Algarve Surf & Yoga Camp: Learn to Ride the Atlantic

A typical day starts between 8 and 9 with breakfast at the villa — bread, fruit, coffee, eggs, that kind of thing — then the group splits by ability and drives out to the day's beach. Instructors pick the spot based on the forecast, so you might be at Arrifana's sheltered south end one morning and out at Monte Clérigo the next. Sessions run about three hours and combine theory on the sand (reading waves, currents, positioning, safety) with time in the water. Beginners spend most of the first two days in the whitewash learning to stand up; intermediates and advanced surfers work on turning, generating speed and picking better waves. Coaches watch from the water and call out corrections as you paddle back out.

Midweek there's a video analysis session where the instructor walks the group through footage of their own surfing frame by frame. Guests consistently say this is where the biggest jumps happen — seeing your pop-up on a screen makes the fix obvious in a way that verbal feedback doesn't. At the end of the week, one of the team shoots photos of your last session, and you can buy the gallery afterward if you want a record of your first green waves.

The camp has been operating since 2006, and the same core instructors (Carlos and Fabio are named repeatedly in reviews) have been teaching here for years. Carlos in particular gets mentioned for being direct about what you're doing wrong and for teaching students to read the ocean rather than just copy a movement. Instructors speak English and German, and a large share of guests come from Austria, Germany and Switzerland, which gives the camp a particular character — relaxed, social, and easy to slot into if you're travelling alone.

Accommodation is in a villa in Vale da Telha with a large pool, a well-equipped communal kitchen, and shared bathrooms. It's clean and comfortable rather than fancy, and the setup is deliberately communal — everyone cooks and eats together, and there's usually something happening on the terrace in the evening. A neighbouring guesthouse is available for anyone who wants more quiet. The nearest beaches are a short drive, restaurants and shops are a bit further, so a rental car helps if you want independence during the week (transfers to and from Lagos are included on arrival and departure days).

Beyond surfing, the camp layers in extras: yoga once a week (included in the package), surfskating, massages on request, and a barbecue night. Aljezur, with its castle and Saturday market, is close enough for an afternoon trip, and Lisbon is a few hours by car if you want to extend the trip into a city break. The natural park setting means the coastline is protected — no high-rises, just cliffs, dunes and Atlantic swell.

What's included

- 7 nights accommodation at the surf lodge - Daily breakfast - 5 days of surf lessons (approx. 3 hours per day, theory and practice) - Surfboard and wetsuit for the week - Pick-up and return transfer from Lagos - One yoga session for surfers - Midweek video analysis - Photos from your final surf session - Barbecue night

What's not included

- Flights - Travel insurance - Lunch and dinner (self-catered or eat out) - Rental car - Massages (available on request) - Extra surf lessons - Surfskating sessions - Personal expenses