Are you on the hunt for the best surf camps Porto has to offer? Then check this guide which includes the five finest surf camps in, or mainly around, Portugal’s second city…
Looking for surf camps in Porto? You’ve come to the right place. We at The Surf Atlas are big, big fans of what northern Portugal has to offer for surfers. Yes, the waves here are a bit more unruly than the long, punching shoulders of the western Algarve, and there might not be any fancy World Surfing Reserves a la Ericeira. But the region is wilder, lusher, wetter, and great for escaping the crowds. On top of that, we rate some of the beaches around Porto city as prime territory for learners looking to improve. Waves from Espinho up to Azurara are just about perfect for honing your pop up and getting the basics right in the spring and summer.
The number of surf camps in Porto has been growing in recent years. That’s down to a mix of people straying further from the tried-and-tested surf meccas of the Silver Coast and Peniche, and an increasing array of low-cost airlines going into the local Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport. We’ve visited quite a few of the best surf lodges in the region and have heard excellent things about others (and not-so-excellent things about others still).
Cue this guide, which runs through the five very finest surf camps in PT’s second city for the coming year. Notice how most aren’t based in Porto proper but rather in one of the smaller surf towns on the outskirts. That’s to be expected, since you’d need to travel further to the waves if you stayed in the downtown anyhow. Spots like Ovar, Aveiro and Maceda tend to be the most popular.
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
It’s also a part of our complete guide to surf camps
Maceda Surf Hostel
- Location: Ovar, Aveiro
- Price: 8 days/7 nights starting at $569 (£462) per person
Right now, the Maceda Surf Hostel reigns supreme in northern Portugal and the Porto region. There’s hardly another surf camp that can touch it in terms of quality and inclusions. Take their flagship 8-day package, which includes the standard five lessons throughout the week, only these lessons are a whopping four hours long! That’s 20 hours+ of surfing if you want it.
So, overload of surfing? Check! But that’s really just the start of why Maceda stands out from the crowd. The accommodation itself is also downright fantastic. It’s a bona fide eco resort with pod-style glamping rooms set between forests of lanky pine trees. You’ll spend evenings there chatting and clinking beers with other guests. You know what they say – sometimes the good old days are happening right now!
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.
Estela Surf & Hostel
- Location: Estela
- Price: 8 days/7 nights starting at $468 (£380) per person
Budget-friendly and charming, the Estela Surf & Hostel is a bit of a home away from home. It’s not got a hint of the commercial feel of some of the branded surf-lodge chains that have set up shop in southern Portugal. Instead, it’s family owned and very welcoming. People come solo and leave with a whole new group of mates, who they’ve dined with each evening and surfed with each morning.
The package is low-key but covers all the basics. On the 8-day trip, you get five days of morning surfs. They’re almost always on the local beaches north of Porto, which is key because those are the hidden spots of the region – smaller lineups, better vibes. Without revealing exactly where you’ll surf, we’ll just say it’s likely to be beach breaks on long, bending stretches of pearly white sand. Nice.
On the budget front, this one oozes value for money. The whole thing comes in for less than $450 a pop, for a full week’s stay and a dedicated surf guide from start to finish.
Marias Hostel & Surf
- Location: Praia do Furadouro, Ovar
- Price: 6 days/5 nights starting at $279 (£226) per person
In the midst of salt-washed, sandy Praia do Furadouro, a bijou resort town about 40 minutes’ drive (or the same on the train) south of Porto, Marias Hostel & Surf is the picture of a budget surf camp. If you’re keeping a close eye on the spending, then you can drop $300 on this one and fit in four days of guided surf tuition at one of the most consistent beaches on the Silver Coast.
The price includes transport to and from the breaks, and up to three hours of surfing each day. Them be the basics. On top, you get a tasty homemade breakfast each morning and access to one of the best gear stashes we’ve seen of any surf camp in PT – their boards are all very well maintained and wetsuits are premium stuff.
The whole thing is framed by the sociable vibe. That’s encouraged by the hostel-style accommodation, which offers a small-group vibe and plenty of communal spaces to gather and mingle after a day on the water.
I Surf Portugal
- Location: Praia de Angeiras, Lavra
- Price: 8 days/7 nights starting at $555 (£450) per person
The guys at I Surf Portugal have put together a surf camp option that’s all about immersion in nature. It’s the perfect cure for the stresses of the Rat Race, because they get you bedding down under canvas between the swaying coastal pine forests. The gorgeous golden beaches that bridge the gap between northern Porto and Spain are steps away, too – literally, since it takes just seven minutes to walk from the campsite to the ocean!
The flagship 8-day surf and yoga package here includes five surf sessions plus theory classes to match. They’re run by Portuguese Surfing Federation-qualified Jorge Alves, who’s also the owner of the camp itself. The package is bulked up with four included yoga classes and free use of surf equipment from beginning to end.
The real kicker is that you’ll be staying in uber-cool glamping tipi tents out in the Portuguese woods. They’re spacious and stylish, with double beds on palettes and plenty of space to store your luggage. At night, the whole camp gathers to eat – there’s a dedicated chef who makes amazing meals every night, veggie-friendly to boot. Later, you can grab a beer from the camp bar and share stories by the campfire or enjoy some of the weekly entertainments – pub quizzes and movie nights are all in the roster.
To sum up: There aren’t many proper glamping surf camps in Portugal right now and this one’s really leading the way with its quality accommodation options, highly qualified teaching, and – most of all – great vibes! You’ll make pals for life!
Onda Pura
- Location: Matosinhos, Porto
- Price: 7 days/6 nights starting at $770 (£625) per person
Veteran surfers who’ve been in and out of Portugal’s northern city in the last 10 years might have heard of Onda Pura (or the Onda Pura – Surf Center to give them their full name). Basically, they are one of the highest-rated standalone surf schools in the region, with nearly 30 years of experience running classes for all levels of surfer on their CV.
Anyway, they’ve recently partnered with the folks over at Casa Rietsch, one of the city’s newest hostels. And, this time, it really is IN the city, right there between the cool coast cafes of Matosinhos. Yep, the beauty of this 7-day package is that you’ll get to stay within the urban buzz of Porto itself and be taken out to the surf breaks each day, depending on where’s working best.
Crucially, all your transport to and from the surf breaks is included. As is surf gear and board rental for the duration of the lessons.
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!
