This is what happens when you visit Portugal ONCE… you always go back for more!
And that's what I call the Portugal effect!
This is my story about how my unplanned trip to Ericeira, Portugal changed the way I travel!
Here is how I'm going to tell you this story, I'm going to break it down like so:
WHY DID I GO?
WHERE DID I STAY?
WHAT DID I EAT?
WHAT DID I DO?
WHAT DO I RECOMMEND?
A LITTLE PREFACE
The idea of this trip was to keep it as simple as possible.
I'm an avid European traveller. I have been travelling to Italy with my family since I was a little girl until I was old enough to start going on my own, which was in my early twenties.
In my twenties, I would make an intense travel itinerary for myself. I never went on organized group trips because I was always comfortable and confident enough to do it on my own. Buses, trains, plains, taxis, boats, you name it I figured it out and I got around!
I think the majority of us, when I say “the majority of us” I'm talking about North Americans, when planning a European trip, regardless if the trip is 10 days or 3 weeks, tend to jam-pack the itinerary with multiple cities and various activities to do while we are in Europe. I'm not sure if this is because of the “work culture effect” where we use our time by being efficient and getting a lot of stuff done in a short period or because we are always on the go rushing from one thing to another. But when people travel down south to Cuba, the Dominican or even Florida, how come they can just stay in one city for the entire week?
Did you know that Europeans who travel within Europe stay in one city the entire time?
Why do we, North Americans, travel to multiple cities every time we go to Italy? We set some time to go on a vacation and we end up touring half a country?
It’s like we have to go everywhere, do everything and eat everything while we’re there.
Ericeira, Portugal was the place I went where I changed all that. Actually, that place changed that for me. All I knew was that I booked a flight from Toronto to Lisbon.
Ericeira, Portugal was the town I fell in love with.
Have you ever stumbled upon a place where from the moment you arrived without even getting deep into the streets you just felt something, like a connection, a feeling, like you felt like this was home?
If you’ve never felt this, then let me be the first to tell you, you have not been there, you have not found it!
There are places in this world that FIND YOU.
This is why travelling is important.
Do you ever hear those people saying they are going away to “find themselves”?
Well my friends, let me tell you something. That shit exists.
This wasn't what this trip was supposed to be about. I didn't intentionally go somewhere to “find myself”, I didn't even know I had to be found.
But I learned then and there the meaning of that phrase. It's basically the same feeling as meeting a soul mate. You have this unexplainable connection. Everything feels familiar like you’ve been here before, and right away this feels like home. It’s not what the place looks like, it’s more of a feeling you get when you’re there.
WHY DID I GO TO ERICEIRA PORTUGAL?
Picture this: May 2022, post covid, travel restrictions were lifted. I wanted to leave Toronto. Something was pulling me towards Portugal. I have never been before and before that year, I had zero desire to ever go to Portugal.
My mother had died the year before and I just wanted to get out of here.
Having done very little research, which was not common for me, I just wanted to pack my bags and leave.
So I booked my flight from Toronto to Lisbon.
As for what town I was going to stay in? I did what any child would have done...
I ‘eenie meenie miney mo’d’ my decision.
Peniche, Portugal, was the first place I landed on. I spent 10 days there ( you can read about it in my previous blog here.
Turns out that first trip to Portugal left me wanting more!
That same September of 2022 I had to go back to Portugal. This time a little town called Ericeira was calling me.
Again, I did very little research about this town. I think I just liked the way it sounded, “Eri-cei-ra”.
Normally people like to go to the main cities when traveling to a new country for the first time, like Lisbon, Porto or even the Algarve. But not me and not this time around. I was over it.
I wanted to go somewhere I didn't have to think.
I didn't want to meet anyone or talk to anyone. I wanted to go somewhere where I didn't know the language, so I didn't have to listen to and hear other people's conversations. I just wanted to be in another place and just be there. I wanted to get lost in a new country in a random city. No plan. No itinerary. No pre-bookings.
So why did I go?
For no reason. I had no purpose. I just wanted to leave. Ultimately, this was one of the best decisions and it completely changed the way I traveled.
2. WHERE DID I STAY IN ERICEIRA?
Like many beach towns, when deciding where to stay you either want to stay in the main town or as close to the beach as possible. Well, not this time. I went with something different. I booked a private room that had a washroom in a Guest House called Elemental Ericeira. This was a shared home. Other rooms were rented out with other guests.
This was something different that I had never experienced before. Normally I would stay in town or close to the beach. This was 10 minutes to the beach and 25 minutes to the main town of Ericeira. But I had a car this time and part of the no-plan trip was to go out on adventures on some days... to where? Anywhere!
Staying in a private room in a guest house has been the best thing I've ever booked!
Having a communal kitchen, living room and pool were great. You get to meet random strangers, have some pretty cool conversations, get some great tips from the homeowners and then be on your way. Anyone who books this kind of stay typically stays a minimum of a week. It's nice to get used to the same people because there is very little turnover during your weekly stay. Also, watching too many American movies made me think that this would be some sort of frat house experience and it was the complete opposite. I found most people were work-from-home remote workers that were traveling on their own, older couples and young couples on holiday, or solo travelers like myself, but all in all, no matter what age group we were all similar like-minded individuals.
HOW CAN I DESCRIBE THE TOWN OF ERICEIRA TO YOU?
Ericeira sits on the edge of the coastline. On top of a cliff. They have many beaches along the coastline that you would have to get to by either driving down, if you’re able to do so, or parking on top of a cliff and taking the stairs down. There are a few beaches where you can drive down that have a parking lot. But no two beaches are the same in this town.
Ericeira is a town that perfectly describes my lifestyle. What a gift to this world to have such a beautiful place.
The main heritage town of Ericeira is well preserved. It’s clean, colourful, and so pretty. Painted white homes, colourful mosaic murals on walls and uneven street pavers. I loved seeing so many local surfers walking through these streets with their surfboards.
On the outskirts, there are roads that extend beyond the old town of Ericeira. There are these amazing modern complexes of new communities, with apartments, or semi-detached homes. Oh my god! What a dream! It’s a huge beach town here. Never having been to California, US, but getting a sense from all the movies and listening to how people describe it, Ericeira is a smaller scale, much cleaner, healthier and less expensive version of that "California" lifestyle along the coast.
You have one main highway that runs through the town. It’s funny when you look at a
map and you see the main road N247 that runs through Ericeira, it looks like a wide highway, but it's actually a small two-lane highway. All the roads on either side of this main highway are smaller side roads. I stayed at a place that was on the other side of the main road away from the beach called Elemental Ericeira, if you look here on the map it would only take me 10 minutes to walk to the beach and it would take me 25 minutes to walk into town. (map here)
3. WHAT DID I EAT?
Ericeria had every meal that I could ever imagine. Every restaurant in town was worth eating at. When I say worth it I don't mean expensive or pricey because quite frankly Portugal is one of the cheapest countries to eat in. You are fine dining by yourself for 35-45 Euro, and I'm talking about a bottle of wine to yourself, appetizer, a main meal which was always fish for me, dessert and a cafe to end the meal.
Late breakfasts or lunches were always at a cafe. This is where I learned firsthand about
acai bowls and immediately grew an obsession. There was also a grocery store nearby that had great fruits and vegetables. There were nights or days when I would make meals in the home that I was staying in.
I never had to pre-book a restaurant or look into what trendy restaurant to eat at. The reason why it was so hard to choose was because everything was so tempting.
Any place you went to was just amazing. Why? Because their products are always fresh! Every day when I would walk into town to eat, the restaurants were always full of people. These restaurants were not big or overwhelming nor intimidating for solo travellers. On the contrary, they were very inviting. They were small and some were very intimate. All you had to do was look at the dishes people were eating
from walking by and that's how I would know I wanted to eat there. Seeing the food on people's plates as you passed by was like watching a live menu.
5. WHAT DID I DO IN ERICEIRA?
I ate. I walked. I hiked. I read. I meditated. I beached. And I went on day trips.
I had nothing planned but I had a car. It was easy to take day trips and get around. Portugal is a small country. Driving from city to city would take half an hour to an hour. I live in Toronto. Getting out of my city alone takes an hour!
The plan was to do nothing. Planning on doing nothing ended up always doing something. The difference - nothing was pre-planned. It was more of a “go with the flow” trip.
I was there towards the end of September and the beginning of October, for 10 days total and this is what my unplanned trip looked like:
I WENT TO A LOCAL SURFING EVENT
When in Portugal surfing is life. This time I was lucky enough to be there during a competition. I didn't know this surfing competition was happening during my stay at the time. But it was the talk of the town. When a huge surfing event happens in Portugal rest assured you will be made aware and encouraged to go.
The homeowners of the place I was staying at told me about it.
The waiters from the restaurants told me about it, and my favourite cafe shut down for the day because that's where they were going to be for the day and sure enough, the place that I wanted to have lunch at that day relocated with a food truck on-site on the beach where they were having the surf competition.
This is why renting a car in Portugal is convenient. Because having the option to change plans last minute is much easier.
The beach where the surf competition was located was about a 15-minute drive from where I was staying. This was one of the best experiences. There were so many people and it was crazy watching all these men and women surf. I never watched a live surfing competition before and it is hands down one of the best sporting events to be present for.
I have paid to watch live basketball games, soccer games, hockey games in stadiums. But there is something about witnessing a surfing competition during the day, where the majority of the town is there to support you, free entrance, people bringing their beach towels and coolers ready to spend the day for this, that in itself gives it a special meaning. In Canada or the US, people pay to go to stadiums and watch their sports heroes play. Then depending on where you want to sit, that will determine your price.
You want the front row center? You will pay the most.
You want to go but can't afford an expensive ticket? Then you sit up top with the furthest view, “nosebleed” seats.
Watching a live surfing competition is free and it’s even televised! This level of support is measured in humbleness not business and profitability. So the spectators in itself are valued equally. No prices set them apart. Some wanted the overall view from the top of the cliff. Some wanted to sit in the shade. The youngest fans wanted to be up close. And the media crews were scattered around the beach in every direction to get the shots they needed. That was an awesome day!
I WENT BEACHING
The beaches of Ericeira were a little bit rougher for beaching. There are a few small spots where you can beach at, but as far as swimming in the ocean, the waters are made for surfing! There are some small designated spots where it's safe to swim because there are minimal tides but I am highly recommending you to not go in unless you are a strong swimmer and please wear the damn water shoes!
Almost all beaches around the coast of Ericeira have surf lessons. You will see many people from different organizations that run their programs on the beach. Also, you can walk up to any of them and inquire about lessons. There is no shortage of surf lessons anywhere in Ericeira and because the instructors are professionals they know which spot to take you depending on your level. If you just want to try out surf lessons as an experience, or if you are serious about it and want to learn as a beginner to advanced they have different beach spots depending on your level.
Also, one quick little note about some of the beaches here in Ericeira that I loved was that some spots had an outdoor shower. Super convenient!
One more thing, keep in mind Portugal beaches are mainly for surfing, which means there are always waves, which also means there will always be some type of wind coming in from any given direction. I highly recommend getting a beach windbreaker tent. The beaches are sandy. You’re welcome!
TOOK A DAY TRIP TO NAZARE
I took a day trip to Nazare. Nazare is also another huge fish and surf town. But clearly, when I went there it looked and felt dead. The water was flat and there was no action. This is interesting because I was coming from Ericeira and the surfers that were getting ready for a surf competition in Ericeira were already there practicing days before, and there were waves in Ericeira. This little country is full of surprises. It was pretty funny to walk into Nazare, a town known for having 100-foot waves... And the day that I decided to go, the water was flat! Hahaha
But it was cute. Would I go back to Nazare? Yes! For sure 100%. But only when I know there is going to be some action!
DAY TRIP TO FATIMA
So, this is a funny story. Fatima is a Catholic Sanctuary. That’s not the funny part.
The idea of coming to Portugal actually started with wanting to visit Fatima. My Aunt Rosa, (my mom’s sister) told me about this amazing sanctuary in Fatima, Portugal where thousands of people especially those who are sick or suffering visit here daily in hopes of miracles. This is the site where they have baths in these grotto caves that you dunk yourself in naked and you supposedly come out dry. This is where people go to either receive a miracle or witness a miracle. It is a magnificent and powerful story. Anyways, it’s a huge thing.
My Aunt said she’d been. That it was amazing and I should go and experience the baths. When my mother died, naturally I felt a little lost and I guess I was just looking for an answer as to why. Why did this happen? So I guess going to Fatima was just the excuse I needed to go on a spiritual journey. To come to the city of Fatima and visit the miraculous baths.
Well my friends, I arrived in Fatima. And when I arrived in Fatima I was confused. Wondering where were all the pilgrims? Where were all the sick people who wanted to get healed? Where were all the lineups?
I was either confused... or got really lucky that it wasn't busy that day. So I went looking for these baths. But something didn't make sense. What my Aunt described to me and what I was standing in front of were not the same thing. So I went to the information center and asked the lady at the counter where the baths were, and she pointed to the location on the map that read “Washroom”.
Now I was really confused.
So I turned to our lord and savior Google, and I asked the good old Google,
“Hey Google, what sanctuary has baths?”
Google said, “Lordes, you idiot! Lourdes located in France is the sanctuary that has the baths.”
Google never called me an idiot. I said that to myself. But I laughed. Boy did I fucking laugh so hard even though I wanted to cry. My body decided to laugh hysterically!
I then proceeded to Facetime my cousins and my aunt back in Canada to let them know that I based this trip on coming to a sanctuary that is not even in this country!! That the grotto with the baths was in fact located in France. IN FRANCCCCEEE!!!
My Aunt, who was laughing really hard said,
“Oh, imma sorry. We went to so many places. I fell asleep on the tour bus. I don't remember anymore.” Turns out that the tour that she had been on didn't even go to Portugal!
Relatives!!
Anyways, all in all it was a huge spiritual awakening. It turned out to be one of the biggest laughs I ever had after my mom died. I could just hear my mom laughing at me saying to me in Italian, “Che Shemma!” (“What an idiot!”)
And that was my spiritual awakening.
Nonetheless, I have not gone to Lourdes, France yet. But if you are interested in learning about it, check out this website. https://www.lourdes-france.org/en/
But if you are in Fatima, Portugal by all means visit this sanctuary here too. https://www.fatima.pt/en/
I was famished from this crazy day that I had and wanted to treat myself to a good meal. I ended up going to this restaurant called CASA PLATANO.
And still to this day, one of the top meals that I have ever had in my life!
That was also a great experience.
All in all, my day in Fatima ended up being one of the funniest days and gave me the best story I could ever ask for. Memories turn into stories and I am grateful for that!
ENDING THE TRIP IN SINTRA
I didn't pre-book a place for the last few days of this Portugal trip. I wanted to decide while I was in Ericeira. Sintra was nearby so I decided to end my last few nights there.
For those that are not aware, the best way to describe Sintra, Portugal is that it looks like a colourful medieval town straight out of a colouring book! WOW.
This made me feel like I was ‘Dora the Explorer’ for real!”
I stayed in this amazing Boutique Hotel called Rosegarden House - by Unlock Hotels Wow!
First off, it was really hard to leave my hotel because it was so damn cute but it made it so easy to come back. I loved this place.
Don’t get me wrong I loved Sintra, but this stay alone was an incredible experience. Unlock Hotels is a boutique hotel chain, and one of their stays is called the Rosegarden House in Sintra. Which is a revived century-old home. I love staying in homes or hotels that have that architectural home exterior. The design of this room and the exterior architecture style of this place was a great reflection of Sintra. It was cozy and colourful. They had a library room upstairs and a breakfast area on the lower level, oh my god I miss this place so much. It even had a nice small pool in the side courtyard.
I would have to say no matter what city or little town you end up in Portugal, even without knowing much history or purposely seeing landmark sites, Sintra and all of these towns are just pleasant walking towns.
I'm pretty sure I just spent my days walking around this town. I did end up visiting the National Palace of Pena, which was incredible to see. Sintra was the place that I actually ended up eating at some random places that were more traditional Portuguese meals. The look was interesting but the taste was amazing.
5. 2 THINGS I RECOMMEND WHEN TRAVELING TO PORTUGAL
#1 RENT A CAR!
I wrote this in my story about when I went to Peniche. When going to Portugal, if you can of course, always rent a car. It's worth it.
Portugal is such a small country. It's very easy and convenient to just change plans and go in a different direction especially if you didn't make any plans or don't have to follow an itinerary. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it is super safe and unlike driving in Italy, I do find that driving in Portugal is a lot more laid back. One time I had to question if the local drivers there actually hit the maximum speed or maybe no one gave a shit about time or felt rushed to get anywhere.
#2 STOP PLANNING EVERYTHING!
To the people who live outside of Europe and want to plan a vacation in Europe, the biggest advice I can offer is: Don't plan your entire itinerary. Not everything has to be planned out. Sometimes going with the flow on a trip itself takes on a whole new adventure!
The North American culture is used to finding information on social media and we tend to run to whatever is trending online, most of the time we can find what to do on Google or on our social media accounts through an influencer. But that’s because we put it online, like what I'm doing. But once you get to Europe, you quickly come to realize that yes the most obvious attractions and cities are online but rest assured, not everything is online. 10 times out of 10 you will find stuff that you would never find online. It doesn't get any more local than that, including going to the best restaurants and events in the city.
and that's my story of how Ericeira changed the way I travel!
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