The first time I had a trip to Portugal in 2014. It covered top cities such as Lisbon and Porto, as well as nearby sightseeing locations like Sintra and Cascais. But there were a number of pure magic moments and unexpected discoveries. For example, occasionally, I found myself walking Camino de Santiago. It was my way to a farm stay. I thought, why they put these strange “Shell logos” in places inappropriate for the oil company. Thanks to true pilgrims (not occasional, like me) I realized that it was actually Camino, OMG!
This post, however, is not about the top travel choices in Portugal, but about my favorite small city called Ericeira, an authentic place for fishermen and surfers, locals and strangers.
Here is why I find Ericeira particularly great:
- Beautiful strong ocean: colors, waves, and wind
- Distinctive local architecture
- Best seafood ever (sorry, Bella Italia)
- Best atmosphere: a unique mix of calm, joy, and cultural/intellectual talks
I stayed at Casa das Aguarelas, close to the ocean, so I could hear its sounds together with voices of numerous swallows through open windows of my room.
The ocean is quite cold even during summertime. It might not fit those people, who love hot +30C water like in Egypt, Thailand or India (me, for example). It’s rather for sightseeing and brave surfing, both are amazing here.
Here is a moderate gallery of Ericeira during my first trip to Portugal, done by my smartphone camera:
In my opinion, Ericeira is just great and worth many words – but I suggest visiting it is much better than reading any of them. I was there twice, and I wish to return!