Learn to Surf in Peniche: Small-Group Surf Camp on Portugal's Atlantic Coast

Kohola started as Croatia's first surf club, founded in Medulin in 2007 after a first trip to Peniche. The club still surfs at home when southern winds create wind swell, and it has been running camps abroad since the early 2010s. Peniche is the original camp location and remains the main one.

A typical day starts with breakfast at the house, then a drive or walk to one of the local breaks. Peniche has a lot of options within a short distance — Supertubos is the famous one, but there are mellower beach and reef breaks nearby that suit beginners and intermediates much better. Instructors pick the spot based on the day's swell, wind and tide. You'll do a warm-up on the beach, go through technique on the sand, then get in the water. Sessions usually run around two hours, with the instructor in the water with you.

After lunch, there's usually a second session if the group is up for it, or free time. The camp also organises excursions to nearby places so you actually see something of the region rather than just the beach. The crew has been travelling to this part of Portugal for years and knows where to take people.

The group size is kept small on purpose. You're not one of forty people in a line-up with one instructor. The idea is that you get individual feedback every session and actually improve over the week, whether that's standing up for the first time or learning to turn and read the wave better.

Because the camp runs weekly and conditions change, no two weeks are the same. The itinerary is a framework, not a fixed programme. If the swell is on, you surf more. If it's flat, there's more time for trips, other activities, or just hanging out at the house. The crew asks what people want to get out of the week and adjusts.

What's included

- Accommodation at the surf house - Daily surf sessions with instructor - Use of surfboards and wetsuits - Transfers to and from surf spots - Meals as outlined in the camp programme - Excursions to nearby places of interest - Group activities and evening dinners

What's not included

- Flights - Travel insurance - Airport transfers - Personal expenses - Meals and drinks outside the camp programme - Additional activities not organised by the camp