Summer’s here and the international press are running articles about great vacation getaways and warm weather activities. The growth of the sport of surfing means there is more interest then ever in top surf spots. While the news sites never exactly ignored Portugal as a holiday or surfing destination, you can now read more about Ericeira than ever.

The London Evening Standard has an interesting piece about the development of surf culture in the capital of Portuguese — and some say European — surfing. These days Ericeira’s waves are welcoming beginners as well as pro and expert surfers. We always said it was a great place to learn the art.

The article begins:

Since the early Seventies, the world-class waves that embellish the five-mile stretch of coastline at Ericeira, on the Portuguese Atlantic coast 40 minutes from Lisbon, have made it one of the centres of European surfing.

And what waves they are. Ribeira d’Ilhas and Coxos, particularly, are among the best in Europe, the latter a right-hand point break of real size and consequence.

Among the honors bestowed upon Ericeira by today’s digital and print media is the inclusion of Ribeira d’Ilhas beach on Surfer Today’s list of the most beautiful surfing beaches in the world. In case you don’t know about Ericeira’s Ribeira d’Ilhas beach, it’s the site of the Quicksilver Pro Portugal, which is part of the ASP World Tour Surf Championship.

Surf Europe Magazine features a helpful list of five tips on visiting Portugal this summer, and the article has a strong Ericeira connection. Basically, it advises visitors to speak English and don’t try to get along with Spanish (though I personally think it could help if the person you’re speaking to can’t understand English); get there early in the year, explore the many coastal surf spots, enjoy the food and visit Ericeira.

The final bit of news I’ll share with you comes from the local Portuguese press, but it’s a great bit of info about Ericeira for those who love surf films and film festivals in general. The third Portuguese Surf Film Festival will be held in Ericeira in July this year. The festival is actually held at venues across the country, but Ericeira is this year’s launching point.

Awards will be given for the following categories:

• Melhor filme de surf / Best surf film
• Melhor filme em sustentabilidade Best film on sustainability
• Melhor curta / Best short film
• Prémio do público / Audience choice
• Melhor banda sonora / Best soundtrack

(source: Surf Portugal)

Come back to read future posts for more about Ericeira and surfing in Portugal!

Lead image by Francisco Antunes (Flickr CC)