Lagos, Portugal

[MrsH]

Hi,

I’m looking to take a week’s holiday either end of September or beginning of October, somewhere with some reasonable weather and a bit of surf (maybe even some sunshine as despite the good weather we’ve had here I still want more), and I have been considering Lagos, Portugal.

I’d like it to be somewhere with plenty to do, in and out the water but especially somewhere that has a reasonable beach for me to plonk the hubby on while I disappear off for a surf (if there is a beach bar to stick him in that’s great. Otherwise as long as there's a nice beach for him to sit on with his MP3 player, a book and a few beers he'll be happy for a couple of hours). Lagos looks like it might be an alright option plus I’ve found a few places to stay within walking distance of Porto De Mos beach.

I have also considered Peniche and Sagres but I’m a bit worried that at that time of year the surf in these places could be too big. I’m sure to some of you that this seems like a silly thing to be worrying about but big waves really would be wasted on me and although I’m not a very good surfer I do think I’m beyond the point of just kicking about in the white water. I do sometimes have some confidence issues when catching waves (along with a quite inconvenient fear of heights) so I’m after some reasonably mellow waves and I would say that the maximum wave height I’m comfortable with at the moment is 3-4ft (obviously that is also dependant on conditions, 3-4ft of barrelling steepness is more than likely to scare the poop right out of me!). To give you an idea of what I am used to I usually surf Saunton or Putsborough, occasionally Croyde though only when it’s really small.

I would also like to avoid having to hire a car (I know this does restrict us a little bit but the fact is that this holiday isn’t all about me, getting in the surf would just be a small part of it. Mostly we just want to be somewhere we can relax, do a bit of local sightseeing and be close to some nice beaches, bars and restaurants… plus we're saving up for a holiday in Barbados in Feb/Mar next year where I will be able to surf for as long as I want so we are trying not to go too mad with spending on this one).

This is all a lot to ask I know but I was wondering if any of you seasoned travellers might have a little information to help me decide and could answer some of the following:

1 Does it sound like Lagos be suitable around this time of year? (I know it’s mother nature is a little hard to predict for so far in the future and for such a small time frame, but I’m just after as much information as I can to increase my chances getting lucky).

2 How easy is it to get about Portugal (or more specifically Lagos) with a board in tow? Will buses and taxis carry them? (not that I want to use buses and taxis often, I could do with the exercise but just in case).

3 What is the wind like at this time of year? Does it tend to mess up the surf at all as I’ve heard it can be quite blowy?

4 I’m thinking of possibly flying EasyJet and taking one suitcase for us both and my board, then stuffing some towels and bits in the board bag so I don’t have to pay for too much luggage. Though I’ve heard EasyJet can be strict on luggage, do they check what you’ve padded your board out with? Or doesn’t it matter as long as it’s not too heavy?

If anyone has any other tips, ideas or suggestions then I’d love to hear them.

Thanks.

P.S the board I am thinking of taking is 6ft6.

[Aqualife]

Hi,
I have only been to Lagos once around that time of the year and we could not find a wave anywhere. Saw plenty of surfshops but it was really really flat and the beaches didn't look like they had all that much potential. No banks, just bays that dropped into deep water. It was very windy too. The place itself was fun with beach bars and tons of tourist stuff to do just no surf.
We really liked the Peniche area. You do have to drive but it's well worth it and there are plenty of breaks and a lot of protected bays, so you can have 10ft but then go to another beach and it faces a different way and you have 3ft beachies, lots of restaurants and bars in front of surf breaks too to hang out. We preferred it to Lagos by far.
EasyJet was very strict on luggage but they don't check what you padd your boardbag with, only concern was maximum weight limits.
I would find Lagos as well as anywhere else in Portugal without a car difficult if you want to surf. Taxis will take surfboards if they feel like and like you. There are no rules. Buses won't tale them unless long distance in the luggaeg compartment. Not around town.

By the way, I have spent a lot of time in Barbados because one of my girlfriends runs a surf camp there, there are NO intermediate/beginner breaks on the whole island, it is strictly ADVANCED territory and I have surfed every break on the island, been surfing for over 30 years now and I am pretty good but some of them were sketchy, even for me, reef, big sea urchins, underwater caves and fast barrels over shallow reef. Don't take me wrong, the island is superb and gorgeous but surfwise, you want to be experienced. Maycocks is the only break you will be able to get in the water and again, you will need a rental car and it won't be cheap.

My 2 cents of wisdon, hope any of this helps.

[dtc]

Aquagirl, is there anywhere you havent been? I'm very impressed, but you make my life seem so wasted...

For Babados, I've seen Zed's Surf school mentioned a bit - http://www.zedssurftravel.com/ but dont know about it at all. A quick look at the site suggests its quite expensive but suitable for beginners.

To slightly divert the thread, for Aquagirl, do you have suggestions on which tropical paradise is the best for beginners/intermediate (a lot of people ask - resorts, somewhere for the non surfer etc)? Costa Rica seems pretty good, and here and there in Bali and Hawaii. I've seen Sri Lanka mentioned (would love to go there myself but if its anything like India then not for everyone), the Phillipines (but not much 'resort infrastructure') and I guess Morocco is almost tropical. South Pacific seems lacking, other than parts of PNG (again not for everyone) and SE Asia is only good for a couple of months a year if you are lucky. Dont know about the Caribbean or Africa at all. Anywhere you suggest for beginners?

Obviously outside the tropics there are plenty of places for beginners to learn in Australia, the US, Western Europe, Sth Africa; even New Zealand and the UK if you can survive the icebergs. Amongst other places.

[MrsH]

Hi Aqualife,

Thanks for all that info, that’s great stuff, I think it’s twisted my arm to start looking at Peniche instead.

I’m fortunate to be a regular to Barbados too as my folks bought a house out there several years ago, so I’ve got to know the island reasonably well and know which breaks I’m confident with in which conditions (Surfers Point where Zeds is based being one of the many) as well as which breaks, no matter how small, are beyond my abilities. Such a beautiful island, can’t wait to get back there (BTW my avatar pic was taken on a fun day over at Parlors).

Cheers again for the info though, it's helped loads.

[Aqualife]

Hi there,
Yep, I'd say you would be happier in Ericera and surrounds than Lagos for surf.
Another idea that might work for you: try to get a cheap package deal to the Azores, the main island has plenty of superfun surfbreaks, most are breaking on pebbly beachies. It is not crowded, superconsistent and you might get between 5-20 people in the water max. The ASP had a female contest there a while back on the Northern Side, so you might still find pictures on the web. There are some really good tapas bars with large decks right in front of a lot of surf spots and it's dirt cheap. We paid 310 Euro per person for 1 week, flights, hotel and breakfast and 200 Euro for the car. The island is stunningly beautiful, the people are great. A coffee is 1 Euro and a meal about 4-8 Euros. And you can sit in these natural and free hot springs in beautiful locations and soak after having a surf. Heaven!
I took grandma and my then 2 year old and they both loved it too. It's just something more unusual but inexpensive.
Otherwise Ericeira is good too.

re: Barbados. Sorry. you sounded a bit kooky with not much fitness and surfing experience in your posts, so I responded to that. Zed's didn't exist yet when I was there (5 times over the years) and we always had big solid swells and Soupbowls was often enormous, you could have driven a semi trailer through the barrels and even Duppys' which doesn't break all that often was 10ft easy. So you know what you are doing. All good. Parlors isn't my cup of tea, too gentle. You might like Brandon's then too.
Any time there is fantastic anyway.
Enjoy.

[Aqualife]

Separate answer for DTC, sorry MrsH, total hijack of your post.
I need more info please. Do you need a resort with amenities or are local guesthouses ok too?
Who is going and for how long? Do you like a bit of adventure or your creature comforts? How big is your budget? Does culture need to be involved (compared to being stuck in a beautiful resort in a place cut off from the locals either by geography or security fences)?
Beginner/intermediate are two very different surfing animals. Beginner I would put into beachbreaks. Intermediates should be able to handle their takeoffs 80% of the time, be able to trim a wave and do simple turns in up to headhigh slow moving waves, have their duckdives totally sorted and get to their feet without scrambling. They should also have control of their board (not throw it when a big set comes) and know surfing etiquette and be able to basically read waves for take off points and not get in the way of better surfers (know their own ability). So intermediates can go on deeper reef and point breaks but are not quite ready for shallow reefs and faster barelling waves and bigger powerful waves.
With all that said:
Australia and NZ win hands down for beginners.
Hawaii is great for ALL level of surfers and the ultimate place for any surfer, plus it is achingly beautiful, the people are out of this world and the ocean is incredible. Great for families too. My top surfing destination in the world.
Sri Lanka is great on the Western Coast (Hikkaduwa side) from Oct-Apr for beginners and intermediates. It doesn't get very big. There is a lot of water on the reefs (2-3 metres) and the waves are generally fun but slow and not powerful. I don't like the Arugam Bay side much, overrated and it doesn't have infrastructure and is hassly and muslim.
Phillipines are a whole lot of fun for beginners, as well as intermediates on the island of Luzon, north around San Fernando area. You can rent guesthouses and the like. People are superb, dirt cheap, beautiful beaches.
Indo is too big too mention.
Pacific isn't offering itself to beginners, intermediates are ok in most places in the smaller season but it is shallow and fast breaking, so I wouldn't recommend.
PNG is fantastic for intermediates, doesn't get over 6ft, it's empty and you NEED to be in a resort. Not much to do for other half but hang out and snorkel and fish.
Costa Rica is fabulous for the whole family and the Pacific Coastline has tons of resorts and beachbreaks for all levels and the wildlife is amazing. Lots to do. It's like Bali for the Seppos. Infrastructure is all there for you.
Southern Nicaragua is good around San Juan del Sur. Mexico around Puerto Vallarta and Cabo.
Northern Peru around Mancora.
If you have cash and want exotic, go to Cape Verde Islands, sand, crystal clear water and fun waves. Senegal is good too. And South Africa is like OZ - loads of breaks everywhere and quite fun in the summer months.
Sorry to ramble, the world is a big place. Once you decided on a country or a couple and want further info, give me a shout.
Enjoy. Need to surf now

[jaffa1949]

YEP that got the surf travel glands running

That for a lot of the forum crew sums up levels of ability pretty well.
The further out from civilisation ( read crowds) the more self reliant on your skills and wave reading ability you need to be.

MrsH wins the what to do with Hubby thread, easy beer o'clock and an MP3 good one MrsH

[dtc]

Thanks heaps Aquagirl - I should say that my question wasnt for me (at least for the moment) but to pick your brains given how much you know/have travelled and how often people ask 'where to go for a beginner/intermediate' - and now your post can just be linked as the complete answer. I also think your definition of intermediate is very useful for people to judge their true abilities. So, anyway, expect to see your post cross posted/linked many times.

I would love to go to Hawaii and Costa Rica and many of the other places you have mentioned (Sri Lanka, Phillipines); however my other half doesnt like resorts and much prefers to hang around art galleries and ancient ruins and so forth and keep moving around rather than sit in one spot (we spent a week in Fiji in the 1990s on an island and she is still complaining about how bored she was...). Even when I suggested Hawaii, apparently its not "cultured" enough... that said, obviously I am in Australia so dont need to travel to get great surf.

thanks again.

[MrsH]

No worries, hijack away it’s all great reading (though I really shouldn’t have read the replies this morning, it made being stuck in an office all day real hard work!!).

That’s an incredible amount of info there Aqualife… and the Azores, another one to add on the list to check out, it sounds amazing (too many places to go and not enough holiday time or money to visit them all! Haha).

Sorry, looking back I did sound a bit kooky. I guess I’ve undersold myself a little in my posts (bit of a bad habit of mine), on reading your description of an intermediate I’m much closer to all of that than I thought I was. And Yep, Brandon’s is another spot I like to frequent.

Hahaha thanks Jaffa, it seems to keep him happy so far (in fact it keeps him very merry sometimes!!).

[Aqualife]

Hey MrsH,
I am loving the fact that you are the one on the family who surfs, usually it's the guys with the woman sitting on the beach and needing to be entertained. Great to hear that with you it's the other way around. I am getting sick of surf camp brochure giving you a packing list for the girlfriend or wife and providing entertainment for the non-surfing girlfriend. Parking your male partner is awesome!
Hey DTC,
I have the PERFECT TRIPS for you to satisfy even the most cultured wife:
1) Easter Island - awesome, big surf and ruins and moai statues all around, culture galore especially around the annual festival in Feb.
2) Chile - Santiago and Valparaiso are teeming with museums, galleries and funky cultures, are cheap, have awesome food & wine and Pichilemu is one of the best and most solid 2km long lefts I have ever surfed.
3) Buenos Aires - culture non-stop, then hop on a ferry to Uruguay and surf all those sandy beachbreaks along the coast. Again tango, red wine, steaks, food, cheap and tons of cultural things to see. Good waves too.
You can have a WIN/WIN
Off to Indo & Borneo now.... heard of a Noosa like left in Borneo that needs checking out... will report back....

[MrsH]

Cheers Aqualife,

It does feel a bit odd sometimes when a lot of people around are doing the opposite... but it's odd in a good way, it's nice to break the trend.

I did notice some funny looks on my last overseas surf trip, the hubby with just his suitcase, me with suitcase, hand luggage and a surfboard. I'm sure some people assumed he was making me carry his board like some little skivvy rather than it being me who was the one going surfing!! haha.

I know what you mean about surf camp info, I've noticed that a bit when reading through stuff too. Still when it comes to actually being in the water the ocean doesn't care if your male or female, get things wrong and you're all getting worked the same! haha

I'm looking forward to reading about Indo and Borneo.

[nottyR6]

Hi Mrs H

Dont give up on Lagos, I love the place. By Lagos I mean the whole of the West Algarve including the west coast so you will need transport, the west coast is a 30 minute drive from Lagos.

September / October see's the start of the winter periods kicking in, my rule of the thumb is something around 6ft / 10 secs its time to start looking at the South coast, under that its the West coast. Thats looking at Carrapitaira on MSW.

Wind should not be a problem at that time of year, we get the worst wind in June and July unless you get unlucky and get a storm, I doubt it Sept/Oct.

If you want to know beaches etc I'll PM you but Lagos as a base is the right idea for this neck of the woods. Just bite the bullet and hire a car from the airport its the easiest option.

[MrsH]

Hi Notty,

Sorry for taking my time to reply, I wasn't ignoring you, honest.

I am still considering Lagos, there seems so many good choices in Portugal and I do like the look of Lagos (along with many other places!). So any information you could send me about the beaches would brilliant, thank you.

Just out of curiosity is it pretty easy to hire a board in Lagos? I am thinking that as this isn't really intended to be just a surfing holiday I may leave my board behind and just hire one on the days I do surf (I'm guessing that if we do head west to surf, board hire isn't likely to be too much of an issue so I just wanted to see how easy it is to get hold of one if we were to find ourselves in Lagos with waves).

Cheers

[nottyR6]

Hi

I'll PM you some info on the local beaches in a second. The West coast beaches of Amado and Cordoama have board hire on the beach, otherwise there are hire shops in Sagres, Vila De Bispo, Carrapatiara and Lagos. Jah Shaka in Lagos would probably be my recommendation, they have a website.