Ericeira surf: among the best in the world
Thanks to its extensive Atlantic shoreline, Portugal has a lot of privileged surf sports and when it comes to Ericeira, surfing there is one of the most sought-after experiences at an international level.
But what makes Ericeira's surfing so exciting?
Ericeira is a village with tremendous touristic potential: quiet, picturesque, and with very hospitable inhabitants, all very accustomed to surfers. It's located only a few kilometers away from the architectural magic of Sintra and Mafra, but when you turn to the sea, Ericeira and surfing are clearly meant for each other. In total, you have 8Km of beaches like Praia dos Coxos, areas with point breaks, beach breaks and also reef breaks, with difficulty levels capable of pleasing everybody from beginners to world class surfers.
Farther South, beaches like Foz do Lizandro, with its beach breaks, are superb to beginners with both right and left hander waves, while Ribeira D'Ilhas, deeply modernized in these past years, has very strong right handers that are still very safe for less experienced surfers. If you're after something more demanding and rewarding though, the tubes at Praia dos Coxos with also right handers and reef breaks are really sough-after by surfers across the world, but yes, they are really only truly accessible to the most experienced surfers.
But the single most important thing in Ericeira's surf grounds is how stable the swells are throughout the year, allowing you to surf whenever you want to and in varying conditions or difficulty levels. All around, you also get to enjoy great, quiet living, and very well developed infrastructure. You're also in short distance to other famous beaches, like Magoito, Guincho, Carcavelos, a well sout after spot for whenthe swell is a little too big at other places.
These are the conditions that make Ericeira, the 1st European surf reserve.
Ericeira surf spots:
- All difficulty levels: São Julião e Foz do Lizandro
- Intermediate to experienced: Praia do Sul, Praia do Norte, Matadouro, Ribeira D'Ilhas, São Lourenço
- Experienced: Backdoor, Furnas, Reef, Cave, Crazy Left, Pedra Branca, Coxos
