Zambujal: history on your doorstep
A short distance from Casas do Pinhal stands the Forte do Zambujal, Fort No. 95 of the Lines of Torres Vedras, built in 1809–1810 by Portuguese and British troops to hold back the French invasions. It is one of the most elaborate works on the Second Line, and the rock-cut tunnel leading to its forward battery is unique across the whole of the Lines.
The fort is the end point of the municipal walking route PR11 “From the Lizandro to the Forte do Zambujal” and part of the “From the Palace to the Atlantic” itinerary of the Lines of Torres Historic Route.
Less than two kilometres away is the Aldeia Típica José Franco in Sobreiro: a miniature traditional village with free entry, a playground and a bakery known for its pão com chouriço (chorizo bread).
Ericeira: fishing town and surf reserve
Ericeira is a historic fishing town of whitewashed houses with blue trim and cobbled lanes. Its natives are known as jagozes, “the people of the sea”, and local legend says the town takes its name from the sea urchins (ouriços) once plentiful on this coast.
In 2011 it became Europe's first World Surfing Reserve — the second in the world, after Malibu — designated by the Save The Waves Coalition. The reserve runs from Praia da Empa to São Lourenço and includes seven world-class waves: Pedra Branca, Reef, Ribeira d'Ilhas, Cave, Crazy Left, Coxos and São Lourenço.
It was also from Ericeira that Manuel II, the last King of Portugal, sailed into exile on 5 October 1910. Today the town has a lively international community of surfers, entrepreneurs and remote workers, with several coworking spaces.
Beaches
The Mafra coast has beaches for every taste. The most sheltered and family-friendly are Pescadores — protected by the harbour wall —, Praia do Sul (Baleia) and Foz do Lizandro. Ribeira d'Ilhas, Coxos and São Lourenço are known worldwide for their waves.
In 2026, five beaches in the municipality were awarded the Blue Flag, including São Lourenço, Ribeira d'Ilhas, Baleia (Sul) and Foz do Lizandro. São Lourenço won first prize for coastal beaches in Portugal's “Most Accessible Beach 2025” award. Lifeguards are on duty from mid-June to mid-September.
Food, festivals and markets
Every spring since 2015, the International Sea Urchin Festival has brought together dozens of Ericeira restaurants. In August, the fishermen's festival of Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem ends with a procession at sea, and June brings the Santos Populares street festivities. Ribeira d'Ilhas regularly hosts World Surf League events.
Mafra is the home of pão de Mafra, a local bread registered as a trademark since 2012 and celebrated every summer at the Bread Festival in the Jardim do Cerco. At Christmas, the “Natal na Vila” programme fills Mafra and Ericeira with an ice rink and Christmas markets, and November brings the Mafra Music Festival.
For everyday shopping there is Mafra's municipal market (local fish, cheese and bread; closed on Mondays), the large Thursday market in Malveira and Mafra's crafts and regional produce fair on the first weekend of each month from April to September — as well as supermarkets in Mafra, Ericeira and Malveira.
Mafra: a World Heritage palace
The Royal Building of Mafra — palace, basilica, convent, Jardim do Cerco and Tapada — has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019. Commissioned by King João V and built from 1717, it once housed some 300 Franciscan friars and inspired José Saramago's novel Baltasar and Blimunda (Memorial do Convento).
The basilica has six historic organs, and its two towers hold two carillons with around 120 bells, one of the largest sets of bells in the world. The library, with tens of thousands of rare books protected by a colony of bats, reopened in 2026 after restoration.
Next door, the Jardim do Cerco is an 8-hectare Baroque garden with free entry, a working waterwheel and the friars' kitchen garden. The Tapada Nacional de Mafra, a walled former royal hunting park created in the 18th century, covers more than 800 hectares where red deer, fallow deer and wild boar roam, with walking, cycling and running trails, falconry and evenings to hear the deer rut or watch fireflies.
In the centre of Mafra, the Quinta da Raposa cultural complex houses the Lines of Torres interpretation centre and the free CIVIMafra centre.
Parks and outdoor life
In Ericeira, Parque de Santa Marta has a playground, a sea-view amphitheatre, a walk-through mine, free mini-golf, tennis and padel; Parque Urbano de São Sebastião has a playground and a café.
In Mafra, the municipal sports park has outdoor pools in summer, padel and tennis courts, mini-golf and an athletics track, and Ericeira has a municipal pool too. For golfers, the CampoReal (Turcifal) and Belas courses are a short drive away.
The municipality has 14 waymarked walking routes, and the GR11 / E9 long-distance path follows the coast to Sintra and Cascais. The mouth of the Lizandro river is a good spot for birdwatching.
Schools and childcare
State schools cover every stage: kindergartens and primary schools in Ericeira, Santo Isidoro, Carvoeira and Mafra; middle schools in Mafra and Ericeira; and the Escola Secundária José Saramago secondary school in Mafra. Mafra's municipal crèche takes children from 4 months to 3 years and is free under Portugal's Creche Feliz scheme.
Private schools in the municipality include Colégio Miramar (Santo Isidoro) and Colégio Santo André (Venda do Pinheiro).
For international education: Carlucci American International School of Lisbon (CAISL) and TASIS Portugal, in Sintra, are about 20–25 minutes away; the International School of Torres Vedras about 25–30 minutes; and within 30–45 minutes are schools such as St. Julian's, St. Dominic's, Oeiras International School, King's College School Cascais, the Lycée Français Charles Lepierre, the Deutsche Schule Lissabon and the Instituto Español Giner de los Ríos.
Places at state schools depend on your address and availability; travel times are approximate.
Healthcare
Primary care is provided by family health units in Mafra (USF D. João V, USF Andreas and UCSP Mafra Norte) and Ericeira (USF Ouriceira). Since 2024 they have been part of the Santa Maria Local Health Unit (ULS Santa Maria), which includes Hospital de Santa Maria in Lisbon.
Privately, there is the CUF Mafra clinic and, about 25–30 minutes away, Hospital CUF Torres Vedras, with 24-hour urgent care for adults. The SNS 24 line (808 24 24 24) gives health advice around the clock.
Getting around
The A21 motorway (tolled) links Mafra and Ericeira to the A8. Outside rush hour, central Lisbon is about 40–45 minutes away by car and the airport about 35–40 minutes.
Carris Metropolitana express buses connect Mafra and Ericeira with Campo Grande in Lisbon in about an hour. The Navegante Metropolitano pass (€40 a month in 2026) covers all public transport in the 18 municipalities of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, and is free for students up to the age of 23.
Climate
The climate is mild and Atlantic. At Cabo da Roca, the nearest coastal weather station, average highs are around 14 °C in January and 22 °C in August, there are no frost days and temperatures rarely pass 30 °C. Most rain falls between October and April (IPMA climate normals, 1991–2020).
A growing municipality
Mafra was the second-fastest-growing municipality in Portugal between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (+12.8%), in a decade when the country's population fell. It now has around 96,000 residents (INE estimate for 2025).
According to INE, Portugal's statistics office, the median sale price of homes in Mafra was €3,146/m² in the second quarter of 2026 — about 40% below the municipality of Lisbon (€5,299/m²).
Day trips within an hour
Approximate driving times.
- Sintra (25–30 min): the Cultural Landscape of Sintra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995.
- Sintra-Cascais Natural Park (20–30 min): hills, sea cliffs and Cabo da Roca.
- Torres Vedras (about 25 min): Forte de São Vicente, with a Lines of Torres interpretation centre, and one of Portugal's best-known carnivals.
- Lisbon (40–45 min) and Cascais (35–45 min).
- Óbidos (45–50 min): a medieval walled town and UNESCO City of Literature, home to the FOLIO festival and the Óbidos Christmas village.
- Peniche and the Berlengas (55–60 min): the Berlengas islands are a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, with visits capped at 550 people a day.