Ericeira – Coxos

Ribamar · Lisbon coast · Portugal

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Coxos is the most famous wave in Ericeira: a powerful, hollow right that breaks off the north point of a small rocky bay near Ribamar. It is fast and often barrels, and it is one of the best-known reef waves in Europe. The reef is shallow and covered in sea urchins. A channel in the middle of the bay helps you paddle out, and on the south side of the bay is a separate left known as Crazy Left.

Level
Experts only
Break
Reef break, rock
Waves
Rights
Crowd
Crowded
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard or step-up with some foam for the late, steep drops.

When it works

✓ A 2–3.5 m north-west swell with a long period and an east to south-east wind, from low to mid tide.

When it doesn't

✕ Onshore westerly winds and high tide, and small swells that don't wrap into the bay.

Watch out for

  • reef
  • rocks
  • rips
  • crowds
  • localism

Best months

October, November, December, January, February, March

Local tips

Wear reef booties for the urchins, and enter and exit through the channel. Weekday mornings are the best chance of fewer people. Don't leave valuables in the car.

Getting there

From Ericeira drive north to Ribamar and follow the signs to Praia dos Coxos. The road ends above the bay; the climb down is short but rocky.

History

Coxos is one of the iconic breaks of the Ericeira World Surfing Reserve, the first in Europe, approved in 2011.

Travel notes

How often it works
Fairly consistent from autumn to spring, when north-west groundswells arrive. It needs about 1.5 m to start and holds big swells; summer is often too small.
Crowd and vibe
When it is good, the line-up is packed with strong local surfers and bodyboarders and the mood is territorial. Visitors who wait their turn and don't drop in get on better.
Camping and vans
Ericeira Camping at Mil Regos, on the N247 just north of town, is open all year and sits about 200 m from the sea. Next to it, the Mil Regos motorhome area has about 15 places with water and waste disposal. Portuguese law limits motorhome overnight stays to 48 hours outside campsites and bans them in protected areas. Nearest campsite about 3 km away.
Facilities
Little at the bay: a lifeguard in summer and roadside parking. Cafés and surf shops are in Ribamar and Ericeira.
Water quality
Rated excellent in the 2025 official bathing-water classification (APA).

Ideal conditions

Swell
WNW–NNW best, WSW–N works
Size
2–3.5 m offshore swell; starts at 1.5 m, holds to 5 m
Period
11 s minimum, best from 14 s
Wind
Offshore E–SSE; handles onshore up to 8 km/h
Tide
low, mid best, avoid high
Faces
WNW (300°)

Live cam

No cam at this spot yet: the forecast and the guide are on the map.

In the guides

Nearby spots

All spots in Lisbon coast · All spots

Sources