Surf spots: all our spot guides by country
Each spot guide gives you the essentials before you paddle out: the type of wave, the recommended level, the tide, swell and wind that work, and the best season. Pick a country, then open the guide for the spot you want. Still not sure where to go? Browse our destination guides.
Surf spots in the Canary Islands
In the Canary Islands you can surf all year round, mostly on volcanic reefs plus a few sandy beaches. The spot guides are sorted by island. To compare the islands, start with our Canary Islands surf guide.
Fuerteventura
Lanzarote
Tenerife
Gran Canaria
Surf spots in Morocco
In Morocco, the spot guides cover the Agadir area, Imsouane, Essaouira and Dakhla further south. Season, budget and choosing a camp are covered in our Morocco surf guide.
Taghazout
Tamraght
Imsouane
Essaouira
Dakhla
Surf spots in Portugal
In Portugal, the spot guides currently cover the Ericeira area, north of Lisbon. To choose your base and your season, read our Portugal surf guide.
Surf spots in Madeira
In Madeira, the guides cover the island’s three areas: the southwest rock rights, detailed in our guide to surfing Jardim do Mar, the north coast reefs, in our guide to surfing São Vicente, and the Machico and Porto da Cruz beaches to learn. For the big picture, read our guide to the Madeira surf spots.
Surf spots in Guadeloupe
In Guadeloupe, the spot guides cover Grande-Terre, from Port-Louis to Le Moule. Level, season and budget are all in our Guadeloupe surf guide.
Surf spots in Martinique
In Martinique, the spot guides cover Basse-Pointe, Anse Bonneville and Cocoa. To find out when to go and which level you need, read our Martinique surf guide.
Surf spots in Costa Rica
In Costa Rica, there is one spot guide per main region: Playa Grande in Guanacaste, Pavones at the far south of the Pacific coast and Salsa Brava on the Caribbean side. Add our Costa Rica surf guide and the city guides for Tamarindo and Santa Teresa.
Surf spots in Nicaragua
In Nicaragua, the spot guides cover Playa Maderas near San Juan del Sur, then Popoyo and Playa Santana further north. Everything else is in our Nicaragua surf guide.
Surf spots in Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, the guides cover the south coast, with Mirissa, Midigama, Ahangama and Hiriketiya around Weligama, and Main Point on the east coast, in Arugam Bay. Everything else is in our Sri Lanka surf guide.
Surf spots in Bali (Indonesia)
In Bali, the guides cover the Bukit with Uluwatu, Padang Padang and Bingin, the Canggu and Kuta beaches for beginners, and Keramas on the east coast for the wet season. To choose by level and season, read our Bali surf guide. For quieter waves off Sumatra, see our Mentawai surf guide. Every island, from Lombok to the Mentawai, is in our guide to surfing in Indonesia.
Surf spots in Senegal
In Senegal, the guides cover the Cap-Vert peninsula in Dakar, with the two waves off Ngor island, the Le Virage bay and the Yoff beach break, all best from October to April. To pick a spot by level and swell, read our Dakar surf guide. Season, budget and other regions, from Saint-Louis to Casamance, are in our Senegal surf guide.
Surf spots in the Azores
In the Azores, the guides cover São Miguel: Santa Bárbara and Monte Verde on the north coast, and Milícias beach on the south coast to learn. To pick a spot by season, read our São Miguel surf guide. The other islands, from São Jorge to Terceira, are in our Azores surf guide.
Surf spots in Madagascar
In Madagascar, the guides cover the Anakao reefs near Toliara, with Flame Balls and Jelly Babies, and the long Lavanono left in the far south. To plan your trip, read our Anakao surf guide.
Surf spots in Ireland
In Ireland, the guides cover Donegal around Bundoran (The Peak, Tullan Strand, Rossnowlagh), Strandhill in Sligo and Lahinch in Clare. To plan your trip, read our Bundoran surf guide.
Surf spots in Cape Verde
In Cape Verde, the guides cover the island of Sal: Santa Maria to learn, Monte Leão on the west coast and Ponta Preta for advanced surfers. It is all in our guide to surfing Sal.
Choose your spot by season
A great spot at the wrong time of year means a wasted session. To see which destinations work in the month you travel, check our monthly guides. If you are just starting out, our beginner surfing guide helps you spot the waves that suit your level.