Teen Surf & Skate Summer Camps in France, Spain and Portugal

A typical day starts with breakfast at the camp, then a surf session timed around the tide. Beginners work on paddling, popping up and reading the water; more advanced groups head for the better banks with a coach. After lunch there is usually a second session or an activity — a skate session at the local park, a trip to the wake park in La Tranche-sur-Mer, climbing or the heated pool in Bilbao. Evenings are dinner, then whatever the leaders have organised: beach games, group nights, early nights before a dawn session.

The camps differ enough that the choice matters. La Tranche-sur-Mer mixes five surf lessons with a surf-skate session, two trips to the skate park and a trip to the wake park. Bilbao puts 80 children in a renovated traditional Basque house near the beaches, with skateboarding, climbing, a heated pool and outdoor activities alongside the surf. Lisbon–Caparica draws teenagers from across Europe and beyond, runs in English and has 24-hour supervision. Hossegor is the performance option: a beach villa less than a two-minute walk from the spots, groups capped at six, four to six hours of surfing a day, sessions filmed and photographed with video analysis afterwards.

Staffing is the part parents tend to ask about. In France the ratio and roles are set by the regulations: a camp director with BAFD or equivalent, a deputy with BPJEPS, a health assistant and BAFA-qualified activity leaders. Surf instruction is delivered by Brevet d'État holders. The overseas camps use partner organisations with equivalent structures. The page also notes that the camps are phone-free in spirit — the point is time away from screens.

Locations are chosen for the waves. Les Sables d'Olonne and La Tranche-sur-Mer sit on the Vendée coast, Hossegor on the Landes coast is one of the best-known beach breaks in France, Caparica is a short drive from Lisbon, and the Bilbao camp sits near the beaches of the Spanish Basque Country in a city known for art, food and culture.

Beyond surfing technique, the camps are built around three things the operator names explicitly: getting to know the ocean (currents, tides, marine life, the effect of human activity), learning the basic techniques safely, and living together in a mixed international group. Teenagers come back able to spot a rip, check for rocks and read how many surfers are already on a peak.

What's included

- Full-board accommodation for the length of the camp (6 or 7 nights depending on the camp) - Surf lessons with Brevet d'État qualified instructors - All camp activities: skate sessions, wake park trips, climbing, pool time, beach games - Supervision by qualified camp staff - Video analysis and filmed sessions (Hossegor performance camp)

What's not included

- National transport to the camp - Transfers to the camp (usually not included) - Travel insurance - Personal spending money