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6 Best Places to Surf in Portugal - Where to Surf in Portugal

4 June 2019

Surfing in Portugal is a dream that many surfers have. It’s one of the best surfing countries in all of Europe. Portugal is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and is also one of the warmest countries in Europe. This makes it perfect for all surfers, beginner or advanced. In this article, we’ll outline the 6 best places to surf in Portugal, and on these beaches you’re sure to have a blast. Where to surf in Portugal? Find out here!

Surfing paradise in Portugal

6 Best Surfing Beaches in Portugal

1. Praia da Aguçadoura

This place consists of a very long stretch of a sandy beach and lots of sandbanks. These banks are constantly moving, which helps produce incredible waves. The exact coordinates are 41.432316, -8.783625. Whether you’re a beginner or intermediate, this is a must-visit spot for surfers.

2. Foz do Lizandro, Ericeira

Ericeira hosts many major surfing events yearly. It’s one of the most popular places that people go to learn how to surf. You can rent surfboards there and the beach is truly picturesque. There aren’t any large stones in the water, and when you’re done surfing you can enjoy a variety of cafés and restaurants.

3. Arrifana - Costa Vicentina

Arrifana beach is surrounded by gorgeous cliffs, making it a secluded and peaceful beach. Both surfers and bodyboarders regularly come here. The beach is full of turbulent and violent waves which is just what most intermediate surfers want. After you’re done surfing, you can cool off in the woods of Costa Vicentina’s National Park.

Surf waves

4. Praia do Norte – Nazaré

Praia do Norte is now known for its huge waves. In November 2011, Garrett McNamara surfed the largest wave of the year according to Billabong XXL (a global big wave award) and Guinness Records. This quickly made Praia do Norte famous for its big waves and attracted big wave surfers from across the globe.

5. Carcavelos, Cascais

Carcavelos is the biggest beach on the coastline of Lisbon/Cascais. Many people refer to this place as the birthplace of Portuguese surfing. The water is sparkling clean despite the high number of people that go there.

The only downfall is that on a beautiful day, it’s full of people. Not all of them are surfing, many are simply hanging out on the shore or seaside cafés, but still, it’s not the definition of private.

For surfing, the waves are short and punchy. They peak up and down the beach. The waves are better in the shallow water. If you’d like to surf on this beautiful beach privately, go early in the morning.

6. Nazaré, Leiria District

Nazaré is one of the most famous waves in all of Portugal, maybe even the world. It’s extremely huge and powerful. This wave is hard to surf, regardless if it’s 5 feet tall or 100 feet tall.

It can actually be very dangerous, almost killing some of the best surfers in the world. Make sure to get a good long look from the sand at what you’re getting yourself into before you paddle out!

Health and travel insurance

Surfing in Portugal is very safe, but you never know when you will need health insurance or travel insurance. We recommend checking out SafetyWing for great travel insurance at reasonable prices for European travelers.

Conclusion

We hope you’ll visit at least one of the 7 beaches that we included in this list. Maybe you’ve already been to a couple and now have a couple of new beaches to explore. A Portuguese golden visa can make the surfing dream come true. Visit our homepage for more information on how to apply.