surf in Ericeira... Peniche... Lisbon... Guincho...

... and live the Portuguese dream

Whether you're a beginner or an old hand our guide to where to surf in Ericeira, Peniche and other central Portugal hotspots will point you in the right direction- indulge yourself with sun, surf, seafood, wine... it's the Portuguese way!

If you know where you want to go, search now for places to surf in Ericeira, Peniche, Figueira da Foz, Leiria and the Lisbon area

Lisbon and Central Portugal are home to established, exciting surfing communities, some of the country's most famous surfing and body boarding destinations and are easily accessible- the perfect weekend or holiday destination.

Peniche, a medieval town and now surfing hotspot, is located on a peninsular. So with both North and South facing coastline it has excellent surfing conditions regardless of the wind direction. Everyone from complete beginners to experts can surf in Peniche. It is a very popular location for surf schools as there are more than 20 breaks in the vicinity. The most famous is the ‘perfect’ Supertubos but other impressive ones include Santa Cruz, Molho Leste, Praia do Baleal, Lagide and beginner friendly Praia Azul.

Ericeira is a whitewashed fishing village and host to a strong international surfing scene and competitions such as the ASP (WQS) world championship. If you are an intermediate or experienced surfer and want to surf in Ericeira you have lots of options including Coxos, Pontinha, Backdoor, Pedra Branca, Ribeira d’ilhas and Praia do Norte.

You can travel to bustling Leiria and lively Figueira da Foz from both Lisbon and Porto. Beaches at nearby Nazaré are ideal for experts. Manuel Centeno says that Praia do Norte (North Beach) at Nazaré is his favourite Portuguese beach and as 2006 World and European Champion bodyboarder he should know. If you want to learn to surf, Cabedelo beach is a good destination for beginners.

The lovely capital city Lisbon has fascinating winding streets, beautiful historic monuments and architecture and great nightlife. So it's a great place to combine a city break with easy access to popular surfing and body boarding beaches. The Praia Grande near Sintra is particularly popular with body boarders with other top destinations for both sports including the spectacular Praia do Guincho, novice friendly Costa de Caparica, São João and neighbouring São Pedro and Carcavelos and, for the experts, Santo Amaro. Carcavelos in particular is a great place to meet local of all ages who surf away those school or work day stresses!

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surf in Ericeira and Peniche photos copyright: Joao Barbosa