Aljezur surf spreads down a couple of bays on the Algarve’s western coast, including one of the best learn-to-surf spots in Portugal. It’s also a lovely, whitewashed town with bags of character, a Moorish castle atop its main hill, and a great local vibe that’s not touristy like the rest of the Algarve. Just don’t tell anyone about Aljezur. It’s too good to share.
An introduction to Aljezur surf
Aljezur is a bit of a strange surf town. It’s not actually on the coast at all. Instead, it sits in a lush valley a couple of miles back from where the Atlantic rolls in. The good news is that means you get access to a handful of different beaches if you’re willing to drive. Most are only 10-20 minutes away. Some are downright legendary on the Portugal surf scene…
Arrifana Beach, especially, is known as one of the best places for beginners in the whole country. Even closer to town, the salt-washed surf village of Monte Clerigo gets breezy but picks up fat westerly swells, often with fewer crowds.
The coast to the north and south – a protected area known as the Costa Vicentina – offers a whole chocolate box of spots, from uber-famous Carrapateira to the more chilled beaches of Praia de Odeceixe. What’s more, the south coast of the Algarve isn’t too far. Sagres, Luz and others there can be much better in midwinter when the Atlantic is throwing a tantrum.
One of the best things about Aljezur as a surf destination is just how pretty it is. Find yourself a pad in the old town and you can kick back by a crackling log fire after a long day on the waves. Alternatively, there are ocean-view villas and surf camps on the sunset-kissed cliffs above Arrifana Beach itself, not to mention a few cool beer bars for evening sesh.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
This is part of our major surf guide to all the surf spots in Portugal
Aljezur Surf at a glance
The good:
The bad:
What’s in this guide to surfing in Aljezur?
Where is Aljezur?
Aljezur is one of the northernmost towns of the Algarve region. About 30 minutes to the north of Lagos, it sits just on the edge of the Costa Vicentina reserve. That puts the nearest surf spot about 7km to the west, and the nearest major airport (in Faro) just over an hour’s drive to the south-west. Lisbon is accessible on the E1 motorway in 2.5 hours, but we prefer the scenic (and toll free) coastal route that goes via Sines and a few other surf towns on the way south.
How to get to Aljezur
You’re going to need a car. Sorry, but the public transport links throughout the Algarve only really link up the popular holiday resorts of the south coast. Aljezur is also quite far from the main north-south railway line in Portugal. Plus, how do you plan on getting back and forth from the beaches once you get to Aljezur – they’re 15 minutes’ drive away through the coastal reserve, remember!
The good news is that car hires in Portugal shouldn’t break the bank. We last rented one during COVID here and took it all the way to Aljezur from Lisbon for 30 days. It cost us like $350. That’s gone up a bit now but still, it’s kinda’ cheap compared to other places around Europe.
We should also say that the drive down from Lisbon is pretty stunning. Our advice would be to take the longer N120 coast road route instead of the main motorway (both come up when you put Lisbon to Aljezur into Google Maps, but the longer option is WAY more fun). That will take you through lovely dashes of cork forests and through pretty beach towns like Sines en route.
You can search for car hires in Portugal right here – we tend to use RentalCars.com because they have some of the best rates going and offer cancellation up until the last moment with most bookings…
The best place to fly into to get to Aljezur is Faro, where you’ll find the main airport in the Algarve. Sadly, flights there can be limited in the peak surf season because really they are all for the beach bums that come in summer. If you can’t get a connection there, look to Lisbon, which is roughly three hour’s drive to the north (but – look above – it’s a nice drive!
We typically use Skyscanner to check flights in Europe – it lists both national carriers like TAP and low-costers like Ryanair.
A guide to the Aljezur surf spots
Aljezur is the kingpin of a coastline that offers plenty of surf spots. Variety is one of the strong points of the region. Reefs, points, beach breaks – it’s got the lot. Different breaks work on different swells and tides, though, so it’s worth doing a little reading before you drop the board in the boot. Consistency is another big bonus – this corner of Portugal gets a nice brunt of the swell from over the Atlantic so most days have something working.
Praia de Odeceixe
Travel north from Aljezur and you soon arrive in the charming village of Odeceixe, which is linked to Praia de Odeceixe down a pretty coastal track. It’s technically not in the Algarve at all, but does look very similar to the beaches a little south. The break lacks a little quality in our opinion but is highly consistent. Expect peaky beach breaks with heavy closeouts when its big. Best with a NW swell in autumn and an easterly offshore.
Amoreira
Amoreira is a jaw-dropper of a beach. It forms off a lovely rivermouth that comes in all the way from Aljezur. You have to take the road to the north of town to get to the surf spots unless you want to paddle across the river itself. We wouldn’t recommend that because the rips can be strong.
Very different breaks at low and high tides at this one. Low opens up the breadth of the bay and you tend to get fatter, punchier peaks to the north, under the big headland. High tide brings it into the bay to form off sandbanks around the rivermouth. It’s a good break with a decent left ride, but you have to be careful for those undertows.
Monte Clerigo
Monte Clerigo is actually closer to Aljezur than Arrifana but often waaay less busy. You can take the left on the coast road as you leave the town and be there in under 10 mins. Stop at the pull in at the top of the bay to take a look at the surf (in our experience, the conditions are often a whole load different than Mr. Internet says).
Two spots work best of Clerigo. The first is at the north of the beach. It’s a sand-bottomed beach break with lefts and rights, best on a long period and with swells of around 6 or 7 foot. The other spot is right in front of the village. It can get hollow there on anything over 8 foot but there are pockets of reef and rock under the water to watch out for, so not a great idea if you’re not familiar with the area.
Arrifana Beach
Arrifana Beach is the jewel in the crown of the Aljezur surf. This is the place that really puts the town on the map. The reason? It’s a fantastic beginner spot with all the practice whitewash you could want. You also won’t find it hard to score well-priced lessons with a local Arrifana surf school (there are lots by the beach and in Aljezur itself).
Arrifana hosts two separate breaks. One’s a mediocre beach break that’s prone to close outs on low tide and works best at either end of the bay. The other is a pretty gnarly reef out front of the harbour at the north of the sand. It’s only for experts.
Check out our complete guide to surfing in Arrifana for more info on this awesome spot
Vale Figueiras
One of the more hidden spots that you need to drive down a gravely dirt track to get to, Vale Figueiras is a beach break with scattered rocks and sand underfoot. A good option for dodging the crowds when there’s a swell in summertime and Arrifana is packed. Not the longest rides, but goes lovely on a 5-9 foot west swell, when the lefts are lovely and hollow. Best conditions are on easterly offshores.
Bordeira Beach
Bordeira Beach is another beginner-friendly spots to the south of Aljezur. A stunning beach, it’s overshadowed by the big cliffs at Carrapateira. The sands run north from a rivermouth after that, going for miles and miles (they even connect to Vale Figueiras when it’s low tide). Lots of peaks exist up and down the shore. They get bigger closer to the south cliffs and estuary, where there will also be rips. Works best at around 5-10 foot and closes out after that. Keep watch for the small rocks that come into play when it’s low tide.
Carrapateira
Carrapateira is the parish that overlooks Bordeira Beach from the south. Most of the time, these two spots are coupled together, but we think they are worth distinguishing. While the above is a peaky beach break with fat waves at low, this one’s a classic left point. It only works on bigger days when there’s enough of wall to come off the Carrapateira Cliffs. When it does work, it’s a fast and sometimes hollow ride that often draws spectators to the lookout above.
We’ve got a complete guide to surfing in Carrapateira, just south of Aljezur
Sagres
Sagres is one of the surf meccas of the Algarve. It’s only 40 minutes’ drive from the Aljezur surf spots, so well within daytrip distance. On top of that, it’s got the best of both worlds, thanks to south-facing beaches that get wrap-around winter swells and west-facing beaches that pick up even the smallest of summer swells. Sagres also has banging surf schools and hostels.
Check out our complete guide to the surf in Sagres right now
Surf camps in Aljezur
There are some great surf camps in Aljezur and the Algarve region. We mention some of them in our complete guide to the hottest surf camps in the country. They shine a lot because you have Arrifana beach here, and that’s surely one of the best beginner-intermediate spots in the south – thing punchy beach breaks on sand, with plenty of sunshine throughout a long summer season.
Anyway, we didn’t do a surf camp here but we’ve heard that they make for pretty nice stuff. We can see why: Not as busy as around Lisbon or Porto, on beaches with basically endless swell, and in a lovely location. The top picks of the area would be:
- Russo Surfcamp 8-Day Surf Camp – The Russo Surfcamp is tucked into the hills that lie south and east of Aljezur. You’ll stay in a rustic villa with its own pool overlooking the peaks, and even a halfpipe on site. The people are cool, the surfing is daily and very effective. Mostly, you’ll leave with friends for life!
- Arrifana Surf Lodge 8-Day Surf Camp – A classic Aljezur surf camp that we’ve heard excellent things about. They do an 8-day package that has daily surfing on Arrifana and yoga included. This one is also a great option if you’re not wanting to rent a car since it includes transfers from Lagos.
A note on why we partner with BookSurfCamps.com: Book Surf Camps are probably the biggest online aggregator of surf camps and surf-yoga packages in the world. We sounded out a quite a few potential partners before we affiliated with them. But, in the end, the abundance of choice for beginners, intermediates, and female-only surfing sealed it. We also love the simplicity of their booking system and the trusted brand name, along with the focus on connecting with homegrown local businesses on the ground.
Want more [yoast_kw] camp options? Search the whole shebang below right now and book in a few clicks.
Where to stay in Aljezur?
There are really two choices in Aljezur for surfers. (1) Stay in the old town area and enjoy the sleepy vibes of the town itself but drive back and forth to the beaches. (2) Stay close to the beach, have the surf on your doorstep and then drive to Aljezur town to explore. We actually like option two the most but here’s a little selection of what’s on offer in both…
Hillside 2 Aljezur old town ($$)
Hillside 2 Aljezur old town is a stunning property. tucked into the cute backstreets on the southern side of Aljezur old town, it gives you more character than you can shake your morning coffee at. Whitewashed walls contain a cosy kitchen. There’s a bijou deck for gazing at the rural views. And – of course – you get a lovely fireplace for warming your toes after a day on the chilly autumn Atlantic surf.
Casa do Sapateiro ($$-$$$)
Nothing can beat the quirky little Algarvian cottages that dot the old town area of Aljezur. Cosy, compact and steeped in history, they’re one of the most characterful places you can stay in this area. Casa do Sapateiro is one of the stand-out options in the crowd, mainly for its bright living room and sweeping view across the valley. Parking is available on the wider streets to the north and south of the cottage.
Endless Summer Surf House ($$)
Endless Summer Surf House sits just back from the clifftops in Arrifana Beach. It’s the PERFECT location if you want to stroll down to a sandy beach break every morning to practice. The accommodation is a super-rated villa with a gorgeous pool and garden. You can rent individual rooms but there’s a cool vibe with surfers meeting surfers and hanging out.
Step-by-step guide to planning your [yoast_kw] trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the [yoast_kw]…Lately, we like Omio for searching flights. It’s a nice interface and has lots of airline options. We also use Skyscanner because that sometimes offers deals that even beat going direct to the carrier!
Step two: Book your surf camp Book Surf Camps is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages on the internet right now. Then there’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check EXACTLY how close your hotel is to a surf break.
Step three: Get insuranceThis is kinda’ important. Not just for surf trips but for any trips. SafetyWing is great for nomad travelers. They offer rolling contracts that cover amateur surfing.
Step four (optional): Rent a car If you’re surf camping then you might not need wheels. If you’re not then we’ll just say this: We’ve never been on a surf trip that wasn’t improved by having our own car. Use RentalCars – they’re the best.
Step four: Enjoy!
Aljezur surf seasons
The part of the Algarve where Aljezur makes its home is among the most consistent surf territory in Europe. it’s got waves all year round – seriously, it’s very rare for it to be completely flat. Of course, things do change with the seasons. Here’s how…
Summer (June-August)
Summer in the Algarve means one thing: Crowds. Thousands – read: millions – descend on this corner of Europe to chase the sun. Not 100% will be looking to surf, but there’s no doubt that lineups swell, much to the ire of the local crews. Still, f them, because the quality of Arrifana surf school classes and surf hostels, coupled with decent S and W swells from the Atlantic means it’s high time to get started as a surfer!
Wear: 2mm, no more needed
Spring (April & May)
Spring sees a slow drop in the regular winter storm swells and means lots more manageable days for beginner surfers, especially closer to the end of May. The tail end of the NW dominant swell from deep in the Atlantic can offer strong groundswells and fire up those points by Carrapateira. Smaller days mean consistent beach breaks on Arrifana.
Wear: 4/3 and then 3/2 for May onwards
Autumn (September-November)
It can be pretty warm in the Algarve even as late as November. We know because we were tanning ourselves on Arrifana Beach on the 23rd of Nov last year. Evenings do get chilly and there’s a little more wind.
Wave wise, you’re looking at a changeable season. There’s potential for some pretty big swells. Overheads, double overheads and even more aren’t uncommon as you approach December. However, for the most part its 5-10 foot and very consistent. Autumn also means fewer people in the water, so it’s one of our favourite times of the year on the Aljezur surf full stop.
Wear: 4/3
Winter (December-February)
Winters might be short in the Algarve but they are downright fiesty in the ocean. Paddle out in December and you might just be hit with mega powerful swells. In fact, they’ve got punch even when they’re small. Pockets of calm do exist (it’s almost December right now and Arrifana is currently a near flat 2-5 foot with shorebreaks). However, this season is mainly for the more experienced surfers. It’s also best for dodging the crowds.
Wear: 4/3 and boots/gloves
Surf shops in Aljezur
Aljezur has plenty of surf shops for a town of its size. Our favourites are:
The Washout
A cool little surf stop on the main road below the cottages of Aljezur old town, The Washout is part shop, part laundrette. You can get your smellies on and browse the range of fins, leashes, jewellery, and surf photography. They also do rentals.
SW Surf Shop
One of the larger and better-equipped of the surf shops in Aljezur, SW is a real emporium of surf gear. We particularly love the wetsuit collection. They have most major brands (Xcel, RipCurl) and do last season’s gear with heavy discounts. It’s also rare to find a second-hand rail in the Algarve that has this one’s quality and variety.
Aljezur Surf Spot
Aljezur Surf Spot is probably the best known of all the surf shops in the town. Only, it’s not quite in the town. It’s actually out on the road towards Arrifana in the smal hamlet of Vales. Great stock of new and used boards, along with eco-friendly WildSuit wetsuits and C-Skins. They also run some of the best surf lessons around if you go with reviews.
Best places to eat in Aljezur
Aljezur has lots and lots of eateries and cafes. We’ve pinpointed just three of our favs below. We’d also recommend marking the town’s supermarket on the map. It’s new and really well stocked with plenty of veggie and vegan and international ingredients. You’ll definitely want to know about it if you plump for self-catering stays.
Sea You Surf Café ($-$$)
Sea You Surf Café sits on the road just above Arrifana Beach and has become something of a gathering point for riders after hitting the Aljezur surf. It’s a lovely little coffee joint with a breezy terrace and a menu of kombucha and intriguing craft lagers.
Arte Bianca ($-$$)
Hands down the best pizza in the Algarve. Big words, we know. But this one follows the age-old traditions of Neapolitan cooking. Passata is fresh; Mozzarella is chewy and gooey. Perfect. Oh, and very easy on the wallet too – margaritas come for around 8 EUR.
Café da Ponte ($)
There’s really nothing like starting the day with a coffee at this charming kiosk on the riverside in the middle of Aljezur. It’s on the way out of the old town and has parking right next to it, so you can pull over on your way to the beaches. Coffee and cakes are the order of the day.
Things to do when you’re not surfing in Aljezur
Aljezur inhabits a very interesting part of Portugal. Waves or (rarely) no waves, you’re bound to have fun. If flat, try…
Sunset at the castle
An ancient Moorish castle looms high on the ridges above the Aljezur old town. apart from looking downright spectacular, it’s a perfect place to go for sunset. You can look west towards Arrifana Beach in the distance and catch the last rays.
Or, look east at the town itself and see the haze of pink and blue while smelling the wood smoke rise from the chimneys. Lovely.
Costa Vicentina
The Costa Vicentina is the whole region that surrounds Aljezur. It’s basically one long mass of sand hills, dunes, river valleys, and coastal heath. AKA – super, duper beautiful.
A walking trail links most of it, and there are epic day hikes to do, espeically down the Aljezur valley to Praia da Amoreira and back – the swims in the river along the way are lovely.
Check out this guided hike that you can book online before arriving. It crosses what we’d say is probably the most epic part of the shoreline, starting at lovely Amado beach and moving through the pine woods from there.
Algarve beaches
We actually prefer the beaches up the Costa Vicentina. However, there’s no denying that the sands on the south side of the Algarve are what put the region on the map. You can drive down in less than an hour and check them out. The best include Praia do Carvalho and Praia do Vale de Centeanes.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
2 comments
Hello
Where can I rent a car in Lisbon for 3 weeks for only 300e..??
Yo Janne. Messaged privately about this – anyone else looking check out Centuaro. Hope you found something!