If you’re seeking out the best Sagres surf camp options for the coming year, then you’ve come to the right place. This guide runs through five of the top options, all on the rise of 2023.
There was a time when there was just one or two Sagres surf camp choices on the menu. Not so in 2023. These days, this town at the very southwestern extremity of mainland Portugal has become something of the unofficial surf hub of the Algarve. It’s now brimming with surf camps and lodges, some of which we even rate among the very best surf camps in Portugal.
The ones we list below are the ones that we think are pretty darn special. For the most part (with the exception of accommodation-only Wavesensations), they offer a full-package surf adventure that includes surf lessons Monday to Friday, and extras such as yoga classes and group BBQs or sunset watching. Let’s get started…
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This is just one part of our complete overall guide to surfing in Portugal
Sagres Natura Surf Camp
- Location: Sagres
- Price: 8 days/ 7 nights starting at $490 (£393) per person
The Sagres Natura Surf Camp is probably the most celebrated Sagres surf camp out there right now. It’s consistently highly rated and hosts guests in a classic Portuguese townhouse in the heart of Sagres itself. The location breeds good vibes – just five minutes’ walking and you can be glugging cold ones with your new surf pals on the main strip of apres bars. So does the style of the camp – there’s a BBQ in the garden and huge communal dining spaces and even a games room.
Anyway, we recommend their 8-day beginner and intermediate package. That focuses in on the beaches of the Algarve’s west coast but moves to the south when the swells get too big and heavy. We really love that there are two sessions per day at Natura, five times per week. That adds up to over three hours of surfing Monday to Friday, which is why loads of guests see great improvement in technique and ability.
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.
Sagres Sun Stay
- Location: Sagres
- Price: 8 days/7 nights starting at $536 (£430) per person
The Sagres Sun Stay is pretty darn cool. It’s like a mashup between a boutique hotel and a classic backpacker hostel that hits just the right notes for traveling surfers on a budget. Guests can spend time between sessions topping up the tan on the sun deck, bobbing around in the pool, or making new pals at the onsite hostel bar. It’s just a great vibe, and – we’ve been told – things can get prettttyyy lively once the sun has set!
When it’s daytime, you’ll be doing 2x 90-minute surf lessons with the in-house instructors. There’s usually one or two at least on Tonel Beach (Sagres’s own main surf spot) but you’ll also transport out to other spots to the west and south to taste a good cross section of what the Algarve is about.
We see this one as the prime budget option because you can save a whole load by selecting their shared dorm accommodation over the private rooms, which are almost double the price. You also won’t be forking out for added extras like yoga classes and whatnot. It’s a premium Sagres surf camp for $500 or so.
Wavy Surf Camp Portugal
- Location: Parque de Campismo Orbitur Sagres
- Price: 8 days/7 nights starting at $540 (£433) per person
We absolutely love the Wavy Surf Camp Portugal. It’s a bit different to the other Sagres surf camp options listed here because it’s based out of a proper campsite in the pine woods north of the town center. You’ll bed down under canvas in cool glamping bell tents for the duration, and hangout together on decks planted between clusters of scented stone pines. It’s a great way to rid yourself of the stresses of modern life and get back to nature.
They organize plenty of surfing on their 8-day camp – five lessons throughout the week, no less – and are well-suited to reaching a string of secret beaches on the western side of the region, which means you’ll often be surfing quieter line ups than the folk who stay closer to the town. At night, you’ll chill out with other surfers, clink beers together by the side of a campfire, and just revel in being away from it all.
Tiny Whale Surf Lodge
- Location: Colinas Verdes
- Price: 8 days/7 nights starting at $1,252 (£1,004) per person
Purists will shout that the Tiny Whale Surf Lodge isn’t in Sagres itself. That’s true. But we think it’s close enough to count here because you’re likely to be surfing many of the same high-quality beach breaks that spread up the western Algarve. What’s more, it’s a true corker of a camp, among the best surf camps in Portugal as a whole.
Let’s focus on the property itself first. That’s what really helps this one stand out from the crowd. You’ll be staying in a luxurious Portuguese villa surrounded by olive groves and pine forests, complete with its own swimming pool and fire pits. It’s less of a hotel, more of a home away from home. There are communal dining spaces, a shared kitchen, chill-out lounges. You’ll honestly feel like you’re an Algarve local the moment you check in.
Their flagship surf package is an 8-day romp around the Algarve’s best beach breaks. It’s aimed primarily at beginners and intermediates and is run by two ISA-certified coaches. The price also includes seven yoga packages that are specifically calibrated to help you soothe surf muscles. So, no, it’s not in Sagres town proper, but it’s a banging choice if you want a real Algarvian experience.
Wavesensations – Sagres Surf House
- Location: Tonel Beach, Sagres
- Price: 4-night surf stays starting at $257 (£206) per couple
Wavesensations is a very comfy surf pad that’s within easy walking distance of Tonel Beach, the main surf stretch in this southern Portuguese surf town. The whole place oozes a rustic, boutique feel. It’s part Ibiza-style beach pad, part Buddhist Zen garden. You can hop between the meditation garden and the bright and breezy interior lounges when you’re not surfing, or just kick back in your room, all of which are ultra-modern and stylish.
They do organize surf lessons on site – just ask at reception. However, Wavesensations lends itself towards a bit more of a DIY surf trip. You can book accommodation only, turn up with your own quiver, and surf down in Tonel every day, no need for a hire car or whatnot. A continental buffet breakfast is included with some rates. Expect to pay $60 in the spring per night and around $100 in the peak of summer.
The main things that gets you? A super-nice pad only a five-minute stroll from Tonel. Niceee.
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!
