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Read more →Ericeira and Peniche are the two best-known surf towns on Portugal’s central coast. Both are within easy reach of Lisbon and both have waves for every level. Their characters are different. Ericeira is a World Surfing Reserve built around reefs and points, with sandy learner beaches just south of town. Peniche is a peninsula ringed by sandy beaches that face different directions, with Baleal as its learning ground and Supertubos as its showpiece. This comparison sets them side by side.
Side by side
| Ericeira | Peniche and Baleal | |
|---|---|---|
| Coastline | Mostly reef and point breaks, with sandy beaches to the south | Mostly sand-bottom beach breaks around a peninsula |
| Beginner waves | Foz do Lizandro, São Julião, Matadouro on the right tide | Cantinho da Baía, Prainha, Praia da Baía |
| Signature wave | Coxos, an expert-only right-hand reef, and the point at Ribeira d’Ilhas | Supertubos, a fast, hollow beach break for advanced surfers |
| When the wind is wrong | Sheltered town beaches such as Praia dos Pescadores | Beaches face different directions, so there is usually a sheltered side |
| Best for beginners | June to August | May to September |
| Best for experienced surfers | September to February | November to March |
| Wetsuit | All year | All year |
| From Lisbon | About 45 minutes by car; about an hour by bus from Campo Grande | About 1 hour 10 minutes by car; about an hour and a half by bus from Sete Rios |
| Out of the water | Old fishing town, Mafra National Palace nearby | Berlengas islands, Peniche Fortress, Cabo Carvoeiro |
The waves
Ericeira was the first World Surfing Reserve in Europe, dedicated in 2011, and its reputation rests on seven reef and point breaks north of town. Those are waves for capable surfers. Learners head a few minutes south to the sand at Foz do Lizandro and São Julião, or to Matadouro when the tide is right. It is a town where you can learn on one beach and watch some of the best waves in Europe from the cliff at another.
Peniche is all about options. The peninsula was once an island, and its beaches wrap around it facing north, west and south. On most days one of them is cleaner than the others. Baleal’s sandy bay is one of the busiest learning areas in the country, and almost every beginner peak has a sand bottom. Supertubos, ten minutes south, is the heavy counterpoint.
Through the year
The two towns are about an hour apart and share the same Atlantic seasons. Summer has the smallest waves, the warmest water and the most people, and is the easiest time to learn. Autumn brings consistent, clean swell while the sea is still relatively warm. Winter has the biggest and most powerful surf and suits experienced surfers best, though learners can still surf on the right day at a sheltered beach. Spring is the quietest. In both towns the sea is cool all year: roughly 14 to 16 °C in winter and around 19 to 22 °C at the end of summer, so a wetsuit is always needed.
Atmosphere
Ericeira is a compact old town of blue-and-white houses on the cliffs, with the surf spread along the coast either side. Peniche is a working fishing port, and most surf travellers stay in Baleal, a low-key village on the bay where life happens between the beach and the hostels. Ericeira is a little closer to Lisbon. Both are easy bases for a week.
Which one is for you?
Choose Ericeira if you want
- A historic town to wander between sessions
- The shortest trip from Lisbon
- To see a World Surfing Reserve up close
- Reef and point breaks to grow into
Choose Peniche if you want
- Sand-bottom beginner waves
- A choice of beaches for different winds
- To watch Supertubos on a big day
- A beach-village base in Baleal
What about Lagos and the Algarve?
Mojosurf’s Portugal camps are in Ericeira and Peniche. We don’t run a camp in Lagos or anywhere else in the Algarve, so we haven’t compared it here. If you’re weighing up your options, these two towns are both within easy reach of Lisbon (about 45 minutes and 1 hour 10 minutes by car) and both have waves for every level. Ericeira gives you a World Surfing Reserve with sandy learner beaches just south of town, while Peniche gives you sand-bottom beach breaks facing different directions, so there is usually a sheltered side. They’re also only about an hour apart, so you can easily surf both.
Or do both
You do not have to choose. Our 7 Day Portugal Surf Camp Adventure spends two nights in Peniche and four in Ericeira, with five lessons, video analysis, guided free surfs, yoga and the transfer between the two towns.
With Mojosurf
- Ericeira Surf Camp: pool, skate ramp and pet-friendly, with lessons at Matadouro Beach. See Surf & Stay Ericeira (3 to 8 days).
- Peniche Surf Camp: a hostel in Baleal with the surf school inside and the beach five minutes’ walk away.
Read the full guides
Common questions
Is Ericeira or Peniche better for beginners?
Both work well. Peniche has more sand-bottom beginner peaks close together at Baleal. Ericeira’s learner beaches are a short trip south of town.
How far apart are they?
About an hour by road.
Which is closer to Lisbon?
Ericeira, at about 45 minutes by car. Peniche is about 1 hour 10 minutes.
