Reef break · Ericeira, Silver Coast · 39°00′N 9°25′W
Cave
A short, violent right-hand barrel over a shallow rock shelf near Ribeira d'Ilhas. All the intensity of a slab in a small package. Experts only, and only at the right tide.
Cave sits on the stretch of reef between Ribeira d'Ilhas and Reef, and it is exactly what the name suggests: a spitting, square right-hander that breaks straight onto a shallow shelf of rock.
The wave
It is short. You get a fast drop, one or two barrel sections, and then it is over on the rocks. What it lacks in length it makes up in intensity, and it draws a crew that specifically wants that.
Who it is for
Experienced barrel surfers who are comfortable falling onto dry reef. This is not a wave to push your limits on. If you are asking whether you are ready for Cave, you are not.
When
A smaller, punchy W to NW swell, E wind, and a tide from low to mid. On a bigger swell it closes out and the crowd moves to Ribeira d'Ilhas next door.
Schools & rentals near here
Activity Surf Center
An Ericeira surf school running since 2012, with lessons for every level across the town's beaches, plus board and wetsuit rental and a shop in the centre.
SurfEriceira Surfboard Rental
Board and wetsuit rental for the Ericeira area - soft-tops and hard-tops from 12 EUR a day, with delivery, roof racks and free board swaps.
SurfFrom EUR 12 / day
Ericeira Waves
A surf school in Santo Isidoro, Ericeira, since 2014, teaching on several beach breaks around the World Surfing Reserve with Portuguese Surf Federation instructors and groups of up to five.
Surf
Mica Surfboards
Mica Lourenço hand-shapes made-to-measure boards out of Carvoeira, minutes from the Ericeira reefs: grovellers, step-ups, eggs, classics and a full high-performance line.
Surf
Rapture Surfcamps Ericeira
A surf camp in a Portuguese villa a few metres from Foz do Lizandro, a mellow beach break that suits lessons, with easy reach of the reserve's other spots.
Surf
Semente Surfboards
Portugal's most established performance surfboard label, shaping in Ericeira since the 1980s. Founded by American shaper Nick Uricchio in the town at the centre of what is now the World Surfing Reserve.
Surf
Wavegliders
An Ericeira surf shop and shaping room in one - hand-shaped boards by Nico alongside a classic-leaning shop, in the town at the centre of the World Surfing Reserve.
Surf
Blue Ocean Ericeira Surf School
A surf school based right on Ribeira d'Ilhas beach, inside the Ericeira World Surfing Reserve, running lessons and multi-day courses for every level with equipment included.
SurfFrom EUR 40 / lessonNearby
São Lourenço
The northernmost break of the Ericeira reserve: an exposed reef with multiple peaks that works most of the year for advanced surfers and turns into a genuine big-wave wave when a large north swell hits.
Advanced surfersAutumn to spring; a tow spot on the biggest swellsRibeira d'Ilhas
The long, forgiving right-hand reef at the centre of the Ericeira World Surfing Reserve. Peels down a cobblestone point and takes almost any level on the right day. Host of regular WSL junior and qualifying events.
All levelsYear-round, best autumn to spring
Coxos
The best wave in the Ericeira reserve and one of the finest right-hand points in Europe: long, thick, fast walls that barrel on the take-off and race down the reef. Advanced surfers only.
Advanced surfersOctober to AprilCommon questions
- What kind of wave is Cave?
- Cave is a reef break. It wants W to NW, best on a smaller, punchy swell swell and works best with offshore from the e wind.
- Is Cave good for beginners?
- No — it's rated experts only and is for experienced surfers only.
- When's the best time for Cave?
- October to March.
- What should I watch out for at Cave?
- Very shallow rock shelf, dry-reef wipeouts, short hold-downs onto rock. One of the heaviest waves on this coast for its size.