Ericeira – Praia do Sul

Ericeira · Lisbon coast · Portugal

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Praia do Sul, or Praia da Baleia, is the open bay just south of Ericeira's harbour. Peaks break both ways over sand and flat rock, with rides of up to about 100 m across the bay. It is not a classic wave, but it is useful when the coast north of town is maxing out.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Reef break, sand and rock
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Busy
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard or fish.

When it works

✓ A 1.5–3 m west to south-west swell with an east wind, at low tide.

When it doesn't

✕ High tide, and strong northerly or westerly winds.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • rips

Best months

October, November, December, January, February, March

Local tips

Good when the northern reefs are too big and you don't want to drive. The wind decides how well the waves line up, so check it before you go.

Getting there

A path leads down to the beach from near the hotel at the south end of town.

Travel notes

How often it works
Fairly consistent when there is solid swell; it is mostly surfed when Ericeira is big.
Crowd and vibe
Usually quiet, but it fills up when the spots north of town are maxed out.
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 2 km away.
Facilities
Lifeguards in summer, toilets, showers and parking. Town-centre cafés are close.
Water quality
Rated excellent in the 2025 official bathing-water classification (APA), and it flies a Blue Flag in 2026.

Ideal conditions

Swell
WSW–WNW best, SW–NNW works
Size
1.5–3 m offshore swell; starts at 1 m, holds to 4 m
Period
10 s minimum, best from 13 s
Wind
Offshore ENE–SE; handles onshore up to 10 km/h
Tide
low best, avoid high
Faces
WNW (285°)

Live cam

Cams © their operators, shown from the operator's own feed.

Nearby spots

All spots in Lisbon coast · All spots

Sources