Surf & Yoga Week in Portugal's Algarve: Aljezur Surf Camp with Coastal Villa Stay

A typical day starts with breakfast at the villa, prepared by the camp team, then everyone piles into the shuttle for the drive to whichever beach has the best conditions – usually Arrifana or one of the other breaks along the Costa Vicentina. You surf for around three hours with a break, split into groups by ability, with instructors like Carlos, Fabio and Luki. Beginners work on popping up in whitewater; the advanced group goes after green waves and gets specific technical correction. Afterwards people hang by the pool, grab lunch in town, or nap off sore shoulders.

Midweek there's a video analysis session – the instructors pull up footage of you surfing and point out exactly what your feet, hips and shoulders are doing. Several guests say this was the most useful part of the week. There's also a theory component covering how to read the forecast and understand rip currents. On the last surf day, a photographer comes out and shoots the whole group; photos are available for purchase.

What separates this camp from a lot of Algarve surf schools is the experience level of the coaching staff. Carlos in particular gets named again and again in reviews for being able to spot a technical fault and fix it – one guest who'd had several instructors before said he was the first who actually corrected their mistakes properly. Groups are kept small enough that you get individual attention, especially in the pre-season (April/May) when there are fewer people.

The base is a villa in Urbanização Vale da Telha, a residential area about 5 km from Arrifana beach, inside the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina. It's quiet, surrounded by low scrub and cliffs, with a pool and terrace that guests use constantly. The area is rural – you'll want a rental car if you want to explore restaurants and other beaches on your own, though the camp runs a shuttle to the surf spots and offers pickup/return from Lagos.

Mission to Surf has been running since 2006 and has operated in surf tourism for around 20 years. The team is Austrian-run (the office number is Austrian) but the camp and instructors are based in Portugal year-round. Reviews consistently mention the same staff names – Maria and Celina running the house, Carlos, Fabio, Luki and Joe instructing – which says something about retention. Around 500 reviews are posted on their site, mostly positive, and several guests are on their second or third visit.

What's included

- 7 overnight stays in the surf villa (shared rooms) - 5 days of surf lessons, Monday to Friday (theory and practice, approx. 3 hours per day) - Breakfast prepared by the camp team each morning - Pick-up/return transportation from Lagos - 1 Yoga for Surf unit - Video analysis session - Use of the pool and communal areas at the villa - Surfboard and wetsuit for lessons - Debriefs on the beach after each session

What's not included

- Flights to and from Portugal - Travel insurance - Lunch and dinner (self-catered or out in Aljezur) - Rental car (recommended for flexibility during the week) - Optional BBQ night - Massages and surfskating sessions - Professional photos from the final session - Personal expenses