Surfing Ericeira Town & South

Left Reef · Best Sep-Apr · 2-6 ft · Crowd 4/5

SW-NW swell, E wind, mid to high tide (shallow at low)

Pedra Branca is a short, sharp left over a flat, shallow reef just north of Ericeira town, off Praia da Empa and opposite the campsite. You can see it from the clifftop road.

On a good swell it gets very hollow, and at low tide it turns shallow and dangerous, so mid to high tide is the usual window. It works on a south-west to north-west swell with an east wind. It's popular with bodyboarders and it's for experienced surfers only. The right known as Reef breaks just to the north.

Right Reef · Best Oct-Mar · 3-8 ft · Crowd 4/5

SW-NW swell, E offshore wind, high tide

Reef is a right over a flat rock shelf just north of Pedra Branca, between Ericeira town and Ribeira d'Ilhas. It's short, fast and hollow, and it breaks close to the rocks.

It works best on a solid swell from south-west round to north-west, with an east wind and a high or rising tide. At low tide there is very little water over the reef.

It's a wave for experienced surfers. The local crowd is strong and the takeoff spot is small, so watch from the cliff before going in.

Beach Break · Best Year-round · 1-4 ft · Crowd 3/5

Small-mod swell, low-mid tide

Foz do Lizandro is a wide sandy beach at the mouth of the Lizandro river, just south of Ericeira. The waves are slow and soft, and it's where most surf schools in the area teach.

The sandbanks change with the seasons, but the waves usually break further out than elsewhere, which gives beginners time to stand up. Low to mid tide on a small or medium swell is easiest. On bigger swells the banks at the river mouth can hollow out into fun lefts, and a strong current pulls north towards the rocks, so watch where you drift. It's much more relaxed than the reef breaks a few minutes up the coast.

Beach Break · Best Year-round · 2-6 ft · Crowd 2/5

W swell, E-SE offshore wind, mid tide

São Julião is a wide, open beach about 10 km south of Ericeira, just past Foz do Lizandro, with cliffs at both ends. It takes almost any west swell and has peaks along its whole length.

Because it's so exposed, it can be powerful and the currents along the beach are strong. On a small to medium swell with an east wind it's a good, uncrowded alternative to the Ericeira reefs.

There are rocks at the ends of the beach. Car parks and a couple of beach cafés sit above the sand.