I think it depends on what are you looking for. The problem with Portugal´s atlantic coast is the fact that it is very open to the Atlantic Ocean. But exactly that´s one of its main attractions. The see is so big and so grey (and the water is so cold)... I was in Ericeira last June. We were driving upwards, from Cabo San Vicente at the very south to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, all along the coast. After the heat in Lisboa, it was a more than welcomed place. It was saturday night, and we stayed at the local camping place. The town seems to be popular with portuguese people, there weren´t many foreigners around, and it is one of the main surfer spots in Europe. And if you see the waves, well, it´s not Hawaii, but they are huge.

We walked into town (it´s small, nothing fancy), and many of the restaurants we wanted were close or full, so we chose a very unassuming restaurant, with menus in german and english (so we thought it would be a disaster). We were wrong. Really nice waiters, many tourists and portuguese people... I had fish soup and grilled tiger prawns, totally yummy. As starters they brought the usual olives, bread, cheese and even BARNACLES (well, we loved them in Spain).

Another nice place that comes into my mind is Vilanova de Milfontes, a very small town between Lisboa and the Algarve. A colleague from work recommended it to me, and it was great. A very small beach, but you could go swimming without danger, many small pensions and rooms to rent, nice restaurants (one of them just by the beach, it was great) with lots of different kind of fish... It was a lovely place. Now that I think about it, I should translate my travelogue. We found some good places last year.

And be prepared. I think I have never eaten so much in my life. As I love fish, it was great, but the dishes were sooo big. Think about sharing.

As I say before, welcome to the Travelzine! Hope to hear from you and your travels.

Kind regards from Covadonga in Bilbao