Learn to Surf in Nazaré, Portugal

During a recent trip to Portugal, we stopped in Nazaré, a coastal town outside of Lisbon known for surfing and giant waves. Despite only visiting for a day, we knew we couldn’t stop without learning to surf. After a fueling lunch at AZULL Rooftop by the Sea, we headed down to the beach to meet our instructors at Nazaré Surf School, founded in 2012. It’s the first and only school with a location right on iconic Nazaré beach.

© Mary Melnick

We were greeted by our friendly instructors who gave us the lowdown on what to expect and helped us fit into our wet suits. The school had a locker room and changing area where we could get ready and store our stuff while out catching waves. Once dressed, we received our surfboards for the day and headed out toward the ocean.

When we got to the ocean, we had time to get accustomed to the water temperature before we did a group warm-up and went right into instructions on land. Instructors taught us which foot to put up first, how to distribute our weight and everything we needed to have success in the ocean. Once all approved, we set out.

© Mary Melnick

The current was strong and the waves were big, but once I got out there, I really wanted to catch a wave. After struggling a couple times, I finally caught one! Now I can say I have been surfing in one of the world’s most well-known surfing hot spots.

If you ever find yourself in Nazaré wanting to surf, trust Nazaré Surf School to make that dream come true.