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Care to stay somewhere in Portugal that still holds an authentic charm? Enter Ribamar, a small village close to Ericeira, famous for being the first World Surfing Reserve in Europe. Most people stay in the center of Ericeira when visiting this region but, if you like to escape the tourist crowds, one of the smaller villages in the area is a better option. In this post, I’ll tell you why Ribamar Ericiera is a great choice!
Praia de Sao Lourenço
Ribamar is a small Portuguese village of only 1800 inhabitants near the Atlantic coast in the central part of Portugal. It lies approximately 38 km from the center of Lisbon and less than 3 km north of the well-known seaside resort of Ericeira.
Ribamar is known in the area for having some great local restaurants but also for its beaches, such as São Lourenço, Coxos, and Ribeira d’Ilhas, which are part of the Ericeira World Surfing Reserve—the first of its kind in Europe, hosting surf championships both nationally and internationally.
As a conscious traveler, you will love Ribamar because of its traditional local charm. All the locals know each other here, and genuine warmth and a happy welcome are what you get here, whether you’re visiting the pharmacy, a coffee shop, or the local bar.
Praia de Sao Lourenço
Here are the best things to do in Ribamar and the surrounding area. The best feature about Ribamar is its beaches but there’s plenty more to discover, from hiking trails to the peacefulness of the village.
Praia de Sao Lourenço
Probably one of the best beaches near Ericeira, Sao Lourenço Beach stands out with its local flair. It can get crowded here in the summer months but mainly with locals and a few tourists who like to escape the busy beaches of Ericeira.
There’s a lovely beach shack at Praia de Sao Lourenço where you can enjoy a morning coffee. They do not offer a lot of vegan options though bot it’s a great spot to relax in the morning.
Coxos beach to Ribeira d’Ilhas cliff hike
From Coxos Beach near the center of Ribamar, there’s a beautiful hiking trail that leads all the way to the beach of Ribeira d’Ilhas. This is one of the best things to do in Ribamar for nature lovers.
Coxos beach to Ribeira d’Ilhas cliff hike
It’s also a lovely place to be in Ribamar to take beautiful pictures. The trails are flanked by lovely Aloe Vera plants and from the cliffs, you have the most magnificent views over the World Surfing Reserve.
The center of Ribamar is small, but this is what makes it so charming. Consisting of only a few streets, you can find everything your need in Ribamar, a few great restaurants, two great coffee bars, a cocktail bar, and two small supermarkets.
The center of Ribamar, Ericeira
Local allure at its best, the bell of the small church in the center will wake you up in the morning and it will be the last thing you’ll hear when going to sleep, accompanied by soft chatter from local teens having their first date on a bench next to the church.
Surf girl at Ribeira d’Ilhas
If you fancy taking a surf lesson, the best place to organize this is Praia de Ribeira d’Ilhas. There are several surf schools near the beach promenade that offer one to multi-day surf classes.
Blue Ocean is a reputable surf company from which all of the instructors are certified by the Portuguese Surfing Federation. You can get to Ribeira d’Ilhas by hiking the cliff trail.
Foz do Lizandro Beach
Beaches abound in the vicinity of Ribamar and Ericeira and they make for an excellent day trip. The most enjoyable ones are outside the center of Ericeira. Foz do Lizandro is a great beach nearby that’s not too far of a drive and can be reached in summer by taking the beach bus from Ribeira d’Ilhas.
For some extraordinary beaches, take a day trip to the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park and the beaches of Praia da Ursa and Praia da Adraga.
Ericeira
Ericeira is the nearest tourist hotspot near Ribamar. It’s only five kilometers away and though it’s frequented by a lot of tourists, especially surfers, it still maintains to hold its charm of a local fishing village.
Ericeira
In Erceira, you can find a great array of restaurants that caters to vegans, a lot of surf shops, yoga studios, and other therapeutic healing institutions offering massages and meditation sessions.
Nightlife is not elaborate but if you fancy a drink in the evening, Ourico and Adega bar are good choices. There are also plenty local and international designers in Ericeira showcasing their work in beautifully decorated shops. A little hipster oftentimes, but nonetheless worth it to visit.
Casa Ribamar
There are not a lot of accommodation options in Ribamar and that’s great because it helps the town to maintain it’s local character. Here are the best places to stay in Ribamar:
Omassim Guesthouse is a great accommodation option in Ribamar offering package holidays including yoga, surfing, and plant-based food. Additionally, they also offer a wide range of treatments like massages and guided sweat lodge ceremonies.
It’s known as one of the best places to stay in Portugal for vegan travelers.
If you like to have a whole place to yourself then Casa Ribamar, rented out by Carina who lives in Ericeira is a great choice. The house is beautifully decorated and you can truly find anything you need inside the house. The terrace is perfect to enjoy breakfast and dinner while you can watch authentic Portuguese life slowly passing by.
Coxos Beach Lodge are a series of apartments that are affiliated with the award-winning seafood restaurant, Marisqueria de Ribamar. All the apartments have a private entrance, rooms with private terraces, airconditioning, and free parking space.
Family Surf Home is a hostel that offers double private rooms and hostel rooms in the center of Ribamar. They also rent out two apartments. One of them is next to the hostel and the other one is located a bit further out of town, in the direction of Ribeira d’Ilhas.
Portugal isn’t one of the easiest countries to travel to as a vegan. In Ribamar is a decent array of restaurants and some of them cater to vegans aside from their fish and seafood-heavy menus.
Burrito bowl @ Pu ro
At the time of my visit, Pu ro was a vegan restaurant/coffee bar but I have heard from recent travelers that it’s not fully vegan anymore although they still cater to vegan travelers.
Pu ro is a great place to enjoy a vegan Pasteis de Nata if they are in stock and the daily lunch plate if it’s vegan. It’s also a good place to enjoy a coffee.
Indie Project is a vegan food truck in Ribamar. It is located on the main road from Ribamar to Ericeira near the lobster statue.
Indie project offers great coffee and dishes like sandwiches, bowls, burgers and falafel. The menu changes regularly.
Vegan burger @ Barzhino
Barzhino is the local bar of Ribamar. Here, you can enjoy watching soccer or other sports on a large screen or enjoy drinks on the lovely terrace. They also host regular parties and concerts.
Vegan appetizers @ Barzhino
Barzhino mainly attracts a crowd in their twenties and thirties and offers a few vegan options on its menu like a vegan burger and lasagna and petiscos like Fried mushrooms and bruschettas with vegan cheese.
Clamar Coffee Shop is right across the street from Barzinho and is as local as it can be. In the morning, the villagers spend their time sitting at the two small sidewalk tables sipping their coffees, reading the newspapers, and chatting the time away about world problems and recent events.
Clamar is not vegan but offers one daily cake that is completely plant-based and plant milk.
Ribeira Bar Sao Lourenço is the beach shack that you can find on Sao Lourenço beach. It’s a great place to spend the morning sipping coffee and reading a book or working with your laptop.
There aren’t a lot of vegan options on the menu but, if you’re hungry, you can order fries with a salad or ask if they can prepare something that caters to your needs.
I haven’t visited O Pescador personally but it is located in the center of Ribamar and looks so cute. It has a small terrace with wall paintings and very friendly owners.
I refrained from going because of the name (With the Fisherman) but I regret it a little bit now because I’m sure they could probably have prepared something plant-based.
If you are traveling to Ribamar, you’ll probably arrive in the country through Lisbon Airport. From there, the best choice is to rent a car. It’s not the most eco-friendly option but there is no public transport going from Lisbon to Ribamar (there is public transport however to Ericeira) which can make it hard to get around in the area.
Discover Cars is a great car rental platform or, if you want to travel to Ericeira by public transport first and take a taxi from there (or walk!) here is a complete transport guide from Lisbon to Ericeira.
Ribamar Ericeira
There you go! I hope you enjoyed this guide to Ribamar. If you plan to visit this beautiful country, you can check out one of the best Portugal tours.
Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions or drop me a message through my contact page.
Also, don’t forget to check out my resources page with my favorite booking platforms and tips to start planning your trip. Additionally, have a look at my favorite travel gear if you want to pack more consciously!
ENJOY!
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Hi! I am Annelies and this is Travelers & Dreamers, a blog about conscious travel which means traveling in a more mindful way, with a positive impact on the world and yourself!
On this website, I cover different topics like slow travel, plant-based food guides, responsible travel, sustainable packing, eco-travel, and more!
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