For the surf and wave fans

One of the perks of traveling to Portugal to surf is having a lot of great spots close by. If you go to Peniche you’ll find a whole range of spots within a few kilometers and the same thing happens in Ericeira, Figueira da Foz and many more “surf zones”. But, if you start from Lisbon’s Airport and you want to get in the water really fast here are some great options, under 45 kilometers away.

Praia do CDS – Costa da Caparica 25km from Lisbon (Portela Airport) How fast can you get to the water after arriving? Well, as soon as you get on your car, you can make it to the ocean in 20 minutes and be surfing in 25.

Costa da Caparica is one of the most underrated surfing locations in Europe but it holds a few kilometers of coastline, nearly all of it with fun waves. The best place to start would be in CDS beach, one of the richest in surfing tradition and a very, very fun beach break. Praia da Riviera – Costa da Caparica 26km from Lisbon (Portela Airport) Less than 2kms south of CDS Beach, you’ll find a whole new batch of fun waves. The same as their neighbors to the right, sans jettys. Riviera Beach is often a very good choice, but you could also park your car in that spot and choose where to surf, just walk left or rights and you should be able to find a good wave to surf.

Bolina – Estoril Coast 29km from Lisbon (Portela Airport) In the mood for a reef break? Bolina, situated between São João and Estoril, is a short but fun right, often with some tube sections on offer. It can be surfed in most tides but it is not advisable on very low tides. Also, it needs a good solid swell to start breaking. but when it’s on it can turn into one of your top surf sessions of all time. Carcavelos – Estoril Coast 30km from Lisbon (Portela Airport) Carcavelos is a lot like Supertubos in many ways. With the right swell it can turn into a tube fest, second only to Peniche’s jewel. But, unlike Supertubos, it’s a really fun wave to surf even in smaller, less barreling days. One of the most urban beaches in Portugal, Carcavelos is home to some of the best surfers in the country and a very fun but very competitive surf spot.

S. Pedro do Estoril – Estoril Coast 31km from Lisbon (Portela Airport) The mellowest spot in Cascais, S. Pedro picks up more swell then Carcavelos and Bolina and has a handful of options to surf. There’s a long right-hand point break to the far right called Bico and a short left in the end that goes all the way to the beach. There’s a right and left spot called Bafureira, and a shallow ledge in the corner. Usually a very good option for surfers who like longer and softer waves.

Guincho – Cascais 37km from Lisbon (Portela Airport) Guincho is more of an open ocean wave that picks up a lot of swell and has a long stretch of beach, with plenty of options. Often it can get a bit windy and becomes a world class spot for kite and wind surfers. But when it’s glassy, or when the east or south winds are on, the waves can get pretty amazing.

Praia Grande – Sintra 42km from Lisbon (Portela Airport) One of the most consistent spots in Europe, Praia Grande always delivers some kind of fun waves. Picture this, it’s the middle of the Summer and everywhere is flat and windy. You take a drive past the beautiful town of Sintra and head towards the coast. When you arrive at Praia Grande you will not believe you eyes since it is often void of winds and breaking with really fun lefts and rights.

Praia da Adraga – Sintra 44km from Lisbon (Portela Airport) Close to Praia Grande there are a handful of less crowded spots and Adraga is one of them. A shorter beach than most of its neighbors, Adraga often offers long lefts or shorter but really fun a-frames.

Bonus The Belém Tower 22kms Lisbon (Portela Airport) Not a surf spot, but it was surfed on a big swell (check out the session HERE). Torre de Belém is one of the most amazing Portuguese monuments in the Lisbon area and is considered a world heritage site by Unesco. Commissioned by King John II, as part of a defense system at the mouth of the Tagus River, as well a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon, the tower was built in the early 16th century and is a prominent example of the Portuguese Manueline Style.

Find out more about the list in this LINK: portuguesewaves.com/8-great-waves-less-than-45-kms-away-from-lisbon/