After digging through surfing videos from all over Europe for the past month, I built a large list of good surf spots in Europe, which I will list for you below, but the goal was to figure out the best surfing in Europe, and here it is.
The best surf in Europe is in Portugal. The best surfers in the world always choose to surf the best surf breaks. Peniche beach Portugal is where the World Surf League (WSL) held its championship in Europe in 2022. This means Portugal has the best surf in Europe.
Below I’m going to discuss in more depth where the best surfing in Europe is and everything related to surfing in Europe I can think of. So, read on if you want to learn more about surf spots in Europe.
Before leaving for a surf trip, you should know what to pack for a surf trip. Here’s my ultimate list for a surfing trip.
Where Is The Surfing Capital In Europe?
Before I get into an entire list of every surf spot in Europe, here’s a list of the best surf breaks in Portugal.
- Peniche
- Carparcia
- Praia do Norte, Nazar’e
- Espinho
- Ericeira
- Sagres
- Praia de Carcavelos
- Praia do Cabedelo
- Arrifana, Costa Vicentina
Best Surf in Europe: Top 20
- Peniche, Portugal
- Carparcia, Portugal
- Biarritz, France
- Mundaka, Spain
- Hossegor, France
- Sardinia, Italy
- The bubble, Canary Islands
- Tinos, Greece
- Lofoten, Norway
- Halland, Sweden
- Playa De Las Americas, Tenerife Sapin
- San Sebastian, Spain
- Pomerania, Poland
- Klitmoller, Denmark
- Watergate Bay, England
- Port Blanc, France
- Bundoran Beach, Ireland
- Cornwall, U.K.
- Nazare, Portugal (biggest surf in Europe)
- Alaia Bay, Switzerland
The best surf spot break for a surfing trip is Hawaii. Here’s my ultimate guide to planning a surf trip to Hawaii
Where Can I Surf In Europe In The Summer?
- Lofoten, Norway (Best summer surf breaks in Europe)
- Halland, Sweden (Best summer surf breaks in Europe)
- Pomerania, Poland (Best summer surf breaks in Europe)
- Klitmoller, Denmark (Best summer surf breaks in Europe)
- Watergate Bay, England (Best summer surf breaks in Europe)
- Bundoran Beach, Ireland (Best summer surf breaks in Europe)
- Cornwall, U.K. (Best summer surf breaks in Europe)
- Alaia Bay, Switzerland (Best summer surf breaks in Europe)
The best European surf spots in summer are in the countries where it’s far too uncomfortably cold to surf for the rest of the year. I’d argue that most of the northern European countries are way too cold for a surfer during winter. So, you should plan to surf them in summer.
Where Is The Best Surfing In Europe For Beginners?
When looking for a good surf break for a beginner, there are a few important factors to take into account. Beginner surfers have different requirements from more experienced and advanced surfers.
- Small to average size waves
- Weak rip currents
- Avoid sucky (steep) waves on reefs or rocks
A beginner surfer wouldn’t want to surf wave that are over 4 feet in size I would argue. When the surf goes over a certain size, the very point of trying to improve a beginners surfing skills, dissolves into simply avoiding trouble.
You want a beginner to feel comfortable in the size. Also, a beginner should surf on a surf break that is easy to paddle out in. For instance, you don’t want the surf to have sideways rip currents or even rip currents that are too strong in general.
The best surf spot in Europe for beginners is Zurriola surf beach in Spain. Zurriola beach has both headlands shaped in a way that protects it from large swells. The sandbank is easy to navigate for beginners. Rip currents and large waves are not an issue either, this makes Zurriola beach the best surf spot in Europe for beginner surfers.
Where Is The Cheapest Place To Surf In Europe?
When looking for a cheap spot to surf in Europe, there are only two thing to consider. Cost of living and how consistent the surf is. Luckily for you, I have done the research and found a surf spot in Europe with these two things covered.
The cheapest and best place to surf in Europe is Portugal. Surfing at Portugal is perfect for the surfer on a budget because the surf in Portugal is the best in Europe. And Portugal is the most affordable country to surf in, with the lowest cost of living in western Europe.
Where Is The Most Consistent Surf In Europe?
After doing some research on which surf break in Europe has the most consistent swell, combined with the most consistently durable surfing banks.
Here is what I discovered:
On average, the most consistent surf in Europe is in Portugal. Surf breaks in Portugal win on all the metrics when comparing surf in Europe. The biggest waves, most consistent, best waves in Europe, the WSL championship is held in Portugal too. Surf in Portugal wins in all categories.
Where Are The Biggest Waves In Europe?
There is one surf break in Europe that’s famous for big waves and that is: Nazare, Portugal (biggest surf in Europe). Nazare in Portugal is famous for the biggest wave recorded in history, a hundred foot wave broke off the coast of Nazare.
No one was recorded as catching this wave though.
Nazare is where the World Surf League (WSL) holds their competition every year for a very good reason. The waves are big, which makes the challenge greater for the best surfers in the world.
If you are looking for a big wave surf session, then Nazare is the spot for you, if you live in Europe.