# A Sunday in Mafra and Ericeira: Palace, Fish and Waves

The Mafra palace and its library in the morning, fish on the rocks at Ericeira and an afternoon among white houses and surf waves. An hour from Lisbon.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/lisbon-region/ericeira-and-mafra/itineraries/palace-fish-and-waves-from-lisbon · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 08:45 · Salida: 45 min by car (along the A8 and A21, or on the 2751 from Campo Grande)
- 09:30 · Mafra National Palace, basilica and library (palace, basilica and library · 2 h)
  - 12 min by car, 10,4 km
- 12:45 · Ericeira's centre and the fishermen's beach (park up top · Praça da República and Largo das Ribas)
  - 5 min on foot
- 13:30 · Esplanada Furnas (fish by the kilo on the rocks · open on Sunday) · Esplanada Furnas, €€€
  - 8 min by car, 4,5 km
- 16:00 · Ribeira d'Ilhas beach (surfing from the cliff, 3 km north)
- 18:00 · Vuelta (you reach Lisbon around 19:00)

A day trip from Lisbon to the north-west: in the morning, the 18th-century Mafra palace-convent, with one of the most beautiful libraries in Europe; at midday, the fish of Ericeira on the rocks; in the afternoon, the white and blue village and the waves of the World Surfing Reserve. They are 10 km from each other and an hour from Lisbon.

## The day, hour by hour

8:45 · Departure. By car, along the A8 and A21, with tolls. Without a car, Carris Metropolitana bus 2751 leaves from Campo Grande and stops in Mafra before reaching Ericeira; check the Sunday timetables.

9:30 · Mafra National Palace. It opens at 9:30; the last entry is at 16:30. The visit goes through the royal rooms and the friars' infirmary and ends in the Rococo library. The basilica is open from 9:30 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 17:30. Closed on Tuesdays.

12:15 · To Ericeira. Ten kilometres towards the sea. Park up in the centre.

12:45 · The centre. Praça da República, the Santo António chapel and Largo das Ribas, the viewpoint over the fishermen's beach.

13:30 · Lunch at Esplanada Furnas. On the Furnas rocks, five minutes' walk away. You choose the fish by the kilo at the entrance and they grill it for you. It is open every day at midday and in the evening.

16:00 · Ribeira d'Ilhas. Three kilometres to the north, the beach with Ericeira's most famous wave. Watch the surfing from the cliff, beside the road.

18:00 · Heading back. You are in Lisbon around 19:00.

## With children

The palace, on a short visit: the library impresses them. In summer, swap Ribeira d'Ilhas for Foz do Lizandro, with a calm-water river beside the sea.

## Cómo llegar

### By car
A8 and A21 from Lisbon, about 50 km. Mafra to Ericeira, 10 km.

### Without a car
Carris Metropolitana bus 2751 from Campo Grande to Mafra and Ericeira. Between Mafra and Ericeira, the same bus.

## Consejos

### Get to Mafra when it opens
In the morning there are fewer groups.

### Do not go on a Tuesday
The palace and the basilica are closed.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How long does it take from Lisbon to Mafra?
About 40 minutes by car; to Ericeira, about 50.

### Is Mafra palace open on Sunday?
Yes, from 9:30 to 17:30. It is closed on Tuesdays.

### Can you go without a car?
Yes, on bus 2751 from Campo Grande.