🇵🇹 ERICEIRA, PORTUGAL

Ericeira

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

SMALL

Live Conditions

Conditions Summary

4ft waves — but short 8s period indicates wind swell, expect choppy conditions — hitting at the ideal angle — 2mph onshore wind roughing up the surface — Note: this is outside the peak season for this spot

LOW CONFIDENCEModel-only forecast, no buoy nearby

Why it's SMALL

Swell Direction

Primary swell is 336° — matches the ideal 315° window for this spot

Swell Period

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

Wind

2mph onshore — light but will soften wave shape

Season

July is off-season — rare for this spot to get quality waves

Data Confidence

Model-only forecast, no buoy nearby

At the Break

3.8ft

LOW CONFIDENCE

Model-only forecast, no buoy nearby

Period

Mid-period

Wind

2mph

ONSHORE

Water

67°F

Spring suit

Swell Direction

85%

Wind Direction

35%

Primary Swell

3.9ft @ 10.2s

NNW 336°

Secondary Swell

0.3ft @ 13.6s

WNW 288°

9 Day Outlook

4.0ft

TODAY

Jul 28

(8s)

3.4ft

TMRW

Jul 29

(7s)

3.0ft

THU

Jul 30

(6s)

3.1ft

FRI

Jul 31

(6s)

3.3ft

SAT

Aug 1

(7s)

3.4ft

SUN

Aug 2

(6s)

3.0ft

MON

Aug 3

(6s)

2.6ft

TUE

Aug 4

(7s)

3.2ft

WED

Aug 5

(7s)

Best this week: today — 4.0ft

Best next week: WED Aug 5 — 3.2ft

Model Breakdown

ECMWF (45%)3.7ft

ICON (35%)4.0ft

GFS (20%)3.6ft

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: Jul

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.