Where to Surf in July? 9 Destinations for Every Skill Level

July offers a mix of mellow summer surf in Europe, fun south swells in the Americas, and some of the heaviest waves of the year in Indo and the Maldives. Whether you’re a beginner, an intermediate, or want slabs and barrels, there’s a perfect wave waiting for you.

It’s those south swells in the Southern Hemisphere (where it’s winter in July) that really draw the eye. They push up right through the Indian Ocean and the Pacific to light up all sorts of places.

Europe will generally be mellower – the mellowest it will be all year, in fact. So, expect that to take up the more beginner-friendly suggestions here.

Let’s get started…

Top places to surf in July for beginners

Peniche, Portugal

Peniche is one of Europe’s best year-round surf hubs, and our overall top pick for beginners heading to Portugal.

While winter brings heavy beach breaks and fires up the likes of Supertubos, summer offers smaller, more manageable conditions perfect for beginners. More importantly, Peniche is a sort of peninsular town, with beaches on both sides. That means you can almost always find a spot that’s sheltered and good for learning.

Baleal Beach just north of Peniche proper is the main place to go as a beginner. It’s packed with some seriously good surf camps that we rate among the best in Europe for learners.

The obvious downside is that it might be a bit busy.

Where to stay? No question: Hit up The Salty Pelican, who run week-long surf courses from a stylish pad that’s under 30 seconds’ walk to the waves south of Baleal.

Moliets, France

Forget Hossegor’s winter slabs and the XL waves of the southern Basque, France’s Atlantic can be a much tamer beast in the summer months. Head north up the Landes coast to a small town called Moliets and you’ll find long beach breaks that mellow out lovely in July.

It’s a very chilled place to be without the localism or crowds you get in other European hotspots. Yes, there will be some flat days in midsummer but there’s a lot of 2-4 foot clean days with warm weather and warmish water (a 2-mil or 3/2 will still be needed).

Most of all, July is surf camp season in Moliets. This region is home to the best in the country and they’re only really open from April to October each year. Some are crackers, offering glamping stays in the pine woods and surf every day.

Where to stay? Star Surf Camp – A glamping camp in Moliets that we rate as the overall best in France.

Tofino, Canada

If you don’t mind colder water then Tofino is a stunning place to go to learn to surf. The smallest waves of the year come through in the summer and July has some of the nicest weather of the season.

The town is a hippy little oupost on the end of Vancouver Island but it lordes over three or four amazing beaches that have sand-bottomed breaks by the gazillion.

If there’s no surf, there will be epic hiking. Just watch out for bears.

Where to stay? Middle Beach Lodge has self-catering units close to a beach break and it’s cozy PNW through and through.

Best places to surf in July for lower intermediates

Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka

Don’t even think about going to South Sri Lanka in July. It’s the depths of the southwest monsoon season then and all the most famous surf towns – Ahangama, Weligama, Midigama – suffer from bad storms and loads of rain.

The good news is the east side of the island is in peak season, for weather and for surfing. There’s only one place to go: Arugam Bay.

This is the main hub of the surf in the East and it’s pretty awesome. Main Point is very consistent right that peels from an outside reef shelf into the main town beach. You can walk there from most places in town.

However, the real reason we like it for more advanced intermediates is the proximity of a few great breaks to the north and south. Go north to Whiskey Point and there are workable rights on a reef. Go south to Peanut Farm for something mellower.

Where to stay? Whisky Point Resort – These guys have super-nice beach bungalows about 10 meters from the local break and it’s an intermediate’s dream.

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

When we suggest San Juan del Sur (SJDS for short) to an improver surfer I usually clarify that I mean one of the many great surf beaches to the south or the north of the town. Look at as SJDS as your gateway to Rivas Province and go from there.

If you want good, reliable beach breaks all day long then go south to Playa El Coco. It’s one of my personal favorites in Central America because a) It’s stupidly pretty and b) it’s not really that busy.

Playa Maderas is a bit more of a full-on surfer town/village to the north of SJDS with a harder break that’s punchier.

Where to stay? La Veranera – just a super-nice hotel on a super-nice surf beach.

Best spots to surf in July for upper intermediates

Cabo San Lucas

July is prime time for south swells in Cabo San Lucas, with spots like Zippers and Monuments strung along the south-facing coast near town delivering fast, fun right-handers for confident intermediates.

There are two options here: Stay in town and venture out to surf when you want a session. That’s what I’d do if I was prioritising nightlife and dining over surf.

The other option is to get a car hire and choose a hotel on the corridor heading east out of Cabo town. That will give you access to all the best beaches and breaks in the region and mean you’ll be closer to the waves for quieter dawn patrols.

Where to stay? The Cabo Surf Hotel. Soak in the tubs overlooking one of the best right breaks in the region. It’s right on the beach and perfect for surfers.

Nosara, Costa Rica

Summer is Green Season in Costa Rica. That means rain but also south-direction swells, which offer regular chest-high and overhead conditions all up the Nicoya Peninsula. Combine that with almost nonstop offshores and you can see why CR is so sought after.

Tamarindo is probably more of a beginner choice and I’m not crazy about the vibe there anymore (maybe I’m old). Head south to Nosara for more chilled yoga-surf camps and access to Playa Guiones, a lovely beach that has some mini barrel waves out back but also lots of beach peaks for those morning when you’re feeling a little stiff.

Where to stay? The Nomadic Hotel. One of those special surf hotels you won’t forget. Luxury meets tropical charm.

Top places to surf in July for advanced surfers

Mentawai, Indonesia

If you’re looking for the best barrels of your life, the Mentawais in July won’t disappoint. This is peak season, and spots like Bank Vaults, Rifles, and Greenbush will be firing to thier full capacity.

A lot has been said about the Ments getting busy in recent years and yea, it’s busier than it was, but this is not Bali.

I mean this is bucket-list surf stuff. If you’re serious about riding the world’s best waves you should come here at least once. No time like the present and all that.

I’d reccomend staying around the Playgrounds area if it’s your first outing to the Ments. The best camps are there and it’s the best all-round intro to the surf here.

Where to stay? Awera Resort – Beachfront pools, gorgeous design and surf right on the doorstep.

El Salvador

El Salvador bucks the trend a little in Central America because it has south-facing beaches and that’s a doozy if you catch those big S swells that come up in June, July and August.

In fact, most people will say that July is peak, peak time in El Salvador, a land of the most epic right-hand point breaks it’s hard to believe it’s not got the same rep as the Ments or Costa Rica.

It’s a simple trip to organize: Make for Surf City, a stretch of about 3-4 surf towns on the coast that’s only like 50 minutes from the airport. I prefer to stay in El Zonte because it’s quieter but El Tunco is the one to pick if you wanna party at night.

Where to stay? Puro Surf Hotel is pretty famous now. It’s stylish as hell and has a world-class right-hand point break out front.