This is the Ericeira travel guide I wrote for my friends and family – and you

Sunset over Praia dos Pescadores in Ericeira. People stand around a blue and white wall at the top of a cliff overlooking the sand and beach

An overhead view of Ericeira town, you can see white buildings with red rooftops and the sea in the background

I visited Ericeira, Portugal for the first time in 2019. During the day, I read books on the beach, watched my partner surf jaw-dropping waves, got lost in Ericeira’s charming maze of blue and white buildings, and sampled just about every wine, olive, and pastel de nata I could get my hands on.

One night after dinner, we walked through the village to a lookout point above Praia dos Pescadores. We had a panoramic view of the fishing boats and the coastline dotted with twinkling lights from the houses perched on the cliffs above. It felt magical, and I remember thinking that it would be a dream to live here.

Fast forward a few years, and I now call Ericeira home.

Ericeira is one of my top recommendations for people visiting Portugal because it’s the perfect combination of peaceful small-town life, history, and adventure.

An overhead view of Foz do Lizandro beach and the hiking trails on the cliffs above

White and blue buildings in Ericeira town with cobblestone streets and orange roof tiles

There are delicious restaurants, beautiful beaches, lively bars, sea-view hiking trails, and endless other outdoor activities. Not to mention Ericeira is a designated World Surfing Reserve, offering easy access to 8 kilometers of protected world-class surf spots. Here, it’s rare to see cars and campervans that don’t have roof racks piled high with surfboards.

I created Next Stop Ericeira because I love showing friends and family around when they come to visit. I’ve also been known to dish out pages and pages of travel recommendations before friends come to see me, and I thought this information could be helpful to other travelers too.

So I adapted all of my Ericeira ramblings into the online guide you’re reading now. These are the same travel, restaurant, hotel, and activity suggestions I give my loved ones, and I can’t wait to help you have a wonderful trip.

But first, who’s writing this website?

My name is Nicola and I’m a content marketer, travel blogger, reptile enthusiast, amateur dollhouse builder, and pastry connoisseur. I’m originally from the USA and I moved to Portugal with my partner in 2021. Now I live in Ericeira and between exploring the beaches, Portuguese lessons, and continuing to sample every pastel de nata I meet, I have the joy of getting to know this little town a bit better every day.

Nicola stands on the wooden staircase leading down to Ribeira d'Ilhas Beach. She is wearing lime green sunglasses and a black jacket and smiling to camera

Nicola sits on a tiled bench overlooking the beach in central Ericeira. It's sunny and the buildings in the background are yellow and white with blue trim.

There are a few ways you can use this Ericeira travel guide:

I’ve organized the pages of this website so you can read them in sequential order like you’re reading a guidebook. (Or a very long, ridiculous email from your friend who is helping you prepare for your upcoming trip to Ericeira.) Follow the navigation buttons at the bottom of each page to read through all the chapters in one swoop.
If you’re looking for something specific, use the left-hand sidebar (or upper menu on mobile) to browse through different topics and choose your own adventure.

Just a heads up: Some of the accommodation and activity links on this site are affiliate links, which means I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you use that link to book. This helps me keep this site up and running so you can enjoy it for free. Thanks!

With that, let’s dive in. Up first, we’ll answer one of the most common questions I get about visiting Ericeira – when is the best time to visit?

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When is the best time to visit Ericeira?