Meg Goes Global

One of my goals for 2024 was to start learning how to surf. I’ve always been intrigued by it, and the lifestyle that comes with surfing. Despite spending over a year in Australia, and plenty of time in it’s well known surf hotspots, I have only done one lesson before this time in Portugal, so I thought now was as good a time as any.

Portugal is renowned for it’s surfing and for being home to the 100 foot wave, as well as the Algarve hosting heaps of surf schools along it’s stunning coast. Stumbling across The Surf Experience was one of the best internet worm holes I have ever found myself in when researching surf camps in the area, and it truly exceeded my expectations. This post is something I wish I could have read before I went, as some reassurance that I was not being elaborately scammed when sending money to a random company on the internet.

my surf experience

This camp is a lot less regimented than others you may have heard of so there is no particular start and end date. You can choose to stay as long as you like from a day lesson, to weeks. The school own a renovated town house in prime location in Lagos where you can choose to stay with other surfers, or opt for private apartments close by, also owned by the Surf Ex. You could choose your own accommodation entirely and just pay for the lessons. This freedom allows everyone to tailor their time as to what suits them and only pay for what you want to do. Each day you have breakfast at the town house, load up the vans and then head down to the beach, which will depend on conditions that day and the surfers’ abilities (everyone will be split into groups). The day normally consists of two sessions and a home made veggie lunch before driving back to the house, to probably have a much needed post surf nap. Followed by some drinks on the rooftop and dinner with the rest of the group if you fancy. This means a fairly early start with brekky at 8am, and the good portion of the day is spent at the beach to really make the most of it. We arrived back at the house between 3-4pm most days leaving the rest of the evening completely up to you, with recommendations from the hosts of course. I think this was the perfect mixture of all the surfing you could want, but also enough free time to be able to explore the town, socialise with new friends and recover from the tiring day.

Living in a house with a bunch of strangers turned out to be a lot of fun, and despite the quick turn around of guests, everyone bonds very quickly and it soon feels like home. The variety of guests coming to surf is crazy, so you can end up meeting people from all walks of life that you wouldn’t normally. Yes, I guess it’s like most hostels, but the added part is that you have the shared experience of going out in the surf together everyday. I think this is how you can make such good friendships with the most random people.

Surfing is HUMBLING! Like wow it really is harder than it looks; and that is just coming from a very low level beginner. But it is so rewarding. The feeling you get when you finally stand up is addictive. Then you spend the rest of your time chasing the feeling, quite often failing, and before you know it hours have passed. Add to this the fact you get to spend all day in the sun and chilling at the beach it really is my idea of a perfect day.

The camp has friendly and experienced surf instructors so you really feel like you gain a lot from the lessons. They also offer ‘video analysis’ sessions once a week if you really want to improve your skills. It’s a laugh to see videos of each other in the water and often a lot of nose dives and fails too. Watching videos of yourself learning to surf will definitely bring you back down to reality if you ever thought you looked cool while learning to surf.

I’m super keen to carry on surfing and would love to come back to the camp as they welcome people from all abilities to join. Not only did I learn so much, I genuinely loved the experience staying in the house and being in such a beautiful place.

lagos

I absolutely fell in love with the little city of Lagos. The beaches are truly stunning and the charming square is perfect. There’s so many side streets to explore and things you don’t realise are there until you stumble across them. Heaps of delicious food, lots of fun bars, quaint shops, surf stores and plenty of gelato. Also the geography of Lagos means it’s the perfect place to learn to surf because it gives you access to both the west and the south coast. In summer, the waves are good on the west coast, but when they get too big for beginners to navigate in the winter time, you can simply go to the south coast where the swell is still big enough to surf but not quite 100 foot. This also means that in peak season the south beaches in Lagos are perfect for swimming. Don’t get me wrong it’s the Atlantic, so be warned the water is going to be COLD all year round, but chuck on a wet suit and you’ll be too distracted by the waves to notice.

THINGS TO DO:

SURF

An obvious one but you have to try it when you’re here!

KAYAK

Boat tours and kayak trips are super popular here. I found kayaking to be a great way to see the famous coves from the water itself although it can be a lot of hard work it’s definitely worth it (EZride kayak trips are a great company).

There’s also lots of other water sports to try like a wakeboarding park or wind surfing if this floats your boat.

LIGHTHOUSE WALK

Do a coastal walk exploring all the coves along Ponta da Piedade and end up at the famous lighthouse Farol da Ponta da Piedade (even better if it’s at sunset).

BEACH HOP

Again pretty obvious but Lagos is home to world class beaches: from busy beach bars at Meia Praia, to calmer and quieter beaches. Choose from Praia do Camilo, Praia do Pinhão, and Praia da Dona Ana to name a few.

explore the culture

Maybe you want to visit the culture centre, or walk round the old city walls. Visit the fort or castle for a historic experience that is much covered by it’s modern centre now, but was the building blocks to the city many years ago.

EAT (and drink) YOUR HEART OUT

There’s so many places to explore from authentic Portuguese, to flavours from around the world, as well as the fun bars come night.

A few I think you should try:

La Foccacia – Italian street food perfect for affordable lunch or snack

Casa do Prego – modern Portuguese with local tapas and Portuguese pregos

Ala do Castelo – traditional Portuguese

The Green Room – delicious Mexican food and cocktails

Three Monkeys – fun bar with pool table

The Tavern – great sports bar turns to party at night