Advanced surf trips in Ericeira
Seven serious reefs inside four kilometres, and the tide dictates all of them
The case for Ericeira at an advanced level is density. Coxos, Crazy Left, Backdoor, Reef, Ribeira d'Ilhas, Sao Juliao and Pedra Branca sit within a few kilometres of each other, facing between west and north-west, which means a single swell hits all of them at slightly different angles and tolerances. You can check five waves in half an hour. What you need in exchange is tide awareness, because most of these are shallow rock and the window on some of them is two hours wide.
- Coxos: long right-hand point, arguably mainland Europe's best
- Five surfable reefs within a 30-minute check
- October to March is the swell season
- Rock-shelf entries - booties and local knowledge both help
The waves
Coxos is the one people come for: a long, fast, hollow right that runs down a rock point north of town, best on a mid to high tide with a solid west-north-west swell and an easterly wind. It is also the most heavily localised wave in the region and the entry is off rocks with a timed jump. Crazy Left and Backdoor sit nearby and are shorter, shallower and more tide-critical. Pedra Branca is a heavy left over shallow reef that punishes hesitation.
Ribeira d'Ilhas is the democratic one - longer, more forgiving, with a paddle-out channel and a contest history. It is where you warm up and where you go when the rest is out of tolerance. Sao Juliao to the south is a beach and reef mix that handles more size than it looks like it should.
Season and conditions
October through March is when the North Atlantic delivers. November and March tend to give the best balance - real swell with a reasonable chance of clean offshore mornings - while December to February brings the biggest and the most storm-blown days. Water runs 14 to 16 degrees in that window, so a 4/3 with a hood on the coldest mornings.
September and April are the shoulder: smaller, cleaner, far less crowded, and the reefs still work. If you want Coxos without a full lineup, those are the months to gamble on.
Localism and etiquette
Ericeira's reefs have an established local crew and a real pecking order, and Coxos most of all. This is not hostility so much as a queue with unwritten rules. Turn up, sit wide, do not drop in, do not paddle straight to the peak on your first day, and it resolves itself within a session or two. Going out with a local guide shortcuts the whole process and is the single best reason to book a camp rather than wing it.
Common questions
- Which boards should I bring?
- A step-up of around three to five litres over your regular shortboard covers most of the reef days, plus your normal board for Ribeira d'Ilhas and the beaches. A semi-gun is only worth the baggage fee if you are coming in December or January and specifically chasing size.
- Is the localism a real problem?
- It is real and it is manageable. Respect the rotation, do not paddle inside people, and go out with someone local for the first couple of sessions. The friction people report is almost always the result of arriving and immediately sitting on the peak at Coxos.
- Do I need booties?
- For the reefs, yes - the entries and exits are over urchin-covered rock and a slip costs you the rest of the trip. Round-toe booties are enough; you do not need the winter thickness except in January and February.