Catching the waves at Peniche

Photo: Joao Barbosa

With little between the United States and Portugal's 830-kilometre coastline to slow the Atlantic waves down, Portugal is one of the best place in Europe to surf. It attracts consistent swells and professional surfing competitions.

The best waves come crashing in between September and April. The most popular spots for surfing include the 8km stretch south of Lisbon known as the Costa da Caparica and in the Algarve (the waves north of Sagres are the finest in the region).

A number of summer surf schools are set up around the country to cater for Europe's hoards of wannabe riders - check out Cascais (near Lisbon), the Estremadura coast around Peniche and Ericeira or Figueira da Foz, west of Coimbra.