Hello fellow Anchorless’ers,
Can you recommend any other great places with the surfing culture vibes similar to Ericeira, Nazare, and Peniche, but not as overcrowded as those? despite not being a very active surfer, i love the vibe of the surfing towns and want to settle in one eventually, but avoid huge tourist traffic.
Thank you in advance for any advice!
Hi Max!
If you decide to take a look at the Algarvian and Alentejo coasts, most specifically those in the Costa Vicentina area, you’ll have a bit of luck.
I can recommend (from south to north):
Just be aware that as you get closer to Lisbon (Sesimbra and Caparica), there is a greater chance of tourist crowds.
I hope this helps! Best of luck and welcome to Portugal.
Hi Brenda! this is a great list of places for me to explore — thank you so much! i wonder if anything north of Sintra could also match my anticipated wishlist? or everything on the silver coast is considered an extreme demand? 
Hey Max!
So, around Lisbon/Silver Coast, it’s pretty much your initial list: Nazaré, Peniche, and Ericeira.
You may try Colares (they have a great winery there btw, with vines planted along the sandy beaches), Magoito, or Lourinhã, but I honestly don’t consider them as good for surfing or a surf village as the ones above or the ones in Costa Vicentina.
Keep in mind, too, that even though the initial three are considered extra touristic, this is limited to a specific time frame, and all of them are small cities in a small country—a great gathering in Portugal can be as small as a couple of hundreds, while in other countries it can reach thousands. Crowds may not be that large, depending on where you are coming from.
All the best!
Brenda
Hey Brenda, thank you so much for the recommendations on the Silver Coast! Definitely will visit Colares at least for wine testing =)