There are objects throughout Maré that we chose not simply for how they look, but for the stories they tell. From the beginning, it has been important to us that Maré celebrates and promotes Portuguese art, design and culture, and that our guests encounter a little of it during their stay. Apart from the furniture, you won’t find many things around the house that aren’t Portuguese, whether it’s wall art, ceramics or something made by a local artisan. Each has its own story and a connection to this place. Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing the stories behind some of them. We begin with a photographer whose images you’ll find throughout Maré: Artur Pastor.

Every place has a story, and Maré Guesthouse is no exception. Long before it became the place you know today, this property was a much-loved family home known as Vivenda Arruda, a place filled with generations of family life, gatherings, traditions and memories, all closely intertwined with the history of Ericeira itself.

As we give this special property a new chapter as Maré Guesthouse, preserving its history and character matters deeply to us. Wherever possible, we have chosen to keep rather than replace. Many of the windows and doors, particularly in the oldest part of the house, are still the originals. They may not always close quite as perfectly as their modern counterparts, but we believe these little imperfections are part of the house’s charm and a reminder of its past. You’ll also find pieces of the family’s original furniture throughout the property, giving new life to things that have been here for generations.

So, we sat down with one of the owners, whose family built the property, to hear his memories of Vivenda Arruda, from life on the old family farm, to summers spent by the sea, to the Ericeira as it once was.

Sintra has a way of making you feel as though you have stepped into a different version of reality. The hills are impossibly green, the town looks like a film set, the air is cool and faintly misty even in summer, and perched at the very top of it all, visible from miles away, is the Palácio da Pena, painted in vivid yellow and red, with towers and turrets stacked against the sky. There is nothing quite like it in Europe, and it sits less than an hour from Ericeira. Sintra makes for one of the finest day trips from Ericeira, and Pena is the centrepiece of it.

If you have spent any time in Ericeira, you will have seen the signs, the stickers, the café murals: World Surfing Reserve. But what does it actually mean? And why does it matter, not just to surfers, but to everyone who loves this stretch of coast?

Just south of São Julião beach, a short drive from Ericiera centre, is one of our favourite hiking trails, with dramatic cliffs, hidden coves, and a stretch of coastline that feels remarkably untouched as it is protected by the Sintra-Cascais National Park. The trail follows that southern edge all the way to Praia da Samarra, passing a small tucked-away beach, a waterfall hidden in a valley, and some of the finest cliff-top views on the Atlantic coast. It is one of our favourite walks in the area, and one we recommend to guests who want to get off the beaten path without straying too far from Ericeira.

Perched on Portugal’s rugged Atlantic coast, Ericeira is today celebrated as a surf haven and picturesque getaway. But beneath its laid-back charm lies a rich and layered history shaped by fishermen, royalty, trade, and the ever-present ocean.