Five of Portugal's best surf lodges | Portugal holidays
Portugal holidays This article is more than 9 years oldFive of Portugal's best surf lodges
This article is more than 9 years oldPortugal has one of the best surfing scenes in Europe – and some great surf pads too, from a cottage in a former derelict village to a town-centre party houseLisbon Surf House
An elegant 18th-century house that once belonged to a count of Cascais, the Surf House has polished wooden floors, high ceilings and huge shuttered windows with sea views. Guests can chill out or mingle in one of the two living rooms and there's also a garden with a barbecue area. There's a mix of shared and private rooms, which can accommodate up to 18, and the house is part of Surf Lisbon surf school. Lisbon city centre is 10km away for those who have the energy to hit the Bairro Alto nightlife district after a day on the waves.
Three-night surf packages from €175, surflisbon.com
Surfivor Surf Hostel, Porto
This new hostel is part of the Surfivor Surf Camp. It's on Porto's Atlantic boulevard, so has great sea views, and it's a five-minute drive from the main surfing beach, Matosinhos, which has waves for all levels. There are five rooms (two dormitories and three private) and the 1940s house has been restored with plenty of original charm – wooden floors, high ceilings and fireplaces. Guests can chill out in the garden or terrace before heading into Porto city to do a spot of sightseeing.
Surf packages from €350 to €570 per week, including lessons, surfivorcamp.com
Helios Ericeira, Ericeira
Hidden away near the beach at Foz do Lizandro, just outside Ericeira, the two wooden chalets and small cottage at Helios overlook a quiet river valley dotted with farms. The decor is simple and each self-catering house sleeps up to four. The beach is right on the doorstep for those keen to ride the waves and you can chill out in hammocks or take a yoga lesson. In addition to surf lessons, owner Clara will help you arrange everything from an on-site massage to pony trekking along the sands or bike hire. She will also happily organise a lift for guests to go the shops for supplies.
Four-night surf packages, including lessons, from €165, surfholidays.com
Aldeia Da Pedralva, Vila do Bispo, Algarve
This is an entire village of traditional whitewashed cottages that have been restored as holiday houses – the owners saved the derelict houses from ruin and opened the accommodation in 2008. The rustic lets range from one to three bedrooms and, although they're self-catering, there's a nice central space with a restaurant if you want to mingle with other guests. Next to a coastal national park and with lots of beaches nearby, it offers plenty of activities for non-surfers, such as hiking, fishing, diving and biking.
Houses cost from €71 a night (for a one-bed property in low season), aldeiadapedralva.com
The Surf Experience Surf House, Lagos
Set up in 1992, this was one of Portugal's first surf lodges. It's a big, bright house in the centre of the popular Algarve town of Lagos, and rooms – shared, doubles or twins – are brightly painted, to go with the party-house vibe. Surfers can swap stories on the two roof terraces or in the lounge. The owners (one is a DJ) arrange weekly barbecue and tapas nights, plus evening outings, but exhausted waveriders may prefer to check out the DVD library. Breakfast, lunch and surf lessons are included.
One week half-board and surf lessons from €360, board rental €68 per week, surfexperience.com
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