Surf Camps in Algarve, Portugal: 28 Compared (2026)
Compare 28 surf camps in Algarve, Portugal: rated 4.8/5, 4-8ft swell. Learner waves: All year. Ratings, surf conditions and season side by side.
Praia do Tonel (3) · Praia do Amado (1) · Monte Clérigo (1) · Raposeira (1) · Algarve (1) · Praia da Luz (1) · Praia do Beliche (1) · Praia da Arrifana (1) · Praia da Mareta (1) · Arrifana (1)
Meals included at 23 of the 25 camps that state it (4 full board). Yoga offered at 21 camps. Video analysis of your surfing at 8 camps. As stated on each camp’s own website.
The Algarve is two coasts meeting at a corner. The west coast faces the open Atlantic and takes everything it sends; the south coast, around the corner past Sagres, is sheltered and far smaller. Almost every camp here is built around that fact - they will drive you to whichever side is working, and the week you get depends more on the forecast than on which camp you booked.
Sagres, the west coast or Lagos
Two coasts meet at a corner — your base decides how far you drive when the forecast picks a side.
Sagres · Both coasts in 20 min
The southwestern tip: Tonel and Beliche face west, Mareta faces south, and you can look at all three before breakfast. Most camps are here · West + south coasts close.
The west coast · Raw Atlantic
Arrifana and Amado take open-ocean swell with nothing in the way — the best waves in the region on a moderate day. Arrifana & Amado · Biggest, wildest beaches.
Lagos & the south · Town + gentle water
Bigger towns, restaurants and nightlife, with smaller sheltered waves — the easy-living end of the Algarve. Gentlest waves · Most going on off the board.
When to go: waves by month
How often each surf town here has waves for each level, month by month, 1995–2025. First lessons happen in the whitewater near the shore, so they are said in words; the other levels are named by what you can do and the size of the wave on the body. What’s my level? · How we calculate this
Sagres · 10 camps
First lessons (whitewater near the shore): Almost every day, all year.
| % of days | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First lessons | 96% | 96% | 96% | 97% | 97% | 96% | 96% | 96% | 96% | 97% | 96% | 94% |
| Too small | 1% | 1% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 2% | 3% | 2% |
| Too big | 3% | 3% | 2% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 4% |
| Beginner (green waves) | 66% | 67% | 75% | 82% | 92% | 92% | 92% | 92% | 90% | 84% | 77% | 67% |
| Intermediate | 81% | 80% | 79% | 63% | 46% | 33% | 29% | 28% | 40% | 62% | 72% | 78% |
| Advanced | 68% | 66% | 59% | 41% | 22% | 11% | 8% | 9% | 18% | 39% | 52% | 63% |
Beginner (green waves) (knee to chest high): most days, all year · Intermediate (chest high to just overhead): most days in Oct–Apr · Advanced (head high and up): most days in Nov–Mar
Model estimate: no suitable buoy within 50 km to check it against.
Aljezur · 8 camps
First lessons (whitewater near the shore): Almost every day: May–Sep. Most days: Oct–Apr.
| % of days | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First lessons | 57% | 58% | 66% | 78% | 92% | 97% | 99% | 98% | 94% | 78% | 66% | 61% |
| Too small | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 0% |
| Too big | 43% | 42% | 34% | 21% | 8% | 3% | 1% | 2% | 6% | 22% | 33% | 39% |
| Beginner (green waves) | 7% | 7% | 9% | 18% | 31% | 44% | 47% | 50% | 38% | 21% | 15% | 9% |
| Intermediate | 53% | 53% | 62% | 65% | 67% | 58% | 56% | 54% | 61% | 64% | 58% | 57% |
| Advanced | 85% | 83% | 81% | 64% | 46% | 33% | 26% | 26% | 40% | 63% | 74% | 83% |
Beginner (green waves) (knee to chest high): most days in Aug · Intermediate (chest high to just overhead): most days, all year · Advanced (head high and up): most days in Oct–Apr
Includes Amoreira, where camps say they teach (6.9 km).
Model estimate: no suitable buoy within 50 km to check it against.
Lagos · 6 camps
First lessons (whitewater near the shore): Most days: Oct–Apr. Waves often too small: May–Sep.
| % of days | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First lessons | 75% | 71% | 69% | 63% | 46% | 35% | 21% | 19% | 32% | 53% | 55% | 69% |
| Too small | 24% | 29% | 29% | 36% | 54% | 65% | 79% | 81% | 68% | 47% | 44% | 30% |
| Too big | 1% | 0% | 2% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% |
| Beginner (green waves) | 61% | 56% | 57% | 54% | 40% | 31% | 18% | 17% | 30% | 46% | 50% | 56% |
| Intermediate | 54% | 55% | 49% | 32% | 15% | 6% | 2% | 2% | 9% | 30% | 39% | 50% |
| Advanced | 35% | 35% | 26% | 15% | 3% | 2% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 15% | 22% | 33% |
Beginner (green waves) (knee to chest high): most days in Nov–Apr · Intermediate (chest high to just overhead): most days in Dec–Feb · Advanced (head high and up): no month on most days
Model estimate: no suitable buoy within 50 km to check it against.
Burgau · 3 camps
First lessons (whitewater near the shore): Most days: Dec–Apr. Waves often too small: May–Nov.
| % of days | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First lessons | 69% | 66% | 64% | 56% | 41% | 31% | 18% | 16% | 27% | 48% | 49% | 61% |
| Too small | 29% | 33% | 35% | 43% | 58% | 69% | 82% | 84% | 73% | 51% | 51% | 36% |
| Too big | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 3% |
| Beginner (green waves) | 66% | 61% | 59% | 53% | 40% | 28% | 15% | 13% | 26% | 45% | 45% | 54% |
| Intermediate | 58% | 58% | 52% | 35% | 17% | 7% | 4% | 5% | 12% | 33% | 45% | 56% |
| Advanced | 38% | 37% | 28% | 17% | 4% | 1% | 0% | 1% | 4% | 16% | 26% | 36% |
Beginner (green waves) (knee to chest high): most days in Dec–Apr · Intermediate (chest high to just overhead): most days in Dec–Mar · Advanced (head high and up): no month on most days
Model estimate: no suitable buoy within 50 km to check it against.
Carrapateira · 1 camp
First lessons (whitewater near the shore): Almost every day: May–Sep. Most days: Oct–Apr.
| % of days | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First lessons | 56% | 58% | 66% | 78% | 92% | 97% | 99% | 98% | 94% | 78% | 66% | 60% |
| Too small | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% |
| Too big | 44% | 42% | 33% | 21% | 7% | 3% | 1% | 2% | 6% | 22% | 33% | 39% |
| Beginner (green waves) | 13% | 14% | 15% | 32% | 48% | 63% | 66% | 67% | 54% | 33% | 24% | 15% |
| Intermediate | 53% | 52% | 61% | 64% | 66% | 58% | 56% | 54% | 61% | 63% | 57% | 55% |
| Advanced | 84% | 82% | 80% | 63% | 46% | 32% | 26% | 26% | 40% | 62% | 72% | 81% |
Beginner (green waves) (knee to chest high): most days in Jun–Sep · Intermediate (chest high to just overhead): most days, all year · Advanced (head high and up): most days in Oct–Apr
Model estimate: no suitable buoy within 50 km to check it against.
Days that miss first lessons are too small when every learner spot is under 0.5 m, and too big when none is in the 0.5–2 m band and one is above it. The other levels are read on the face of the wave at its peak: beginner on green waves 0.6–1.2 m, intermediate 1.2–2 m, advanced 1.5 m and up.
What a surf week costs in Algarve
From €295 to €1,535 per person, median €495, across the 17 of 28 camps that publish a week with surf lessons included (each camp’s lowest).
Lowest published surf weeks
- Amado Surf Camp · from €295 (breakfast · daily surf lessons · board and wetsuit)
- Surf Tribe Algarve Surf House · from €384 (7 nights · breakfast · 5 surf lessons (7.5 h) · board and wetsuit)
- Sagres Surf Camp · from €395 (dorm bed · breakfast · daily surf lessons · board and wetsuit)
Figures from each camp’s own site, with the date on its page. Room, season and what is included differ, so compare the package, not only the price.
1. Amado Surf Camp
★ 4.4/5 (280 reviews) · Praia do Amado
Camp at Praia do Amado near Carrapateira, one of the most consistent beach breaks on the Costa Vicentina.
2. Surf Tribe Algarve Surf House
The Surf Tribe's house beside Monte Clérigo, the beach near Aljezur on the Algarve's west coast. Breakfast is included, and yoga and excursions are the only fixed extras. Arrival dates are flexible rather than weekly.
All meals · Glamping · Yoga · Excursions
3. Sagres Surf Camp
Surf house in an old fisherman's house with blue tiles out front, right by Mareta beach in Sagres, with private rooms and shared dorms. The week includes breakfast, two surf lessons a day in groups split by level, all equipment, daily transport to the surf spots and insurance, and ends with a BBQ. Guests can cook at the house in the evenings or eat out in Sagres.
4. Sagres Natura Surf Camp
★ 4.8/5 (229 reviews) · Praia do Tonel
Long-running Sagres camp and hostel, a short walk from Tonel and the town centre.
5. Algarve Adventure Arrifana
★ 4.7/5 (82 reviews)
Algarve Adventure's surf house, Arrifana Point View, is 250 m from the ocean and 850 m from Arrifana beach, with 2-, 3- and 4-bed rooms that all have their own bathroom, a communal kitchen, a stone pizza oven and barbecue in the garden, and terraces with sea views. Stays are flexible: every 3 nights include one lesson with the camp's own school (max. 6 students), and boards and wetsuits can be used at any time.
6. Wavy Surf Camp
★ 4.8/5 (763 reviews) · Praia do Tonel
Surf camp outside Sagres with accommodation and daily transport to whichever coast is working, west or south.
7. Mission To Surf
★ 4.6/5 (589 reviews)
Mission To Surf's Surfvilla in Vale da Telha, Aljezur, has a pool with a poolside bar, a communal kitchen, a garden with a large barbecue, and multi-bed and double rooms with shared bathrooms. The week includes 5 days of lessons of about 3 hours (theory and practice, max. 8 students per group) with licensed instructors, video training, board and wetsuit, beach transport and pick-up from Lagos. Stays are self-catering; breakfast can be added.
8. Algarve Surf Camp Sagres
★ 4.9/5 (222 reviews) · Praia do Tonel
Camp and hostel in Sagres at the southwestern tip of Portugal, where the west and south coasts meet and something is usually working.
9. WAVE CULTURE Surf Lodge Burgau
★ 4.8/5 (37 reviews)
WAVE CULTURE's surf lodge sits in the old centre of Burgau, a few metres from the beach, with sea-view single and double rooms that share a kitchen, bathroom and terrace, a studio, and a three-storey surf house 150 m away. A week covers 7 nights with a breakfast buffet on the sun terrace. Surf lessons with partner International Surf School are booked separately: 2-3 hours a day, Monday to Friday, with transfers and max. 8 students per coach.
10. PURE Algarve
A surf house beside Raposeira in Algarve. Breakfast included. Yoga, skateboarding, SUP, massage, excursions, a gym and hiking run alongside the surfing. Stays run as fixed weekly packages.
Half board · Suite · Glamping · Yoga · Skateboarding · SUP · Massage · Excursions · Fitness
11. WAVE CULTURE Surf Camp Sagres
WAVE CULTURE's surf camp in Sagres takes at most 13 guests and is a 3-minute walk from the nearest surf beach and close to the town centre, with private doubles and dorms that share bathrooms, rooms furnished with upcycled furniture, and a sun terrace. The weekly price includes breakfast and a 5-day surf course, Monday to Friday, with board, wetsuit and transfers to the beaches, run with partner International Surf School.
12. PURE Lodge Algarve
PURE's Algarve lodge, with breakfast included. The programme off the water is broad, with massage, hiking, skateboarding, a gym, yoga, SUP and excursions alongside the surfing.
Half board · Suite · Glamping · Yoga · Skateboarding · SUP · Massage · Excursions · Fitness
13. Arrifana Surf Lodge
★ 4.8/5 (168 reviews)
Surf lodge in Vale da Telha, Aljezur, less than 5 minutes' drive from Arrifana beach, run by hosts Aldo and Sarah, whose surf school teaches the lessons. It has 4 private bedrooms and a shared bunk room, two terraces facing the Atlantic, a plunge pool and a yoga terrace. The 7-night package includes 12 surf sessions of at least 90 minutes, equipment, daily breakfast, 6 buffet lunches, 4 evening meals and pick-up in Aljezur.
14. Algarve Watersport Surf Camp
★ 4.9/5 (764 reviews)
Algarve Watersport has run camps in Lagos since 2006. Surf guests stay at The Kitehouse, its compound with a pool a 5-minute walk from the beach, in mixed dorms with curtained bunks, or upgrade to a bungalow, apartment or twin room. The week includes 7 breakfasts and 6 dinners at the operator's Wake Park, 5 days of lessons with ASI-certified instructors (max. 6 per group), equipment, daily yoga and beach transport.
15. Karma Surf Retreat Algarve
★ 4.9/5 (25 reviews)
Karma Surf Retreat's villa between Lagos and Sagres overlooks the Parque da Floresta golf course and has 5 air-conditioned rooms (4 open onto the pool), a 5 x 10 m pool, terraces and a fireplace, with hosts Jamie and Sabine. The Surf & Yoga week includes 5 surf lessons of 1.5 hours with board, wetsuit and shuttle, 10 one-hour yoga classes, an organic breakfast buffet, vegetarian lunches and a welcome dinner.
16. Surf Spirit Habitat Algarve
Off-grid eco retreat on a 60,000 m² farm in the hills inland from Aljezur, 20-25 minutes by car from the beach, run by Janina and Markus, with 7 treehouse glamping tents on raised wooden platforms, a natural swimming pool and a mountaintop yoga deck, for at most 16 guests. The Surf, Yoga & Create week includes 5 surf lessons of 2.5 hours with theory and transfer, a video analysis, 10 yoga classes and 5 lunches.
17. Tiny Whale Surf Lodge
★ 4.9/5 (195 reviews)
Surf coaching lodge in Colinas Verdes, a countryside village 10 km from Lagos, with ensuite rooms, bird hide cabins, canvas tents and an A-frame around a saltwater pool, plus a jacuzzi, wood-fired sauna and garden yoga studio. The Signature Surf week includes 5 coaching days with your own coach (4 students per coach or fewer), video coaching, surf skate sessions, daily breakfast, 5 lunches and 3 three-course dinners from the in-house chef.
18. TSE Surf Mansion Lagos
★ 4.9/5 (287 reviews)
The Surf Experience (TSE) opened its Surf Mansion just outside Lagos in 2023, after 26 years in Vila Catarina: a villa with a large pool, more than 100 orange trees, a sauna, hot tub and ice bath, and rooms with their own bathroom and underfloor heating, plus a simpler cottage. The week includes about 2.5 hours of lessons a day, board and wetsuit, video analysis twice a week, and all meals except two dinners out in Lagos.
19. Soul & Surf Portugal
★ 4.9/5 (176 reviews) · Praia da Luz
Retreat near Lagos combining surf with yoga and slower-paced weeks, on a quinta inland from Praia da Luz.
20. Vida Boa Lodge
★ 4.9/5 (147 reviews)
Guesthouse in Montinhos da Luz, between Lagos and Praia da Luz, with twin, double and triple rooms and dorms, all with an ensuite bathroom and a balcony, a 12 m pool, an outdoor bar and a lawn for yoga. The surf and yoga retreat, for up to 16 guests, includes 7 nights, 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 5 dinners, 5 surf lessons with board, wetsuit and transport, 8 yoga classes, 4 meditation sessions and 2 guided coastal hikes.
21. Good Feeling Surf Camp & Hostel
★ 4.8/5 (276 reviews)
Surf hostel in the village of Raposeira, between Sagres and Lagos, run with Good Feeling Surf School, which has worked in surfing since 1997 and is certified by the Portuguese Surfing Federation. It has a pool, a fully equipped kitchen, a BBQ area and hammock terraces, with dorm beds, wooden bungalows for two with shared bathrooms, or a private studio. The 7-night package includes 7 breakfasts, 5 surf lessons, equipment and beach transfers.
22. Jho'La Surf Camp
★ 4.9/5 (83 reviews)
Owner-run surf camp in the centre of Praia da Luz, a short walk from the beach, for at most 10 guests, with shared, twin and private rooms and a saltwater pool. It was founded by Francisco, a marine biologist and surf instructor, and works with Future Eco Surf School. The Surf & Stay week includes daily breakfast, 5 lunch snack-packs, two homemade Portuguese dinners and 5 days of 3-hour lessons with equipment and transport.
23. Hostel on the Hill
★ 4.8/5 (125 reviews) · Praia do Beliche
Small hostel in the hills at Raposeira, between Sagres and Lagos, pairing surf with hiking on the Rota Vicentina.
24. Arrifana Surf Camp
★ 4.7/5 (330 reviews) · Praia da Arrifana
Surf school and camp above Praia da Arrifana in Aljezur, on the exposed west coast of the Algarve.
25. Mayla Surf House
★ 4.7/5 (90 reviews)
Family-run villa in Vale da Telha, Aljezur, about 4 km from Arrifana, Monte Clérigo and Amoreira beaches, with three private rooms and two shared rooms for up to four, a living room with a fireplace, and a garden with a pool. The Basic Surf Package, from 3 nights, includes breakfast, a 2-hour surf lesson every day from the house's own surf base at Amoreira beach, board and wetsuit, and the beach transfer.
26. Chicks on Waves
★ 4.7/5 (28 reviews)
Women-only surf and yoga retreat, running since 2008, at One Life Lodge, the operator's own 540 m² villa above the coast near Burgau, with 9 bedrooms, a large pool, an infrared sauna and a rooftop yoga terrace. Retreats run on fixed dates; the Surf & Yoga week covers 6 nights, 5 surf lessons with transport and equipment, 5 yoga classes, daily breakfast, 5 lunches and 5 dinners. Solo guests share a twin with another woman or book a single.
27. Sagres Sun Stay
★ 4.5/5 (519 reviews) · Praia da Mareta
Hostel and surf camp on the edge of Sagres with dorms, private rooms and a villa, running lessons for all levels.
28. Surf Tribe Algarve Glamping
A surf house beside Arrifana in Algarve. Breakfast included. Yoga, SUP, massage, video analysis and excursions run alongside the surfing. Arrival dates are flexible.
All meals · Glamping · Yoga · SUP · Massage · Video analysis · Excursions
The west coast is exposed
Arrifana, Amado and Bordeira take raw Atlantic swell with nothing in the way. On a moderate day they are among the best beach and point breaks in Europe; on a big day they close out entirely and everyone drives round to the south. This is why a camp with a van matters more here than in a place with one reliable beach - being able to move is the product.
When to go
September through November is the sweet spot: the autumn swell arrives, the water is still 18-20°C, and the summer crowds have gone. March to May works too, with fewer people and more variable conditions. Midsummer is the weakest window for surf even though it is the busiest for tourism - the west coast can go flat for days and the south coast usually is.
Getting there
Faro is the airport, and it is about 90 minutes to Sagres, less to Lagos and Portimão. There are buses but they are slow and infrequent on the west coast; most camps include or arrange transfers. If you are staying at Sagres and want to surf both coasts independently, a car pays for itself.
Common questions
Is the Algarve good for beginners?
In the right spots and at the right time, yes - the south coast beaches near Lagos and Portimão are gentle, and Sagres camps will take beginners to Mareta or Beliche when the west is too big. The exposed west coast beaches are not a place to start.
Sagres or Lagos?
Sagres if the surf is the point: both coasts are close and the town is small and surf-focused. Lagos if you want a proper town with restaurants and nightlife and are happy to drive to the better waves.
How does it compare with Peniche or Ericeira?
The Algarve is warmer, drier and has the two-coast advantage, but the waves are less consistently good than Ericeira's reefs. It is the better winter option of the three if you want sun with your surf.