Ericeira Holidays

As it’s a small town, most of the main shops are within walking distance. The Mercado Municipal is located in the main square of Ericeria, and has three floors full of flowers, fruit, vegetables, meat and fish. They even sell sea urchins – Ericeria loosely translates as ‘land of the sea urchin’, so if you’re going to try them anywhere, here’s the place.

For a relaxed evening, head to the town centre and dip into one of the ice-cream parlours or pastry shops and pick up a local favourite, pastel de nata – what we Brits might know as a custard tart. If you’re not ready for the night to end, you’ll be able to find a few laid-back bars where you can carry things on.

Caldeirada’s a fragrant stew that never tastes the same twice, because it can have different ingredients each time it’s made. The selection of seafood used varies depending on what the local fishing boats have been able to catch that day. The dish has a rich base of onions, white wine, olive oil and tomatoes, with a blend of fresh herbs and spices to bring out the flavours from the fish. The stew’s usually complemented with thin slices of toasted bread to mop up the fish-infused sauce.