Sardinia Family Surf Camp: An Active Summer Escape for Kids and Parents

The camp runs from 17 to 31 July. Children from 5 to 15 years old attend with their parents, and everyone stays together in 4- and 5-star hotels. Mornings are for surfing and active recreation; afternoons are given over to excursions and master classes. The structure means parents are not sitting on the sand watching — they're in the water too, or out on the same activities.

Sardinia works for this because it has several distinct seas around it and a huge variety of coast. The west coast around Capo Mannu is the best-known surf area — surfers started spending seasons there in the late 1980s and word spread, and it now hosts the annual "Capo del Capo" national competition. The south has Baia di Chia, a coastal village in the municipality of Domus de Maria, whose beaches regularly appear on lists of the world's most beautiful. Su Giudeu, also called Spiaggia de s'Abba Durci, is a long white-sand stretch backed by high dunes and old junipers, with a small islet you can wade out to across the shallow water. Cala Cipolla, at the western end of the same coast, is reachable only on foot and sits in a sheltered cove under a rocky promontory; a path from there climbs to the Capo Spartivento lighthouse with views over the whole southern Sulcis coast.

Other spots the camp uses depending on conditions: Buggerru in the south-west, good for both beginners and experienced surfers, with the cove of Cala Domestica two kilometres away set among limestone cliffs; Porto Ferro in the north-west, a two-kilometre crescent of sand between the Capo Caccia marine protected area and Capo dell'Argentiera, with a gently sloping seabed, regular wind and high waves; and Rena Majore in the far north near Santa Teresa Gallura, where the coastline is cut by two river mouths into three stretches of beach, backed by pine forest that gives shelter on hot days.

This isn't a hardcore surf camp. The mix is deliberate: water time in the morning, then culture, workshops and day trips in the afternoon. The company also runs family trips to Lake Como (with sailing lessons and etiquette classes), Tuscany (theatre and cinema school, ceramics, riding, castles and vineyards) and the Dolomites at New Year, so the pattern is the same — active days, organised activities for both adults and children, and someone else handling the logistics.

The operator is a small outfit founded and led by Ksenia Forte, based in Torre de' Picenardi in northern Italy. They've run several summer seasons in Sardinia already. Because group size is kept tight and the programme is designed around families, the feel is more like travelling with a well-organised group of friends than joining a big commercial camp.

What's included

- 14 nights accommodation in 4- and 5-star hotels - Surfing and active recreation every morning - Excursions and master classes every afternoon - Qualified surf instructors throughout the camp - Transfers to and from daily surf spots and excursions - Full programme for both children and adults

What's not included

- International flights to Sardinia - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Meals outside the hotel arrangement - Airport transfers on arrival and departure (confirm with organiser) - Surf equipment (check availability when booking)