I say "day trips from Lisbon," but in my case it was day trips from Ericeira since this was my home base! Portugal’s bus system isn’t ideal for the backpacker— lots of routes only go in and out of Lisbon— so I found myself going back to the city whenever I wanted to transfer to another destination. Regardless, it’s pretty affordable and easy, and all these places (and more) would be a breeze if you had the luxury of a car!
Peniche
Before I came to Portugal I was debating whether I would be based in Peniche or Ericeira, because together they are the main surf towns in Portugal. Thank goodness I chose Ericeira, and anyone on a similar should choose Ericeira and trip up to Peniche when given the opportunity. For me, I made friends with a van lifer so we got to trip up there for the day! We actually hit Baleal, which is just north of Peniche but it’s where there is more friendly surf. Peniche’s famous spot is Supertubos (pronounced Supertubosh because this is how the Portugeuse speak lol) which is a heavy shore breaking barreling section. I didn’t end up surfing here at all but a pro surfer actually got a serious neck injury here recently so it does make me think it’s just a bit out of my league.
Baleal was wonderful though! Some of my favorite waves I surfed in Portugal. At high tide on a 3-4 foot day I just found the perfect peak for a beautiful, long right ride and was the last one on the water. After van camping, I surfed the next morning on a beautiful glassy day at a remote beach. I briefly got to tour the town of Peniche but there’s not much to see. It really is just a fishing village not particularly catered to tourism. Good for a stop, has a few surf shops you can check out, but then you best make it back to another town for the real cultural experience. Also, talking to many other travelers they recommended that if you stay in the area and want to surf without a car, it’s much better to stay in Baleal because Peniche has to commute to the nice surf spots or a really, really long walk.
On your way to/back from Peniche, the other main surf town you can check out is Santa Cruz, about 20 minutes north of Ericeira. I didn’t stick around to see it much because there was only a beach break and it wasn’t working, but I’m sure it could be a sweet and mellow option if you wanna go somewhere a little less touristy!
Sintra
What a magical place! A real life Disneyland. Everyone I know that went here said the exact same thing. If you look up best things to do in Portugal, most travelers say Sintra is a must-see after Lisbon! It’s not far from Lisbon and pretty easy to arrive by transit (this actually may be the better option, as parking is quite a struggle here I read). To put it simply, Sintra is kind of like a city full of narrow alley ways, palaces, and medieval architecture. You feel like you could be in 1500s Italy, or quite honestly right out of a scene from Beauty and the Beast. Sintra is a lot of walking, as there is just one main road up from the city to the actual charming tourist village. I didn’t fact check, but I’m gonna speculate this is another UNESCO World Heritage site.
I didn’t plan my day here so I just took everything as it came, but some highlights were visiting the must-see palace for just 10 euros. It has an incredible wishing well and you can walk down a spiral staircase to the bottom! There are caves inside, a tower where I swear Rapunzel could let down her hair, some beautiful plants and waterfalls and flowers. It is one of the cutest little parts of Europe and I find most of Europe quite quite cute coming from some modern suburbs. I also strolled through a lovely garden on the way up, best part is when it’s free!
On the way back down, I had a great vegetarian empanada + tea + salad for a good price which hit the spot for the starving backpacker (I call myself a backpacker even though I personally prefer a small suitcase of the same size, okay). Many tourists take tuk tuks or buses up the hill, and I think if you do this there are many more sights at the top as well! I would recommend Sintra just for a day because you can only take so many cute pics and drink so many overpriced coffees, but make sure you fit it into your Portugal itinerary!
Nazaré
Kai Lenny is quaking (I had to say that, cmon).
I only made a brief stop over in Nazare because I had a mission to get back to Ericeira watch a surf competition. But alas, a night was really all I needed to see the main event: the biggest wave in the world! Well, in this case, I wasn’t seeing the biggest wave, but I was visiting the spot/ beach where the biggest wave was ever surfed by Garrett McNamara himself. (I read his amusing autobiography about big wave surfing and Nazare if you want a fun read). If you are a surfer, walking up to that lighthouse is a pretty surreal experience after seeing so many pictures and clips from this spot. It really did feel humbling to dip my toes in the water where the wave would typically break. Even though it was messy and not technically breaking, there were still 10-15 foot waves that were leaving heaps of white foam on the beach.
I stayed at the most wonderful hostel here, Nazare Hostel, which was hella chill vibes and some really laidback people. Compared to Ericeira, Nazare had a little less culture and seemed to stay open a little later, since there was a beachfront promenade with a bunch of stores and restaurants. Nazare I’m sure would be lovely with a car because the beaches and cliffs are stunning in every direction. I was so very stoked to go here overall, and might just be heading back soon...
(Ericeira)
… would typically be a day trip or weekend excursion from Lisbon, but if you wanna just surf and vibe, you might as well just put up here. Seriously. From someone who saw most the highlights of the Portuguese coast, this is your best bet <3
