Things You'll Need:
- Surfboard
- Wetsuit
- Car
- Map
- Portuguese Phrasebook
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Step 1
Start at Porto Covo. Located in a small but pretty tourist town, the beach offers a few different types of waves. The northern breaks are gentle and smaller, the sapphire-colored water guarded by scenic cliffs. For larger waves, head south of city center. Both right- and lefthanded waves break over the reef between the island and the beach, producing long, slow waves.
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Step 2
Head south to Malhão, one of the most consistent breaks in the area. Though it is a well-known wave, the beach is long enough to give an open wave to everyone who comes. Malhão breaks during all tides.
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Step 3
Stay in Cogumelo. Not only the best wave of Alentejo, but also a gorgeous town. This small beach town has a hollow lefthanded barrel to the south end and another big lefthander a little bit north. Longboarders especially will love Cogumelo, where a long, meandering wave breaks at the rivermouth.
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Step 4
Ride by yourself at Monte Clérigo. Sitting at the edge of the Algarve, the touristy southern end of Portugal, this long stretch of beach is windy and empty. Monte Clérigo works during all tides, producing all types of waves from shorebreak to slow and rolling. And when you’re done surfing, it’s only a short trip to the Algarve.
