Six-Night Surf Camp with Five Days of Lessons at Arrifana, Portugal

Days here follow the surf. Breakfast is served from 08:00 to 10:30, then you head out for the day's lesson. Instructors set the lesson time 24 hours ahead, so it shifts with the tide and the forecast. Five days of the six include a lesson, for beginners through to intermediate surfers.

Arrifana Beach is a short walk from the house. You can be in the water without a car, and the same walk takes you to the village's cafés, restaurants and bars. Free parking is available if you do bring a vehicle.

What separates this from a bigger surf hotel is the house itself. There's a fully equipped kitchen, a BBQ and a pizza oven in the garden, a living room with a TV, a chill-out area, and an ocean-view terrace that people tend to end up on at sunset. Yoga mats and a balance board are there if you want to stretch or work on your balance between sessions.

The price starts at €539 for six nights with breakfast and five lessons. Guests who have stayed write about the surf and the people — one called it the best surfing experience of their holiday, another said they would be back soon.

This is a surf camp rather than a fitness retreat. The training is time in the water with an instructor, and the rest of the day is free. If you want a packed schedule of classes from morning to night, this isn't that. If you want to surf every day and come back to a kitchen, a garden and a view, it is.

What's included

- 6 nights accommodation - Breakfast daily - 5 days of surf lessons (beginner to intermediate) - Free Wi-Fi - Ocean-view terrace - Chill-out area - Yoga mats - Balance board - Living room with TV - Fully equipped kitchen - Garden area - BBQ - Pizza oven - Free parking

What's not included

- Travel to and from Arrifana - Lunches and dinners - Travel insurance - Surf equipment hire, unless stated otherwise - Personal expenses