The village of Ericeira is located in the municipality of Mafra, just 50km away from Lisbon. There is an ongoing controversy regarding which animal actually gave name to this place: hedgehogs or urchins. The fact is that Ericeira is full of history and culture as there is evidence of the presence of the Phoenicians here approximately a thousand years ago.
Ericeira is known for its surfing culture, being the one and only spot in Europe to ever be considered a world surf reserve, giving this location a prominent position on the world surfing scene. In fact, Ericeira and its surroundings have more than a dozen beaches, one for every personal taste.
The closest beach to the historic center of Ericeira is Praia dos Pescadores, where a lot of fresh fish and seafood, gastronomic specialties of this region, are unloaded every day.
Ericeira's local architecture is also somewhat remarkable, with multiple whitewashed houses covered with blue details.