São Lourenço.

São Lourenço is a big-wave right-hander sitting at the northern end of Ericeira's World Surfing Reserve - a stretch of coastline granted that status by the Save the Waves Coalition in 2011. The wave breaks over an uneven reef, producing steep, bowly walls that run quickly across the shelf for 200-500m before the section closes. At size the face becomes genuinely powerful and shifting, capable of holding surf in the 3-6m range on its best days, and it is this combination of length and weight that gives it its reputation as one of Portugal's premier big-wave venues. NW swells are the sweet spot, wrapping cleanly into the reef and producing the most organised walls. The broad SW-to-N swell window means it picks up a reasonable variety of groundswells, though it sits in the mid-range for consistency. Entry is off the rocks, and paddling out demands reading the sets carefully - cleanup sets arrive from the west with minimal warning and can strand surfers on the inside. Despite its fame within Portugal and across Europe, the environment text notes it escapes serious wind damage and avoids the worst of the crowds that hit neighbouring breaks. Localism exists and should be acknowledged, but experienced surfers who show respect tend to be welcomed.