ERICEIRA

The town preserves its medieval layout of cobbled pedestrianised streets lined with white lime-washed houses adorned with traditional coloured door and window trims. The town's main artery is the Rua Dr Eduardo Burnay that joins the outskirts to the main square Praça da República. Lining the route is an abundance of eateries, bakeries (pastelarias), watering holes and surf shops.

The town is famed for its excellent seafood, and restaurants serve the catch of the day from Ericeira's working fishing port, Porto de Pesca. Legend has it the town's name derives from "ouriços do mar" which means sea urchin in Portuguese. The rewards from the sea can also be found at the Municipal Market at the northern edge of town that opens most days and where you can find other great local produce.

Yet alongside the traditional side of Ericeira, there is the hyper-cool surf community. Swanky bars and clubs attract partying weekenders from Lisbon and global wave jockeys who blend in seamlessly without demeaning the town's character. Ericeira is a town dedicated to the ocean in times past, as it continues to be today.

Ericeira is an ancient town dating back to Phoenician traders who came here in the first millennium BC. It received its first royal charter in 1229 by the then Grand Master of the Order of Aviz, Dom Frei Ferdinand Rodrigues Monteiro, who thus established the County of Ericeira.

During the 19th century, Ericeira became a popular retreat for royalty accompanied by courtiers and Portugal's aristocracy. We can find their legacy in the various stately homes built here. The town also gained prosperity as a global port trading as far away as Brazil. The port's income switched from trade to fishing after the railway came. sanctury

Ericeira was also the spot from where Dom Manuel II - "The Unfortunate", Portugal's last King, fled to the United Kingdom on the 5th of October 1910 to escape an advancing Republican mob. With the assassination of his father and older brother fresh in his memory Manuel fled Portugal, sailed into exile and lived out the rest of his days in the south of London. A few decades later, Ericeira became a sanctuary for refugees fleeing Nazi persecution who later settled in the town.

Ericeira was awarded the title of Europe's first and only World Surf Reserve in February 2011, a preservation programme with a mission to protect vital environmental, cultural, economic and community attributes of surfing areas. This recognition has elevated Ericeira into the same ranks as the Gold Coast, Australia and Santa Cruz, California. As a result, Ericeira hosts world championships. Not all the beaches here are for professional surfers. A diversity of waves and conditions suit all levels of competence and types of boards. Ericeira has twelve beaches suitable for surfing, with rental shops and surf schools at hand.
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The picturesque Praia dos Pescadores (Fisherman's beach) is the most centrally located within Ericeira and, as its name suggests, overlooks the fishing harbour. The beach is backed by tall sheer cliffs which offer shelter from Atlantic breezes. Its central position with its proximity to the town's amenities makes Praia dos Pescadores popular with sun worshipers and families alike. However, it can seem a little crowded at peak times.

A short walk south from the town centre will take you to the Praia de Sul (Southern Beach) which is renowned for its golden sands and clean bathing water. The sheltered nature of the Praia de Sul makes it more suited to sunbathers, families and swimmers rather than serious surfing. A toddler bathing pool at one end offers refuge from the waves. Running along the beach is a promenade where you will find a couple of restaurants with terraces.

Just over a mile South of Ericeira the river Lizandro flows into the sea and is where you'll find the largest expanse of sand within the area. The rear of the Praia da Foz do Lizandro beach opens up into dunes and a boardwalk where you can find plenty of amenities, including lifeguard, changing rooms, toilets, showers, bars and cafés as well as ample parking. The tamer waters of the river offer good paddling conditions for the little ones.

Between Ericeira and Mafra is the town of Sobreiro, where you will encounter one of the country's best-known miniature villages. The brainchild of the potter José Franco who created this scale village from clay during the early 1960s. The model village crystallises in time the country life of the Mafra region, its culture and its workings. The village contains miniature windmills, chapels, grocery stores, wineries, peasantry and even a reproduction of the fishing village of Ericeira. Adjoining the model village is a reconstructed pottery adorned and fitted with antique tools and objects. Also, there are life-size replicas of castle walls, windmills, a children's park, a small winery where you can sample the region's wines, and a bakery.
Monday - Saturday: 09h00 - 18h00, Sunday: 10h00 - 18h00

Contact Details
N116 34, 2640-401 Mafra, Portugal.
38° 57' 34.6"N | 09° 21' 13.1"W | +351 261 815 420