Surfing Ribeira d'Ilhas

The wave breaks over flat reef and cobblestones and runs right through several sections, with open walls for turns and a steeper bowl on the inside. Normal rides are 50–150 m; on a good day with a clean west to north-west swell they get much longer. It starts working in small swells and holds up to around 3 m, when the waves get heavy and the currents strong. Mid tide is the most reliable, rising or falling, while high tide on a small swell tends to go slow and fat.

The valley behind the beach gives it more offshore wind than most spots nearby, and anything from north-east to south-east grooms it. September to March is the core season, and summer is often small. The crowd is the real hazard: longboarders, schools and strong locals share the peaks, so expect drop-ins, wait your turn and stay out of the way of whoever is deeper. Surf schools take learners to a small reform on the gentler part of the reef on easy days, but the point itself is intermediate ground with rock underneath.

The bay faces west, so the morning is the time to shoot: the sun sits behind you and lights surfers' faces as they come down the line. From mid-afternoon it swings over the sea and the wave turns backlit; at sunset that gives gold spray and silhouettes rather than sharp detail. The cliff tops and the viewing deck above the beach give the classic elevated angle over the whole point, and the sand in front of the break gives a lower, more dramatic look.

On full frame, 300–600 mm fills the frame with a surfer at the main peak, while 70–200 mm is enough for the inside section and for wider shots that show the cliffs and the line of swell. On contest days the good spots fill early. Shooting from the water is only for strong, experienced swimmers with fins, as the currents and the number of surfers make it tricky once the swell has some size.

From Ericeira, follow the coast road north for 2–3 km and turn down the signposted road into the valley; walking from town takes about 30 minutes, and Lisbon is roughly 45 minutes away by car. The car park at the bottom has height restrictions, so tall vans park higher up or in the surrounding fields, and it fills early on weekends and contest days. On site there are showers, toilets, a bar-restaurant, surf schools and lifeguards in the bathing season.