💰 Cost of Living
Average monthly expenses for a digital nomad
🏠 Accommodation
🍜 Food & Dining
🚗 Transportation
🎯 Other
⚡ Digital Nomad Essentials
Everything you need to work remotely from Ericeira
📶 Internet
☁️ Weather
✈️ Transport
🛂 Visa
✓Advantages
- ✓Europe's only World Surfing Reserve with world-class waves
- ✓Strong digital nomad community with multiple coworking spaces
- ✓Only 45 minutes from Lisbon airport
- ✓Very safe town with low crime rates
- ✓Authentic Portuguese fishing village charm
- ✓Excellent work-life balance with surf and beach access
- ✓Great cafes and restaurants with healthy food options
- ✓English widely spoken in town
- ✓Portugal D8 digital nomad visa available
- ✓Beautiful coastal scenery and sunset views
✗Disadvantages
- ✗Can be windy and cold in winter months
- ✗Higher prices than other Portuguese destinations
- ✗Limited nightlife compared to Lisbon
- ✗Town gets quiet in low season (Nov-Mar)
- ✗No direct public transport to Lisbon
- ✗Housing can be competitive in summer
- ✗Limited gym options in town
- ✗Cold Atlantic water requires wetsuit year-round
- ✗Small town might feel limiting for some
- ✗Tourist crowds in peak summer season
💼 Top Coworking Spaces
Best places to work in Ericeira
Salt Studio
📍 Rua Prudêncio Franco da Trindade, Ericeira • 200 Mbps • 24/7 • Meeting rooms
Kelp Coworking
📍 Rua de São Félix 12, 2655-246 Ericeira • 1000 Mbps • Meeting rooms
Coastal Cowork Collective
📍 Centro de Ericeira • 300 Mbps • 24/7 • Meeting rooms
The Base Cowork
📍 Centro de Ericeira • 150 Mbps • 24/7 • Meeting rooms
Lapoint Surf Camp Cowork
📍 Rua Moinhos do Mar, Ericeira • 100 Mbps • Meeting rooms
☕ Best Cafes to Work From
Laptop-friendly cafes with good WiFi
Balagan
📍 Centro Storico
O Spot
📍 Centro Storico
Boardriders Café
📍 Centro Storico
Breakpoint
📍 Foz do Lizandro
Mar de Café
📍 Centro Storico
Brunch Me
📍 Centro Storico
🏘️ Best Neighborhoods
Where to stay in Ericeira
Centro Storico (Old Town)
The historic heart of Ericeira with charming cobblestone streets, whitewashed houses with blue trim, and the authentic atmosphere of a traditional Portuguese fishing village. Home to most coworking spaces, cafes, restaurants, and the main church. Walkable to Praia dos Pescadores and Praia do Sul. The area buzzes with activity year-round and offers the best access to local amenities, shops, and the vibrant surf culture community.
Praia dos Pescadores Area
The area surrounding the iconic Fishermen's Beach, featuring the traditional fishing harbor and dramatic cliff-top views. This neighborhood offers direct beach access, stunning sunset spots, and proximity to the old town. Popular with visitors who want the quintessential Ericeira experience with ocean views from their accommodation. Several excellent seafood restaurants overlook the harbor where local fishermen still land their daily catch.
Foz do Lizandro
Located just south of downtown Ericeira, Foz do Lizandro is the perfect neighborhood for surfers and beach lovers. The beach here is one of the best for beginners with consistent waves and multiple surf schools. The area features a developed boardwalk with bars, restaurants, and cafes overlooking the beach. More affordable than the historic center, with a relaxed, surf-centric vibe and beautiful sunsets where the Lizandro River meets the Atlantic Ocean.
Ribeira d'Ilhas Area
North of Ericeira center, this area surrounds the world-famous Ribeira d'Ilhas surf beach, part of the World Surfing Reserve. Known for its spectacular right-hand point break waves and dramatic cliff scenery. The neighborhood offers a quieter, more nature-immersed experience ideal for deep work and serious surfers. Accommodation here tends to be more spread out with beautiful views, though you'll need transport to reach town amenities.
🏛️ Top Attractions
Best things to do in Ericeira
Praia de Ribeira d'Ilhas
The crown jewel of Ericeira's World Surfing Reserve, Ribeira d'Ilhas is a world-famous surf beach known for its consistent right-hand point break waves. The beach sits in a stunning valley between dramatic headlands, offering spectacular scenery and excellent conditions for surfers of all levels. Home to international surf competitions, the beach features a restaurant with terrace, surf school, and the iconic Guardian statue overlooking the reserve.
Praia do Sul
Ericeira's main beach and the heart of the town's summer life. This beautiful crescent of golden sand sits on a wide bay with a rocky headland providing shelter from winds. The beach developed for tourism in the 1950s and features the grand Vila Galé hotel overlooking the shore. Perfect for families with calm waters at the northern end and gentle waves for swimming. At low tide, natural rock pools form that are perfect for children.
Ericeira Historic Center
Wander through the enchanting cobblestone streets of Ericeira's old town, lined with traditional whitewashed houses featuring characteristic blue trim. Explore the Largo das Ribas with stunning cliff-top views, visit the historic Igreja de Santa Marta church, and discover hidden squares and viewpoints. The center is filled with excellent seafood restaurants, artisan shops, surf boutiques, and charming cafes serving traditional pastéis de nata.
Praia da Foz do Lizandro
A stunning beach at the mouth of the Lizandro River, Foz do Lizandro is the go-to spot for beginner surfers and sunset watchers. The sandy bottom and consistent beach break waves make it one of the safest places to learn surfing in Ericeira. The developed beachfront features restaurants, bars, and cafes with terrace seating overlooking the ocean. The unique landscape where river meets sea creates a beautiful natural setting perfect for evening walks.
Porto de Pesca (Fishing Harbor)
Experience authentic Portuguese maritime culture at Ericeira's working fishing harbor. Watch local fishermen unload their daily catch, see traditional fishing boats bobbing in the protected cove, and learn about the town's centuries-old fishing heritage. The Furnas nearby are natural saltwater pools historically used to store fresh fish before sale. The harbor is overlooked by excellent seafood restaurants where you can taste the freshest catch.
Miradouro Ribeira d'Ilhas
This spectacular viewpoint offers panoramic views over the famous Ribeira d'Ilhas beach and the dramatic Atlantic coastline. Watch experienced surfers tackle the legendary waves from the clifftop, spot the Guardian statue that overlooks the World Surfing Reserve, and enjoy some of the best sunset views in the region. The viewpoint is accessible by car or via a scenic coastal walk from Ericeira center.
Palácio Nacional de Mafra
A magnificent 18th-century Baroque palace and monastery just 10 minutes from Ericeira, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of Portugal's most impressive monuments. Built by King João V, it houses an extraordinary library with 36,000 books, royal apartments, a basilica, and the largest collection of Italian Baroque sculpture outside Italy. The palace also features beautiful gardens and a tapada (enclosed hunting ground) with wildlife.
Sintra Day Trip
Just 40 minutes from Ericeira, the magical UNESCO World Heritage town of Sintra offers fairytale castles, romantic palaces, and mystical gardens. Visit the colorful Pena Palace perched on a hilltop, explore the mysterious wells and tunnels of Quinta da Regaleira, and admire views from the ancient Moorish Castle. The surrounding forest creates a microclimate of lush vegetation, making Sintra feel like a fantasy world brought to life.
🛡️ Safety & Healthcare
What to know about safety and medical care
🚨 Safety
🏥 Healthcare
💬 What Nomads Say
Real reviews from digital nomads
"Ericeira quickly became one of my favorite places in the world. As a digital nomad, I found the perfect balance between productive work and an incredible lifestyle. The coworking spaces like Salt Studio and Kelp are genuinely world-class with fast WiFi and amazing communities. After work, I'd walk 5 minutes to catch sunset at Foz do Lizandro or take a surf lesson at Ribeira d'Ilhas. The town has this magical energy where everyone is pursuing their passions. The food scene is fantastic with healthy cafes and traditional Portuguese seafood. Being only 45 minutes from Lisbon means you get the best of both worlds. I extended my stay three times!"
"Spent four months in Ericeira and had a great experience overall. The internet is solid with fiber available in most accommodations, and the coworking spaces have reliable 100+ Mbps connections. The nomad community is tight-knit and welcoming. I loved the work-life balance - morning surf session, work until sunset, then drinks at 58 Surf Shop on Fridays. The downsides: it's definitely not cheap by Portuguese standards, accommodation can be tricky to find in summer, and winters are windier and rainier than expected. Also, if you don't surf, you might find the town a bit limiting. But for surf-loving remote workers, it's honestly perfect."
"Ericeira has a lot going for it - beautiful scenery, safe environment, great surf, and a growing nomad scene. But I have to be honest about the challenges. Finding good long-term accommodation was stressful with prices that rival Lisbon. The town is quite small, so if you're not into surfing or yoga, activities are limited. Winter months were surprisingly cold in my apartment due to poor insulation (common in Portugal). The cafes are nice but not all are laptop-friendly. The community can feel transient with people coming and going constantly. That said, the pace of life is wonderful, the Portuguese people are incredibly kind, and I did make lasting friendships. It's ideal for a few months, especially in shoulder seasons."
Ready to explore Ericeira?
Join thousands of nomads who call this city home
View All Cities →