Mafra to Peniche

Our tour of Portugal has left Sintra in search of a place to stop the night and empty and re-fill the camper. The route is taking us from Mafra to Peniche, re-joining the west coast in the process.

It’s early May and tourists are beginning to appear, as is the warmer sunshine. At Mafra, an Intermarche supermarket has a dump and fresh area for motorhomes, making a useful pit stop.

It’s a little chaotic though, as the car wash is adjacent and cars are queuing over the motorhome dump area! This leaves us waiting a rather long time, and it’s all unnecessary as it turns out.

That’s because, a little further up the road in the town centre is a separate motorhome parking area complete with its own dump and fresh place.

I’m unsure how we overlook it, but we do!

Motorhome parking in Mafra

After leaving the Intermarche, we end up at the motorhome parking area in town, but it’s full. Instead of leaving, we hang around in hope that a motorhome will leave. Eventually, it does and we grab a place.

A short walk away is the beautiful centre of Mafra with its Palacio de Mafra. This phenomenal building is all lit up on our evening walk into town. It’s absolutely glorious and understandably UNESCO listed.

Built in 1717, with money coming in from Brazil, the library houses an incredible 40,000 books.

The building is so beautiful, we return the following morning for a daytime look.

Back to the coast and Ericeira

It’s time to head back to the coast, leaving Mafra and its glorious palace behind. Our first stop is the lovely resort town of Ericeira with numerous blue and white tile buildings along its cobble streets.

The town isn’t the only attraction, because the water front is just as beautiful. Unusual rock areas between sandy bays make for an interesting viewing spectacle. In addition, walkways along the raised seafront lead us towards a port, providing fine ocean views. There are plenty of places to sit and take in the scenery of this fishing town, in fact we really like it here.

Beach motorhome parking – Mafra to Peniche

Back on the road, we meander along the coast, passing numerous beaches. From dirt tracks to narrow lanes, the route is different and views often fab. Along the way are plenty of places to park, making this stretch of the tour seemingly more free and easy than elsewhere.

At Praia da Foz do Sizandro we come across a small but rather good motorhome parking area. Here we stop for a lunch break and walk, where a wooden bridge crosses a small inlet to a long stretch of white sandy beach.

There’s a dump and fresh water area at the parking too, making an ideal overnight stay on this magnificent stretch of beach.

We’re continuing on our way though, reluctantly leaving this rare beachside motorhome area. It’s one of those, ‘shall we stay’ moments, but our desire to see just what’s round the next corner urges on.

A lighthouse stay at Peniche

As the afternoon flies by, our drive reaches the large fishing town and resort of Peniche. It’s late afternoon when we arrive and end up driving out to the Cabo Carvoeiro lighthouse. This headland position outside of town proves really popular.

There’s several other motorhomes here and more as the evening goes on. Parking up overlooking some rocks and the Atlantic, brings a wonderful sunset too.

Meanwhile locals arrive to watch the sun go down, a chap sits playing guitar and couples sit watching the end of another day.

It’s a rather romantic kind of place.

This isn’t an official motorhome parking, but it’s tolerated on our stay. We don’t realise until we go off for a walk in daylight, that just before the lighthouse area are a fascinating mix of rock formations.

Ladders attached to the rock lead into holes created by the ocean and fine views lead out from this cliff position. We’re careful where we tread, with holes and the sea swirling below, we don’t want any accidents!

Rain and an islet

Unfortunately, the following morning at Peniche sees heavy rain, so we decide on a laundry visit instead of walking in the town.

A few miles further along from Peniche is a tiny islet called Baleal, accessible on foot from a sandy parking area beside a long stretch of beach.

It’s a miserable weather day, the wind is blowing strong and rain still falling, but we attempt a quick walk.

This area is big on surfing and there’s no shortage of water sports enthusiasts taking to the surf.

Unfortunately, the bays which must be glorious in nice weather are today shrouded in a low cloud.

The islet has a cafe at the start but otherwise it’s mainly residential, with waves crashing onto the coast. We haven’t walked far, but we’re already soaked. So, it’s time to retreat to the camper and think about where we’re heading next.

Thanks for reading ‘Mafra to Peniche’. Next time we reach the big wave town of Nazare, where we find ourselves in a rather tight spot!