With 1,800 km of coastline and a huge variety of waves and swell size, Portugal is one of the most popular surfing destinations for both European and visiting surfers. There are literally countless places to surf, which makes Portugal an ideal location for surfers of every ability.
With so much coastline, Portugal is a great place to learn to surf. There are a wealth of incredible spots to choose from, with the Algarve, Alentejo, Lisbon coast, Ericeira, Peniche, Beira and Porto regions being the most famous surfing areas on mainland Portugal. Each of these regions has loads of great breaks, but Ericeira – the only World Surfing Reserve in Europe – is regarded as the surf Mecca of Portugal, with six major surf spots just a few minutes from the town center.
Portugal is also home to many “secret” spots with considerably fewer crowds. This means there’s a chance you’ll stumble upon your own private break! Finding them in this incredible country is reason enough to visit and an adventure in and of itself.
Visit our Surfcamps in Portugal
Ericeira
Ericeira – Coxos Surf Villa
Ericeira – Coxos Surf Villa
Milfontes
Milfontes
What’s the best time to surf in Portugal
The country has a very mild climate with solid surf and frequent offshore morning breezes. These are just a couple of reasons why you’ll see people surfing Portugal all year round. It’s true that during the more crowded summer months, it can feel like the entire country plus many foreign visitors have all descended upon the coast. But with so many beautiful beaches, you can hardly blame them. The waves, on the other hand, are actually better outside of summer even if the weather can get a bit too cool for casual swimmers and sunbathers.
The best time of year for surfing Portugal is late winter to early spring. During these months, waves tend to measure around 2-4.5 meters (6-15 ft). Summer waves, by comparison, average around 1–1.5 meters (3-5 ft) with notable exceptions such as Nazaré’s Praia do Norte, which is an iconic big wave spot and the site of many big wave surfing world records.
Given that the water temps don’t often climb about 20˚C, you’re better off wearing a long arm, long leg “steamer” wetsuit while surfing in Portugal. However, those who are brave enough can probably get away with wearing less neoprene that the rest of us. We have a great selection of high-quality wetsuits for you to wear, which means you won’t have to bring your own. Of course, boardshorts and a bikini are fine if you’d like to jump in for a quick dip. You can always warm up on the sand afterward!
Surf Spots for all levels from Beginner to Expert
Whether you’re a beginner or have surfed since you were a grommet, Ericeira is one of the best and most consistent summer surf destinations in Europe. With beautiful beach breaks nearby our Surf School as well as Portugal’s most hollow point breaks and reefs – there is something for everyone and all within a 10-minute drive.
Ericeira is known throughout Europe as one of the best spots for surfing all year round. The majority of Portuguese professional surfers come from Ericeira, due to the high quality and consistency of the waves. One of the longest breaks here, Ribeira d’llhas, hosts two world surfing competitions yearly. However, Ericeira has many other beaches for beginners to learn on and many perfect left and righthand reef breaks for more experienced surfers. Better yet, all of these breaks are located within a 20-kilometer radius of our surf camp.
Let the sun, surf and village life soothe your soul at our Surf School
We offer top quality surf lessons from instructors with European licenses at our surf school in Portugal. Our guides will take you surfing at the best surf spots of Ericeira and make you feel comfortable in the water. We choose the waves best suited to your skill level and the current surf conditions, ranging from beach breaks to point breaks and reef lefts and rights. Our surf lessons for beginners are cheap and surf guiding services are available throughout the day. You also have free time to practice what you have learned that morning during solo surf sessions in the afternoons.
A lesson at our surf school will teach you all the basics of surfing. We will also guide you to the best spots with conditions that are suited to your particular skill level.
Yoga and Surf: enjoy the best of both worlds in Ericeira
Yoga is a wonderful exercise to complement surfing. It is extremely effective at strengthening your core, stretching muscles, improving balance and teaching you how to control your breath, which are all important if you want to surf your best. By undertaking yoga sessions at our surf camp, you can enhance your surfing abilities and improve your strength, paddle power, flexibility and aerobic fitness. In short, yoga will help you surf better!
Our surf camp in Portugal offers very affordable yoga lessons to all of our guests. Fully qualified and certified and experienced yoga instructors will guide you through the different poses (or asanas) that they believe are beneficial for surfing. A delicious and nutritious breakfast followed by a relaxing but invigorating yoga session is the perfect way to start your day; a day filled with surfing at some of the best and most consistent waves in the world.
Your surfing dream holiday awaits you: join us and catch the Best Waves
The Rapture Camp is based in a large two-story Portuguese style house situated on Foz do Lizandro beach, roughly 15-minutes walk to the town center. This well-regarded surf resort in Portugal is the ideal place to relax after a day of surfing Ericeira’s world-famous breaks, which feature some of the best waves in the world. One of the best things about our surf camp in Portugal is that we’re only a few steps from a gorgeous beach that boasts a promenade flush with cute cafés and tasteful restaurants. The beach break out front works best at low and mid-tide, so you’ll have plenty of time in between surf sessions to explore the town.
Wake up for the early morning surf and peer out the window with your head still on your pillow to check the waves. Then head into town for some great Portuguese seafood or relax in a hammock on the large outdoor terrace with a cool drink. If you’d like to get your bronze on, the backyard features a daybed that’s perfect for an afternoon bake in the sun. When it’s all said and done, you can sink a few beers or sip on a glass of wine or port from local vineyards while watching the sunset.
See you in Portugal for fun in the sun and perfect waves
If you’re looking for a great surf holiday in one of Europe’s surfing centers, our surf resort in Portugal provides the perfect balance of privacy and convenience in gorgeous rustic surroundings. Sport, nature and culture combined produce the ultimate surfing vacation experience. Better yet, surf holidays in Portugal mean you get more bang for your buck.
Bring your family or friends with you and experience some of Europe’s most unspoiled beaches in the heart of the charming Portuguese countryside.