Making waves in beach paradise

THERE is nothing quite like the feeling of boarding a Friday morning flight from Ireland: nothing like relaxing back into your seat as you gaze out of the window, feeling the engines surge as the plane rises out of the grey, cold mist on a journey bound for a weekend of golden beaches and blue skies.

That dreamy feeling, however, is seriously souped up, is multiplied by gazillions, when you’re two knackered working parents hightailing it on a much needed kid-free weekend away. And on a weekend where you’re about to try out something you’ve always wanted to — surfing.

Our destination for the weekend was Portugal’s Atlantic coast and the cliff top village of Ericeira on a Surfholidays.com package. Just 30 minute’s drive from Lisbon Airport, the Lisbon Coast is everything the Algarve used to be. Ericeira is home to far more homes than shops, having the ‘what’s the hurry’ feel of the Med but without the swarming tourism.