The 11 Best Places to Learn To Surf in 2025

Peniche is just about perfect for beginners. Scratch that, it’s just about perfect for ALL levels of surfer.

The key is a series of beaches that face in all direction. To the south is Supertubos, which looks straight west into the Atlantic. To the north is Baleal, which looks northwards. In between are long runs of sand that curve in such a way to offer up all angles you could hope for.

Now, we get that might sound like quantum mechanics to folks reading this, who we’ll assume are beginners. But let’s just say that it means you can essentially choose the conditions you want to surf in…

If there are big waves on one side of the beach, they’ll be smaller on the other. What’s more, you can chase offshore winds (the holy grail) by changing the beach you go to, keeping the water looking glassy and nice.

All of these are reasons why Peniche has established itself as the go-to surf camp destination in Portugal. It’s crammed with great places to stay and fantastic surf schools. Yes, the water can get busy, but it’s good vibes and good waves. Oh yea, and good nightlife.

When to go? There are waves all year. For total beginners, we’d recommend April, May, October & September, when crowds are smaller but there’s still reliable swell.

Where to stay? It has to be The Salty Pelican. These guys run exceptional beginner surf camps that won’t break the bank but will keep you dreaming of Peniche for months and months and months.

There was a time when Bali would have been a dead cert on this list. No longer. The fabled Isle of the Gods is now packed to bursting, badly polluted, and just a bit of a has been, though we still do love it, of course.

Lombok has bloomed as the heir apparent for learner surfers.

It’s the island one over from Bali, and it now has a brand-new airport and stacks of downright luxury surf camps up its sleeve.

The hub of it all is the town of Kuta Lombok, a bustling mix of bars and warungs and beach huts midway through the south coast.

Base yourself there and you can travel out every day to a different surf spot.

What’s fantastic is that there are options for everyone, from the knee-high gurglers of Selong Belanak for that first ever surf to the mellow A-frame of Tanjung Aan, which is slow, forgiving and cruisy.

If you’re looking for a destination that will help you go from whitewash to green waves and even onto reefs if you progress fast enough, Lombok has you covered.

It’s also blessed with white-sand beaches, fantastic food, and mighty volcanos to hike once you’re done surfing.

When to come? Any time. Wet season (November-March) actually works well in Lombok and can be better for beginners since waves are a bit smaller. Dry season (May-August) will have bigger waves and it will be cleaner.

Where to stay? Check out the lovely Porter Lombok hotel, which now runs surf outings daily. That is, if you can peel yourself away from the palm-lined pool.

Waikiki is hallowed, hallowed ground in the world of surf. Some say it’s where it all began, back with Polynesian kings cruising the breaks on wood-carved logs. The French and Peruvians might disagree with that, but the fact remains: This iconic bay in south Oahu is ground zero for surfing.

But it’s not hard stuff. In fact, it’s seen as a longboard haven and that means it’s generally good news for beginners.

There are like 10 bays you can pick from, each of them lined with surf rental shacks and surf schools of varying quality.

We like to head all the way along to Queen’s Surf Beach, which is usually the quietest spot on the run and very nice for learners. You can also pre-book surf classes that are specifically designed for complete beginners here.

When to come? Waikiki is different to the infamous North Shore. Here, the best season is the summer, which is great for beginners since it means lots of small S swells. Come between May and August.

Where to stay? Get the full resort experience in the exceptional Halekulani. It’s steps from the main beaches of Waikiki and, simply, sumptuous.

In a country where the headline is often Cusco and the Andes and Machu Picchu, there’s a lot of love for Mancora in Peru. We can see why.

Just about north enough to get a taste of the tropics in the air, this one’s a ramshackle shore town with salty bars, tuk-tuks, and the best ceviche and fresh fish you’ll taste in South America.

The main playa is where it’s at. It gets loads of small-wave action throughout the peak summer season. When it’s high tide the water pushes up to cover all the rocks that are there, so it’s pretty deep and forgiving.

Surfboard rentals and lessons are cheap here and the vibes are generally easy going and fun; not a bit like the highly contested point breaks further south in Peru.

When to come? The Southern Hemisphere summer, from October to March, brings solid S-SW swells and the best conditions to Peru.

Where to stay? La Maison Eco House-Boutique is perfect for beginners. Packages include 5x surf lessons, 4x yoga sessions and good vibes from start to finish.

San Juan del Sur, or SJDS for short, is now the epicenter of the beginner surf scene in Nicaragua. While the more advanced crowds are drawn north to the tubes of Popoyo, this fun little town in Rivas Province offers loads to those who are just starting out.

Here’s the offering…

A string of about five downright stunning tropical beaches to the south of town that tend to get chest-high sets of easy waves rolling in between their fruit-juice shacks and where you’ll probably meet wild turtles in the water.

Add to that the proximity of Playa Maderas to the north, which has more wedgy, punchy breaks for when you start progressing.

San Juan is packed with INCREDIBLE surf camp offerings. Some of them rate as the best in Central America for us, so you’re in good hands.

Oh yea, and it’s cheap!

When to come? March-September. Consistent swells and regular offshores.

Where to stay? Dreamsea Surf Camp – nestled in the jungle, this iteration of the Dreamsea brand is one of their best. Architecture, surf lessons, that swimming pool – what’s not to love?

Sayulita divides opinion because it’s now busy AF.

Once a chilled fishing town, it’s now packed with margarita joints and hip hotels and whatnot.

But there’s no denying the consistency and quality of the surf offering.

Right on the doorstep, you can surf mellow reef breaks and a lovely little beach break. It’s as if someone tasked god with creating the best darn spot to try surfing for the first time, and he went and threw in bath-warm water, great Mexican food, and year-round sunshine for good measure.

The other reason we mention this one is because it’s super accessible. Jet down to Puerto Vallarta and hop in a private taxi – you can be on Sayulita Playa in an hour after landing.

When to come? Any time. Summer is bigger. Winter smaller. But there are always waves.

Where to stay? Hotel Ysuri Sayulita is a long-time fav of ours. Looks right over the beach. Very comfy. A great pick.

Of all the Canary Islands, we’d probably just pick Lanzarote as our go-to for beginners. We’ll admit, it’s a close-run thing with Fuerteventura, which now definitely has the best selection of surf camps in the archipelago. But this one wins out.

It wins out because it’s one of the most perfectly angled, consistent beach breaks in Europe. Facing northwest into the Atlantic, Caleta picks up loads and loads of swell, which breaks in warm-water (you’ll only need a 2mm shorty really) all year long.

It can get a bit big here, with outside sets that hit overhead. The point is that there’s always a secondary swell and always loads of whitewash to enjoy.

Plus, we adore the village itself and the setting. It’s a dash of whitewash Spanish houses below a rugged line of cliffs. Truly beautiful and neatly tucked far away from the gaudy tourist centers of eastern Lanza.

When to come? Any time. Summers are generally best for beginners but can be windy. Winter will have bigger waves but it’s a top time to escape the cold weather of northern Europe.

Where to stay? Lanzasurf – these guys are like a family. Or, at least, they’ll feel like that when you check out. Cracking instruction and great-value surf camp deals in the heart of Caleta.

We thought long and hard about where would be our beginner surf pick in Costa Rica. From the party town of Tamarindo to the endless beachies of Santa Teresa, there are plenty that could fit the bill.

In the end, we settled with laid-back Nosara. It’s a place that’s consistently seen as one of the more hippy, happy-go-lucky towns of the Nicoya Peninsula.

Vegan eats, hip coffee roasteries, boutique hotels with yoga shalas coming out of their ears – this is the sort of vibe.

The surfing is mainly focused around wonderful Playa Guiones, which is just to the south of town. It’s got something for pretty much everyone, with hollow tubes firing off on big swells and mini green waves with a bit of punch appearing as the tide approaches.

Nosara is the sort of place you get to and then never want to leave.

When to come? It’s usually about the so-called Green Season in Costa Rica, which brings big waves from April to August. As a beginner, you can pretty much come anytime and enjoy!

Where to stay? The Nomadic Hotel isn’t just one of the best places to stay in Nosara, it’s one of the best surf hotels in the whole of Costa Rica. You’ll love it!

Sri Lanka’s Weligama is arguably the single best place to come to learn to surf in the whole of Asia.

On an island that’s already known for its soft, forgiving waves, this town takes things to the next level by offering nearly five full kilometers of surfable beachfront that’s literally a step through the palm trees from the camps and hotels.

Okay, so it’s not the prettiest town out there. However, Weligama comes with sand-bottomed A-frames and nice secondary-swell waves that are great for learning on. It’s also home to more surf schools than you can shake your dhal at, which offer lessons for like $15 apiece.

We’ll add to that the location. Weli is smack dab in the midst of the southwest coast. That’s perfect for surfers who are improving. Come, do your first week of surf here, then graduate to the mellow reefs of Midigama or Ahangama just up the road.

When to come? The European and North American wintertime is peak surf season in Weligama and the rest of southwest Sri Lanka. Come between November and March.

Where to stay? The Surfer is one of the OG camps in Weligama. They do cracking packages that cost <$500 per person, including six days of surf lessons, gear, rental, and accommodation.

UK readers of The Surf Atlas should know that they don’t have to jet off somewhere far away and burn more CO2 than the average cow farts out in a year just to get their fix of surf.

Cornwall is right there; on the doorstep.

Shaped like a bent-finger, the county juts out into the Atlantic to hoover up swell. It can get beasty in winter, but summers are for the groms, the families, and the beginners.

Newquay is the capital of surf in Cornwall and a great place to grab a casual lesson while enjoying the classic rigmarole of Cornish pasties and West Country cider.

For something a bit more adventurous, we’d head almost as far south as you can, to Sennen Cove. That pint-sized village is like something from a pirate novel, with fire-warmed pubs on the shoreline and mini waves that break in cold, turquoise Atlantic waters.

When to come? Summer. Winter sees the waves get bigger and more suited to advanced surfers. Spring and fall are also good options, especially if you don’t like crowds!

Where to stay? Backpackers cannot go wrong at St Christopher’s Newquay. They have an onsite surf school and bar. Families might prefer a traditional Cornish cottage like the hearty No Place in Sennen.

The old Berber fishing town of Taghazout is very much the kingpin of surfing in Morocco. However, what a lot of people don’t know is that most of the surf camps based there will take their beginner groups to the nearby village of Tamraght.

Tamraght itself has harnessed that and started to establish itself as a bit of an alternative to its next-door neighbor, offering cheaper rates, better schools for learners, and better proximity to Agadir airport (which is like 20 minutes’ taxi away).

What you get is a long run of sandy beachfront that’s kissed by ultra-consistent waves from November to March. Behind that, the town is speckled with hotels of all shapes and sizes, plus a clutch of surf camps that run the gamut from lux to bargain-friendly.

When to come? Only between November and March – seasons are important in Morocco. It will be too windy in the summer.

Where to stay? Wave Gypsy Surf & Yoga – A dual focus on surf and yoga is the name of the game at this stylish camp in Tamraght.