🇵🇹 ERICEIRA, PORTUGAL

Ericeira

Europe's only World Surfing Reserve — a cluster of world-class waves in one village

SMALL

Live Conditions

Conditions Summary

5ft waves — but short 8s period indicates wind swell, expect choppy conditions — hitting at the ideal angle — cross-onshore wind affecting quality

LOW CONFIDENCEModel-only forecast, no buoy nearby

Why it's SMALL

Swell Direction

Primary swell is 296° — matches the ideal 315° window for this spot

Swell Period

8s — short-period swell. Waves will have less power than a true groundswell.

Wind

10mph cross-shore — not ideal but surfable if wind is light

Season

September is peak season for this spot

Data Confidence

Model-only forecast, no buoy nearby

At the Break

4.7ft

LOW CONFIDENCE

Model-only forecast, no buoy nearby

Period

Mid-period

Wind

10mph

CROSS-SHORE

Water

64°F

3/2 wetsuit

Swell Direction

85%

Wind Direction

45%

Primary Swell

4.3ft @ 10.2s

WNW 296°

Secondary Swell

1.4ft @ 3.9s

NW 315°

9 Day Outlook

5.2ft

TODAY

Sep 8

(9s)

6.8ft

TMRW

Sep 9

(7s)

6.6ft

THU

Sep 10

(8s)

5.6ft

FRI

Sep 11

(7s)

5.0ft

SAT

Sep 12

(8s)

5.4ft

SUN

Sep 13

(9s)

5.0ft

MON

Sep 14

(9s)

3.7ft

TUE

Sep 15

(8s)

6.8ft

WED

Sep 16

(9s)

Best this week: tmrw — 6.8ft

Best next week: WED Sep 16 — 6.8ft

Incoming Swell Events

Today

moderate

Swell building to 5.2ft @ 9s

Day 9

moderate

Swell building to 6.8ft @ 9s

Model Breakdown

ECMWF (45%)4.5ft

ICON (35%)4.9ft

GFS (20%)4.5ft

Model confidence95%

Updated every 30 mins · Open-Meteo ECMWF + ICON + GFS

About

Ericeira is the only World Surfing Reserve in Europe — a small fishing village 45 minutes from Lisbon with an extraordinary concentration of quality breaks. Ribeira d'Ilhas, Coxos, Reef, Cave, and more are all within a few km. The town has maintained its authentic Portuguese character despite growing international attention.

The Break

Ribeira d'Ilhas — long right-hander that hosts the WSL Championship Tour; Coxos for expert-level power.

Ideal Conditions

4-8ft NW Atlantic groundswell, NE offshore winds, mid tide

Best Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Best months highlighted · Current: Sep

Trip Planner

Ericeira Weekend

Weekend · 3 Days

Friday

Fly into Lisbon (LIS), 45min drive north to Ericeira. Seafood dinner at a town restaurant, check the swell report.

Saturday

Ribeira d'Ilhas for quality right-handers. Afternoon at Reef or Cave depending on conditions.

Sunday

Coxos if swell is big enough — the most powerful wave in the reserve. Drive back to Lisbon.

Ericeira World Reserve Week

Full Week · 7 Days

Day 1

Arrive Ericeira, settle into town, walk the cliffs.

Day 2

Ribeira d'Ilhas — the marquee wave, classic Portuguese right-hander.

Day 3

Coxos — by invitation only from the swell. Powerful and technical.

Day 4

Day trip to Peniche (1hr north) — Supertubos, Europe's best beach break.

Day 5

Cave, Reef, and São Lourenço — the southern end of the reserve.

Day 6

Lisbon day — one of Europe's best cities is 45min away.

Day 7

Final session, fly home from Lisbon.

Local Knowledge

Ericeira is 45 minutes from Lisbon — the best surf town in Europe with actual city access.

Coxos requires real skill — it's heavy, shallow, and unforgiving on a bad wipeout.

The fishing village character is authentic — eat at small restaurants away from the surf shops.

Peniche (1hr north) has Supertubos — one of the best beach breaks in the world, worth a day trip.

October and November are the sweet spot — crowds thin after summer, swells begin from the North Atlantic.