Ericeira Portugal Real Estate: Your Ultimate Guide

A 45-minute drive northwest of Lisbon, you will come across Ericeira. Ericeira Portugal real estate has really come into its own. The white houses, with their blue façades, the incredibly fresh seafood dishes, the staggering cliffs, and stunning beaches all signal your arrival to this seaside town. 

Although a fair share of expats have discovered this gem on the western coast, the town retains its Portuguese habits. Indeed, the relaxed lifestyle makes Ericeira, in a way, still feel like a hidden secret.  

In this article, we’ll first walk you through why you should consider Ericeira if you want to buy a property in Portugal or move to Portugal. Following this, we’ll guide you through practical information on Ericeira Portugal Real Estate. This will include running through the property prices you can expect and the type of properties available. We’ll also provide a brief history of the seaside town and the way of life here.

For an overview of the property market, you can consult our article: Portugal Real Estate Everything you Should Know Before you Buy.

 

Why Ericeira?

While Ericeira is considered a surfers paradise, expats from all walks of life have come to call Ericeira home. With spacious properties, ocean views, and the best of the natural world at your doorstep, stop to consider living in this special corner of Portugal. 

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of Ericeira is the calmness of the town. You can easily get to know the locals, seeing the same friendly faces around you, in the cute cafés or walking along the coast. 

If you have visited Ericeira, you will be aware of the charming whitewashed houses with blue façades on cobbled streets. Here, locals can be seen amicably talking with each other, heading to the local bakery, or stopping for a relaxed coffee with views of the Atlantic.  

For surfers, Ericeira is paradise. With perfect waves and conditions, the waters are often filled with those testing their skill on the board, constantly chasing the perfect wave. You’ll come across an Ericeira surf house or two in the town, where you can learn to surf.

The Silver Coast continues to increase in popularity, an advantage for investors. This includes attention focused on Ericeira. In fact, it’s not possible to go to this seaside town and not fall in love with its relaxed pace of life, incredible seafood, and sweeping ocean views.  

Given the COVID-19 pandemic and the continued recovery, we have seen a transition towards more flexible working-from-home arrangements. Indeed, Ericeira is the perfect location to embrace the work/life balance fully, where you can wake up to a stunning sea view. There are several beautiful beaches, restaurants, and modern, fully-equipped properties to enjoy. What better place to find your dream home?

 

Ericeira Portugal Real Estate 

The real estate market in Ericeira has gained popularity in recent years, given the beautiful landscapes, incredible beaches, and outstanding properties.  

Ericeira Portugal real estate – property prices

The price per square meter to buy an apartment in the city center of Ericeira will cost you €3,140, while an apartment outside the city center will set you back €2,500 per square meter. This data is taken from Numbeo.

You’ll find some reasonable homes for sale in Ericeira if you do a basic house price search. However, prices have increased in recent years and look set to continue to rise. 

Ericeira: A taste of luxury

There are many luxury properties in Ericeira, with waterfront views and an array of amenities and facilities. The price of luxury properties will depend entirely on the size of the property, its location, and add-ons, such as if the property has a swimming pool or private gym.  

One aspect that attracts luxury buyers is that Ericeira provides tranquility and calm to unwind completely – a hidden gem in one of the most sedate and beautiful parts of Portugal. Whether you are looking for a modern apartment, villa, or townhouse, you will find many different types of accommodation here. 

Ericeira Portugal real estate: Types of property

With many different house types – apartments, villas, houses – you should be able to find the property that suits your needs in Ericeira. Many of the properties for sale in Ericeira also have ocean views.

For more information, visit our article A closer Look at Portugal’s Real Estate Market.

Ericeira, Portugal: Real estate for rent

If you are considering moving to Ericeira, it can be a good option to rent an apartment for a while so that you can get to grips with the area and attend property visits in person. 

To provide you with some insights into the average renting prices in Ericeira, you can check out the following data from Numbeo:

• A one-bedroom apartment in the city center will cost €675 per square meter
• A one-bedroom apartment outside the city center will cost €600 per square meter
• A three-bedroom apartment in the city center will cost €1,300 per square meter
• A three-bedroom apartment outside the city center will cost €1,150 per square meter

Rent agents can assist you with finding a property to rent and can save you time when searching for a place to stay, helping you find more properties that fit your specific criteria.

The best way to start is through research and applying search filters to find the properties that suit your needs. There are many different platforms that you can use, such as Idealista and Imovirtual, where you can “save search.” Once you set search filters and “save search” on these platforms, you can get notifications on properties that fit your criteria. You can add more filters depending on if you would like the apartment to be furnished or unfurnished or to have a balcony, garden, etc. The more filters you apply, the more focused your search will be.

Many estate agents will speak English, as foreign buyers are extremely common in Portugal, so you won’t have any difficulties with an agent language barrier. 

A History of Ericeira

 Given the bountiful seafood and delicious fish that can be savored in Ericeira, it seems inevitable that the name “Ericeira” has seafood connotations. The name is believed to have come from the word ouriceira, a derivative of ouriço which means “sea urchins” in Portuguese. Given the abundance of sea urchins that line the beaches of Ericiera, it seems plausible. 

However, this is not actually the case. Recent studies have confirmed that the animal mentioned was not, in fact, ouriço but Ouriço-caixerio, meaning “hedgehog,” which was associated with the Phoenicians goddess Astarte. Therefore, this highlights that the name dates back to the colonization of the Phoenicians. 

The history of Ericeira dates to about 1000 BC. The first charter in 1229 was the first reference to the fishermen of Ericeira, who remain of vital importance to Ericeira. 

In the 19th century, Ericeira experienced tremendous growth as the business port of Extremadura. Historically, the city is perhaps most well-known for when King Manuel II swiftly departed his palace in Mafra and sailed into exile. He voyaged under the protection of the British Navy. After this, the banished king settled in Twickenham, England, where he died in 1932.  

During the second world war, Ericeira was also a refuge for various nationalities seeking to flee the Nazi regime and persecution in their homelands.

The waters of Ericeira are said to have high iodine concentrations, which have been noted as having skin benefits. Perhaps this is why the Portuguese Royal Family regularly frequented its waters in the past. Also, the Bishop of Coimbra regularly bathed in its waters in 1803.

 

Lifestyle in Ericeira

The bustling seaside town of Ericeira is exactly what you would expect from a typical Portuguese town. You have local traditions, friendly neighbors, and delicious family-run restaurants. However, Ericeira also boasts some spectacular fine dining experiences, with a focus on fresh seafood and fish dishes. The pastries in Ericeira, with a morning coffee, also go down a treat when accompanied by the stunning views of the sparkling Atlantic Ocean.

For expats in Portugal, you will quickly come to find that Ericeira is a very easy place to live. While you are by the sea, you also have many green areas to enjoy. If you are a digital nomad looking to move to Portugal, you will find several trendy cafés and a couple of co-working spaces to work from. Although renowned for its surfing, there are plenty of other watersport activities to try. However, if dry land is more to your liking, you can enjoy yoga, tennis, and cooking courses. You’ll also have excellent access to Lisbon, which is less than an hour’s drive away. With public transport, it is also quite easy to get around, with a bus running regularly between Ericeira and Lisbon, providing easy access to the bright lights of the capital.

 

The Climate in Ericeira

The weather in Ericeira, Portugal is generally excellent – the summers are warm and dry, and you have a slight breeze from the Atlantic, so it does not usually get stiflingly hot. Winters, however, can be cold and wet. The temperature typically ranges from 49°F (9°C) to 80°F (26°C). 

 

Further Information

Goldcrest is a buyers agent based in Portugal. We can help you with your purchase, working with you from finding the right property for sale in Ericeira through to acquisition. The agent language barrier will not be an issue, as our real estate experts are multilingual and will be able to assist you throughout the buying process.

You can check out these articles for more information that may be of interest to you if you are looking for a property for sale in Ericeira or elsewhere in Portugal:

• Portugal Investment Property: Is it worth it?
• Luxury Properties in Portugal: Key Regions
• Waterfront Homes in Portugal: The Best Locations
• Living in Portugal as an Expat
• Portugal for Digital Nomads: The Ultimate Guide
• Retiring in Portugal: All You Need to Know