moderate seasonality. Summers are dry and hot due to the domination of subtropical high pressure systems while winters experience moderate temperatures and changeable weather.

This part of Portugal boasts one of Europe’s mildest climates and warmest winter seasons. Weather in this area during winter has daytime temperatures that average 15°C. Summer is the driest and hottest season with average daytime temperatures peaking at 28°C in August. During spring (March-May) and autumn (October-November) the daytime temperatures range from 17°C to 22°C. Ericeira gets a very high level of sunshine; with more than 360 hours in July.

As there is always a sea breeze, you won’t experience too hot summer days.