There are more surf camps in Ericeira than you can shake a 5″10 fishtail at. Some are A LOT better than others. We’ve done the legwork to curate the cream of the crop; the surf stays that really help you improve and offer a unique experience of this loveable Portuguese surf town.
A town of World Surfing Reserve pedigree, Ericeira is probably among the top three surf towns in Europe, and no doubt one of the most famous surf towns in Portugal. Breaks like the barreling right of Coxos have put it on the map, but that’s just one part of the story…
There are 10-15 other breaks stretching along the beaches that run south of the center that are just about perfect for learners. They mean that Ericeira isn’t just for tube-hungry pros on the WSL circuit, but also casual surfers and improvers. That, in turn, has brought the surf camps.
These days there are literally hundreds of surf camps in Ericeira to pick from. They run the gamut from luxurious boho stays with top-notch tuition and swimming pools to backpacker-style hostels with budget packages.
We’ve done plenty of due diligence over the last couple of years to find which are the stand-out camps (hard work, but someone’s gotta’ do it). Cue this list, which outlines the very finest surf stays to suit a whole range of travelers.
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 just one part of our complete overall guide to surfing in Portugal
Magikvanilla Surf Camp
- Location: Rua Ribeira da Baleia, Ericeira
- Best for: Beginners
- Price: 8 days/7nights starting at $625 (£528) per person
The Magikvanilla Surf Camp has become something of a legend in the Ericeira area. The status is deserved. It’s got there by doing the hard yards: Offering very well curated surf and yoga packages that are focused on delivering action-packed trips. Simple but effective.
Their 8-Day Premium White Waves Surf Camp in Ericeira is one that we regularly recommend to first-time surfers heading to Portugal. It cuts all the hassle of planning a surf trip so all you gotta’ do is book your flights. You’ll even be picked up at Lisbon Airport and taken straight to the door of the surf camp when you land.
After that, it’s onto five straight days with a fully guided surf lesson each. You’ll learn under the guidance of Steven Painter, a Level 2 ISA-qualified coach with more than 15 years’ experience on the waves here. It’s highly technical but also fun, with an overarching focus on getting the basics nailed down to a T.
You’ll stay at the Magikvanilla lodge. Fully renovated in the last few years, it feels more like a home away from home. That’s kinda’ because it is. The whole thing is a converted Portuguese townhouse villa. You’ll live there with other guests like a family, enjoying chill time at the pool and BBQ nights together in the gardens.
Omassim Guesthouse
- Location: Santo Isidoro
- Best for: Mature surfers
- Price: 8 days/7 nights starting at $782 (£661) per person
There’s an undeniable air of relaxation about the Omassim Guesthouse. Tucked into the side streets of a traditional fishing village north of the main center of Ericeira, it’s further away from the bumping bars and nightlife venues than many of the other surf camps listed here. In fact, returning to the pad after a day on the waves feels like returning to a vacation villa. There’s a pool overlooking the surrounding hills, a chillout terrace area, and communal lounge space for chin wagging about the day’s surfing.
The 8-Day Surf, Sleep and Eat in Ericeira package run by these guys puts you in the capable hands of Miguel Fortes and Michel Amaro of the highly rated Ericeira Surf School. They bring over 20 years of professional surfing experience and a deep knowledge of all the breaks around here (they’re bona fide locals, after all). The itinerary includes 5x surf lessons, all lunches and dinners, and transport to the breaks.
Moka Surfhouse & Yoga Retreat
- Location: Praceta dos Sete Môios
- Best for: Surf-yoga balance
- Price: 6 days/5 nights starting at $569 (£481) per person
To alight your Zen centers and score some waves, we think the Moka Surfhouse & Yoga Retreat reigns supreme among Ericeira surf camps. In many ways, it’s a more casual stay than others here. There are no uber-fancy room designs and slick infinity pools. Instead, the stay is a charming Portuguese townhouse with a cobbled garden and sun-kissed terraces. The main highlights are the colossal yoga yurt and the onsite veggie-friendly kitchen, which serve taste-bud-tingling health foods for lunch and dinner.
There’s a bit of a slackening off on the surf offering to fit in all the yoga that comes as part of the package. That means cutting your time on the waves down to three sessions of two hours each, though you’re free to crank that up in your spare time if you like. That does allow for in-house mediation classes, pranayama yoga, and more – there’s a daily yoga class of at least 75 minutes. Guests also get one relaxing sports massage. Pretty good for the sub $550 price tag if you ask us!
The Salty Pelican Yoga & Surf Retreat
- Location: Tv. dos Moinhos, Ericeira
- Best for: A pay as you go surf holiday
- Price: A week’s surf stays starting at $628 (£530) per person
Salty Pelican retreats come up time and time again in our best-of lists. There’s a reason for that. We think they strike just about the perfect balance between hands-on surf coaching and fun, all while still staying true to their roots as a youthful, energetic, posh-tel sorta’ stay. Sound like what you’re after?
Cue Ericeira’s The Salty Pelican Yoga & Surf Retreat. Let’s focus on the property first. It’s a design masterpiece, with quirky features like bedroom windows that peek into the underwater of the pool and a garden space peppered with spiny cacti. Visitors will find a cinema room, a games space, and bar all on site. And the whole place is dorm-based, with all-female and mixed options alike.
Whenever you want to surf, just ask about the daily surf lessons and the folk at reception will get you sorted. It’s usually on one of the beginner friendly beaches to the south. Later on, there’s usually plenty of partying to be done, not least of all because this lodge is right there in the heart of Ericeira old town.
Laneez Ericeira Surf House
- Location: Rua Dr. Eduardo Burnay, Ericeira
- Best for: A stylish stay with incredible views
- Price: A week’s surf stays starting at $246 (£208) per person
For a surf camp with a bit of style, look no further than the Laneez Ericeira Surf House. Rated ‘superb’ by former guests, the lodge oozes style. Inside, flickering fireplaces give way to reading nooks with panoramas over the roaring Atlantic waves. There are double rooms with beautiful marine artworks, and lounge spaces that spill onto salt-washed balconies.
This one’s bookable as standalone accommodation with breakfast. To add on surf lessons and gear rental, just rock up to reception when you arrive. They’ll help smooth everything out. You can also ask to join any number of other activities organized by the guides here, from outrigger trips to morning and evening yoga.
Oh yea, and the views from Laneez can hardly be beaten. We’d plump for this stay just for those!
Why take a surf camp in Ericeira?
Surf camps might reek of organized fun but in certain surf destinations a bit of organization goes a long way. Ericeira is one of those places. Basically, the breaks that lend themselves to beginners here are stretched over about 10-15 miles of gorgeous Portuguese coast, mainly to the south of Ericeira town itself. If you went on a DIY holiday, you’d most certainly need your own rental car to explore them all in the same trip, and even then you might not know exactly how to reach each spot and when they work best.
Choosing a surf trip takes all the stress out of that. Transfers to and from the wave is included in all of the camps we recommend below. That might seem like a small addition but it’s not to be sniffed at. It means you can just paddle out and paddle in and focus on your surfing; no need to navigating confusing bus schedules or fork out for a rental vehicle.
Of course, that’s not it. Unless you’re brining your own board then you’ll need to sort a wetsuit and a quiver for use on the breaks. That’s taken care of by surf camps, who typically have in-house equipment. Most of the ones we highlight below allow unlimited use of their boards from the moment you check in to the moment you check out.
And there’s more still! These packages usually include at least breakfast and sometimes even full board, technical surf analysis, and out-of-water coaching, video analysis, and in-water guiding. They are just all-round great bang for you buck and an easy way to come and surf some of the most famous waves in Portugal.
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!
