Baleal Surf Camp

This fall, I finally took the leap and signed up for a surf camp in Portugal as a solo traveler. As a beginner/intermediate surfer, I wanted to participate in a focused program that was entirely committed to surf progression. And boy, did I get my money’s worth.

Every single day was an exhilarating experience. I learned about mental resilience— that I was capable of pulling on a wetsuit still wet from the day before, smearing unsightly zinc all over my face, and plunging into cold water at 8AM. I realized how good it feels to move your body for 3 hours first thing in the morning—your mind completely blank, not thinking of anything other than the waves. I even discovered I can surf in pouring rain and still somewhat enjoy myself.

The ever-changing ocean sights made the early wake-up times worth it. Our first morning out on the ocean, we admired the caramel cliffs and white houses dotting the coastline. The next, I noticed small sparrows skimming the water’s surface next to our boards. A different morning, I paddled to the outside, passed over a wave, and spotted a perfect rainbow formed by sea mist on the water. And on the last day, my class cheered excitedly at the sight of dolphins in the distance.

If you’re hoping to surf while in Europe or to travel with an athletic purpose in mind, I cannot recommend surfing in Baleal more highly. Read more for my program tips!

why baleal, portugal

Since I was already traveling in Europe leading up to the trip, selecting Portugal as a surf destination was a no-brainer. It’s the home to Nazaré, the world’s largest waves (at 60-100 feet, not for the faint of heart). The country is super affordable, laid back, and offers something different compared to France or Spain.

After reading online resources, I set my sights on the coastal town of Baleal near Peniche. Located a 1.5 hour drive from Lisbon, the fishing town is known for its unique peninsula and beginner surf friendly beaches. If you’re looking for a bigger city with non-surf activities, Ericeira or the Algarve may be more suitable. But if you want to wake up, walk right onto the beach, and surf all day, Baleal is the place for you.

I was pleased to find that all the beaches were accessible by walking and offered clean, crystal clear set waves. They’re super long stretches of water so you don’t need to worry about competing at a single take off zone. Better yet, the beaches were sand-bottomed rather than reef or rocks. Walk outside, and you’re five minutes away from the beach. Turn your head, and you’re a stone’s throw from the other main beach (refer to the first image above). Despite our returning to similar spots each day, the wave conditions were entirely different every session and kept us on our toes.

choosing baleal surf camp

Agonizing over this decision at length, I first considered similar week-long camps that offered surf and yoga, more elaborate excursions, and all-inclusive dining. Yet, I kept returning to my main goal: to focus exclusively on surfing. I then narrowed my focus to camps with 2 sessions a day, small instructor to student ratios, and coaching perks like video analysis. For around $109 USD a night, I found Baleal Surf Camp to be the best investment due to:

location - It was the only surf camp in the area with classes and lodging essentially on the beach. Plus, the beachfront site included a waterfront bar/eatery that offered delicious food. Speaking to disgruntled individuals at other surf camps, I learned that alternative programs required students to take a bus every morning to different locations. Luckily, not this camp!

instruction - When signing up, I wanted to avoid surf lessons that consisted of an instructor pushing students into white water and not providing any tactical advice. At Baleal, students are immediately grouped by level with 3 students to 1 instructor. My group was around 11 people of all ages and backgrounds from 14 to 50+ years old.

If you’re the type of person who prefers high fives and “good jobs,” be warned. This camp was more like being back on your high school sports team while training for championships or like driver’s ed with a particularly firm instructor. Feedback was swift, critical, and specific. If you repeated certain mistakes after multiple reminders, you were scolded. But our instructors always made sure to celebrate your best waves! Getting to know my instructors’ unique teaching styles was an amusing process to say the least.

Instructors pushed students to improve quickly from first to final day, and progression was evident. I witnessed students who had started only 2 weeks prior now in our intermediate class, and I applauded first timers catching green waves only after 6 days. Though the intermediate level received helpful pushes the first day, by midweek, our coaches encouraged us to take off at an angle to go down the line and shared more sophisticated wave positioning strategies. Most importantly, I appreciated the team’s dedication to emphasizing safety and lineup pointers.

hours - We surfed twice a day for up to 3 hours per session. Once around 8-9AM, again around 2-3PM. Not going to lie— it felt like a boot camp at the start. Your entire body will be sore after the first day. But by the last day, you’ll be in a solid groove and integrating new skills. Despite the early start, this camp did the best job of securing meaningful, high quality time in the water. During my 8AM sessions, there were virtually no other classes in our area. The selected afternoon hours also yielded relatively uncrowded surf. Nothing is worse than trying to catch waves in the midst of other surf schools.

high production experience - I was extremely impressed by the program’s smooth, timely organization. Management was responsive via WhatsApp, flexible to my travel needs, and coordinated taxi transfers at all hours. Each student participates in video analysis, in which your surfing is filmed and analyzed on a TV in front of the group. Though intimidating, it’s an extremely helpful way to observe areas of improvement. Finally, the team goes the extra mile by guiding offsite tours to a medieval town (Óbidos) and a local surf factory. The week culminates in a cozy, final night camp dinner, where I tasted the best fish I had my entire trip. There’s even a high production (think, drone footage) camp recap video presented at the dinner.

the people - The shared struggle of managing intense, back to back surf sessions led to immediate bonding among all surf attendees. Despite visitors hailing from multiple countries (France, The Netherlands, Italy, Germany, New Zealand, etc.), I found that my fellow surf students shared a similar zest for travel. Go-getting individuals of all ages shared their travel tips for Indonesia, Morocco, and South Africa over group dinners before heading out to the bars.

If you’re a solo traveler, you’re placed in a group hostel or apartment shared with other individuals. I stayed as a fifth person in an apartment with four other people close to my age, and it was a great mix of privacy and social atmosphere. The hostel, which housed individuals in rooms of 2-4 people each, was within walking distance, so it was easy to swing by and to meet up with others. A nearby grocery and multiple restaurants were a 10-15 minute walk or $4 USD Uber away as well.

transport & other tips

Baleal/Peniche is an easy commute from Lisbon, and I took a comfortable bus each way which cost around $7 USD. I recommend adding 1-2 days in Lisbon to the start or end of your trip. Though it wasn’t prudent to go out late every night, Baleal also offers fun nightlife spots. Some places included: Danau Beach Bar for dancing, Baleal Surf Ranch for beach drinks with live music, and The Base for cocktails.

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