Regions
Lisbon and Cascais
If you are searching for surf near Lisbon, this is it. Carcavelos and Costa da Caparica sit a short train or ferry ride from the city and work for first-timers. Around the headland at Cascais, Guincho turns into one of Europe's premier wind and kite beaches when the summer nortada blows.
Towns
Lisbon
The city itself has no surf, but a dozen beaches are inside 40 minutes by train, ferry or car in every direction.
Surf
Carcavelos
Lisbon's home beach, one stop on the Cascais train line, a wide forgiving beach break that is busiest wave in the country on a good day.
Surf
Costa da Caparica
Kilometres of south-facing beach break across the river from Lisbon, reachable by ferry and bus, with peaks that spread the crowd.
Surf
Cascais
The resort town at the end of the Lisbon train line, with sheltered town beaches and the reef at Guincho a short drive north.
SurfWindsurf
Praia Grande
A wide beach under the Sintra hills at Colares, north of Guincho, with a consistent beach break and a reef that has hosted world-tour surf and bodyboard events.
Surf
Guincho
An exposed dune beach below the Sintra hills. Cross-shore nortada wind most summer afternoons makes it a top wind and kite spot, with surf in the calmer months.
KitesurfWindsurfSurfSpots here
Carcavelos
Lisbon's home beach and the busiest wave in Portugal on a good day. A wide, forgiving beach break one stop from the city on the Cascais train line, with a fort at one end and peaks spread along the sand.
All levelsAutumn to spring
Fonte da Telha
The quiet southern end of the Caparica coast, a former fishing village below the pine woods with soft beach-break peaks on small swells. A good learner's beach when the rest of Caparica is busy.
BeginnersYear-round for learning; winter for cleaner daysGuincho
An exposed dune beach below the Sintra hills. The summer nortada makes it one of Europe's best wind and kite spots; in the calmer months it is a serious, current-heavy beach break.
IntermediatesSurf autumn to spring; wind and kite in summerParede
A right-hand rock reef on the Cascais train line that sleeps most of the year and wakes up on a big west or south-west swell. A local's wave for experienced surfers, not a learner's beach.
Advanced surfersAutumn and winter, on the bigger swellsPraia Grande
A wide, consistent beach break under the Sintra hills, with a powerful right-hand reef at its northern end that has hosted world-tour surf and bodyboard events. Something here for every level, depending on the day and where you paddle out.
All levelsAutumn to spring; summer smaller and good for learningPraia das Maçãs
A beach break tucked under the cliffs at the end of the Sintra tram line, a few minutes north of Praia Grande. Punchy and fun at low tide, tight and dumpy on the push.
IntermediatesAutumn to spring; softer in summer
Praia do Magoito
A wide, cliff-backed beach on the wild northern stretch of the Sintra coast, picking up groundswell that misses the bays further south. Quieter than Praia Grande, with nothing to hide behind when the north wind blows.
IntermediatesWinter has the most clean daysSão João da Caparica
The northern end of Costa da Caparica, where a line of groynes shapes the sandbanks and most of the area's surf schools operate. Sheltered from the north wind, so it is a key summer option near Lisbon.
All levelsAutumn to spring for size; summer for the sheltered lessons
São Pedro do Estoril
A rock-reef break on the Cascais train line that comes alive when a south swell or a large wrapping west swell hits. A long, workable wall favoured by longboarders, and the venue for the national longboard finals.
IntermediatesAutumn to spring, and on the big W swells that shut the open coastSpots at a glance
| Spots | Break | Suits | Best season | Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carcavelos | Beach break | All levels | Autumn to spring | Carcavelos |
| Praia Grande | Beach break | All levels | Autumn to spring; summer smaller and good for learning | Praia Grande |
| São João da Caparica | Beach break | All levels | Autumn to spring for size; summer for the sheltered lessons | Costa da Caparica |
| Fonte da Telha | Beach break | Beginners | Year-round for learning; winter for cleaner days | Costa da Caparica |
| Guincho | Beach break | Intermediates | Surf autumn to spring; wind and kite in summer | Guincho |
| Praia das Maçãs | Beach break | Intermediates | Autumn to spring; softer in summer | Praia Grande |
| Praia do Magoito | Beach break | Intermediates | Winter has the most clean days | Praia Grande |
| São Pedro do Estoril | Reef break | Intermediates | Autumn to spring, and on the big W swells that shut the open coast | Cascais |
| Parede | Reef break | Advanced surfers | Autumn and winter, on the bigger swells | Carcavelos |
Schools & rentals here
Aldeia da Praia
A surf and yoga camp right on Praia das Maçãs near Sintra, with dorms, doubles and en-suite family tents, two-hour lessons with gear and insurance included, and day trips to Cabo da Roca and Pena Palace.
Surf
Appleton Surfboards
Diogo Appleton hand-shapes fish, twins, single fins and longboards in Lisbon, a retro-leaning range built around glide rather than contest surfing. His own fins too.
Surf
Blue Room Surf Hub
A board-building hub at Charneca da Caparica: custom shaping, lamination, CNC and 3D design, plus shaping rooms independent shapers can rent.
Surf
Caparica Surf Academy
A surf school at Praia da Rainha on the Costa da Caparica, with Portuguese Surf Federation instructors, teaching groups, kids and private lessons a short ride from central Lisbon.
Surf
Carcavelos Surf School
The first surf school on Carcavelos beach, running since 2001, certified by the Portuguese Surf Federation and Turismo de Portugal, on the wide forgiving beach break that is Lisbon's home wave.
Surf
Edu Shapes
Eduardo Garcia shapes a full range out of Praia das Maçãs, from performance shortboards and mid-lengths to guns and tow boards tested at Nazaré. Custom only, more than twenty years in.
SurfGuincho Wind Factory
A kitesurf, windsurf and wing school and watersports shop at Guincho, running since 1999 on the beach that the summer nortada turns into one of Europe's best wind arenas.
KitesurfWindsurfSurf
Hamanda Surfboards
Antonio Mello hand-shapes his own line of boards in Lisbon - the name is short for Antonio Mello Hand Shapes. A young shaper with a growing range of named models.
Surf
Killerfish Surfboards
A small hand-shaping operation on the Cascais line at Parede, near Carcavelos, doing custom boards and ding repairs with a strong local following.
Surf
Lacrau Surfboards
Luis 'Lacrau' Carvalho's custom high-performance boards from the Cascais area, shaping since 2006 - plus HARA, his cork surfboard brand.
Surf
Lisbon Surf Camp
A surf camp near Lisbon running week-long packages of lessons, accommodation and beach shuttles, surfing Carcavelos and the other Cascais-line beaches.
SurfFrom 495 EUR / week
Lisbon Surf Connection
A Lisbon-based surf school certified by the Portuguese Surf Federation and Turismo de Portugal, teaching at whichever coast beach is working, from Costa da Caparica to Guincho.
Surf
Matta Surfboards
Nuno Matta has shaped high-performance boards behind Costa da Caparica for around thirty years, with a big walk-in showroom stock and outlines built for beach-break surfing.
Surf
Moana Surf School
A family-oriented surf school on Guincho beach, 30 minutes from Lisbon, established in 2003, with small-group lessons, kids' camps and private coaching.
SurfFrom EUR 40 / group class
Moby Dick Surf School
A Cascais surf school working the Guincho and Sintra coast, with lessons for all ages, kids' programmes, SUP, a big rental fleet and two surf lodges.
Surf
Polen Surfboards
One of Europe's biggest surfboard factories, in Cascais since 1988. Polen shapes its own brand and produces under licence for names like Pyzel, Timmy Patterson and Stretch.
Surf
Portugal Surf Factory
A production factory near Sintra that builds boards for international shapers - Dylan Longbottom, John Carper, Gary Linden among them - plus big-wave boards and repairs.
SurfPraia Grande Surf School
A surf and bodyboard school based right on Praia Grande at Colares, the wide, consistent beach break under the Sintra hills.
SurfSurf Cascais
A surf school and camp in Cascais, certified by the Portuguese Surf Federation, the tourism board and the Cascais port authority, teaching at Carcavelos, Guincho and Praia Grande.
SurfEvents here
23 Jul – 31 OctInternational Ocean Film Tour
A travelling programme of ocean and surf documentaries, shown in the original language with Portuguese subtitles.
Cinema São Jorge, Lisbon (and other cities)
18 OctInternational Ocean Film Tour: Setúbal
The International Ocean Film Tour brings its 12th edition to Setúbal for one evening: five ocean and surf documentaries, around 150 minutes, shown in the original language with Portuguese subtitles.
Cinema Charlot
15–16 NovNational Longboard Circuit: S. Pedro do Estoril
The closing stage of the national longboard circuit, at the reef of São Pedro do Estoril on the Cascais train line, a wave that holds shape for the noseriding the longboard divisions are judged on.
S. Pedro do Estoril, Cascais
11 Jan – 11 MarCapítulo Perfeito
The invitational one-day tube-riding contest returns to Carcavelos for 2027, with a waiting period of 11 January to 11 March.
Praia de CarcavelosCommon questions
- Can you surf near Lisbon?
- Yes. Carcavelos and Costa da Caparica are inside 40 minutes by train or ferry and work for beginners; Guincho near Cascais is a stronger wave and a top wind and kite beach in summer.
- Which beach is best for a first lesson?
- Carcavelos on a small day, or the northern beaches of Costa da Caparica, which are sheltered from the summer north wind. Both have plenty of schools.
- When is it least crowded?
- Dawn, always. The nortada wind blows most beaches out by early afternoon in summer, so the line-up that is packed at 11am was clean and quiet at 7am. Mid-week beats the weekend everywhere.