Surf & Camp Adventure: Two Weeks Riding Waves in Spain and France

The trip is built around surfing, but it's not a surf school where you show up for a two-hour lesson and then disappear. Everyone eats breakfast together at the campsite, loads into the vans, and heads to whichever beach has the best conditions that day. Instructors set up lessons for the beginners in the morning — board handling, pop-ups, reading the waves — while the more experienced surfers paddle out with a guide who knows the local breaks. Afternoon sessions are usually free surf, with instructors in the water if you want feedback on a specific thing you're stuck on.

Accommodation is camping, and that's part of the point rather than a compromise. Tents, sleeping bags and cooking gear are all provided, so you don't need to bring your own mat or stove. Mornings start with coffee at the pitch and whoever's on breakfast duty that day. Evenings are communal dinners cooked by the camp cook and two assistants — guests consistently mention the food as one of the best parts of the trip — followed by whatever the group decides: a walk into town, a sunset session, guitar on the grass, early night if the swell's forecast to be good at dawn.

The route through Spain and France means you're not stuck at one break for two weeks. Conditions change, so does the scenery, and there's time built in to see the towns you pass through rather than just driving past them. Group sizes are kept small enough that instructors actually know how you're progressing, and the same faces are there every day, which is why so many people come back the following summer.

WHAT MAKES THIS ONE DIFFERENT: it's genuinely all-inclusive on the camping side — tents, bedding and cooking equipment are supplied, so you turn up with a bag of clothes and a towel. The combination of structured morning coaching with free afternoon surfing means beginners improve fast and experienced surfers aren't held back. And the two-country route gives you variety that a single-spot camp can't.

INSTRUCTORS: The camp is run by surfers who've spent multiple seasons on these coasts and know which beach works on which wind and swell direction. They'll move the whole group to a different break if that's what gets you better waves. Expect patient, hands-on coaching for beginners and more technical feedback — positioning, turns, wave selection — for anyone further along.

LOCATION HIGHLIGHTS: Northern Spain and southwest France, camping near the coast throughout. This stretch of coastline has a huge range of beach breaks and point breaks, warmer water than most people expect for this latitude in summer, and towns full of surf shops, bakeries and cheap places to eat on rest days.

What's included

- 14 days of surf camp in Spain and France - Tents and all camping equipment - Bedding and sleeping mats - Cooking equipment and camp kitchen - Daily surf coaching for beginners - Guided surf sessions for experienced surfers - Use of group surf equipment (boards and wetsuits) - All meals cooked at camp (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - Camp cook and two kitchen assistants - Group transport between surf spots - Rescue and water safety cover during sessions

What's not included

- Flights to and from the start/end point - Travel insurance - Personal surf equipment (you can bring your own) - Drinks and snacks bought in town - Meals eaten out at restaurants - Personal expenses and souvenirs - Anything not listed as included