Surfing holidays

Our surfing holidays take place in areas with reliable surf that suit beginners and experts alike. Portugal is a surf capital and our holidays show it deserves the crown: not only is the mainland coast world famous for surf but the Azores, too. Head to Sao Miguel, the biggest island in the Azores archipelago, and Ribeira Grande, its surf capital, where powerful and consistent waves all year round attract heaps of surfers. On mainland Portugal, the Atlantic-facing coast around the cities Lisbon and Porto has plenty of surfing spots, plus the cities are right there should you fancy a bit of culture to go with your beach breaks. Alternatively, consider South Africa, another country with a thriving surf culture: Muizenberg – ‘Muzies’ to its friends – on South Africa’s Western Cape is a tiny coastal suburb of Cape Town where wave-hunters flock.

We choose places with year-round, reliable surf that will give beginners plenty of experience in sheltered beach breaks, whilst more experienced surfers can expect powerful and reliable waves. And you can also hope for good weather and sunshine, too. On our holidays you don’t need to be an expert to participate; beginners can learn to surf thanks to instruction from local teachers. Spend five days learning to surf in a spectacular setting, or spend mornings or afternoons surfing, and the rest of the day relaxing, exploring, or taking part in other activities.

Surfing can be exhausting, especially if you’re throwing yourself into a new sport as a total beginner. Many of our holidays combine time on the water with other activities so that you can see more of the destination beyond the beach, and give those paddling arms of yours a rest. Yoga is great for stretching out after some physical exertion, which is why it combines well with surfing on our yoga and surfing holidays. Alternatively, try sightseeing in cities near the beach, like Porto, Lisbon or Cape Town, or, in the natural wonderland of the Azores, try canyoning and walking in the interior of the islands.

Surfers care about the oceans – see organisations like Surfers Against Sewage, which have seen sportsmen and women leading protest against marine pollution. Help with beach cleans and litter picks, collect data on marine pollution, and help assess the health of the coastline, and engage with the local community and get them involved in conservation efforts. On our surfing and volunteering holidays you have a fantastic opportunity not just to integrate into a surf community, but the wider community too. On our community volunteering holidays in South Africa, you can combine surfing with time helping run sports programmes for children in the local area: getting your fresh air fix before helping others get theirs: through skateboarding, spike ball, swimming or boxing.