Planning a surf trip to the Algarve? Look no further than Lagos! With great surf breaks and beautiful beaches, this charming beach town is a great destination for surfers. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced surfer, Lagos offers excellent amenities and a laid-back surfers lifestyle that's sure to make your trip unforgettable. In this guide, I'll give you all the information you need to plan your perfect surf trip to Lagos, including details about the surf breaks, the amenities, and the lifestyle in this wonderful part of the Algarve. So sit back, relax, and get ready to dream about your upcoming surf adventure in Lagos.
What's in this blog?
1. The weather
2. Surfing beaches and breaks
3. Surf lessons
4. The best time to travel for surfing (per level)
There is so much to do in this beautiful beach town. Besides surfing, you can go kayaking along the stunning coastline, supping, explore the old town, enjoy good food and if you're feeling more adventures, go rock climbing.
The weather in Lagos
The weather in Lagos is year round amazing. The warm Algarve climate and sunny weather make this the perfect place tot visit, especially in low season. Summers can be really hot with average daily temperatures above 30 degrees.
Spring and fall are my favorite seasons to travel as the surf is great and so is the weather with mild mid-twenty temperatures. Winter offers the best waves of the year and temperatures are still between 16 - 23 degrees. I personally love escaping the cold Northern European weather and escape to the warm and mild Algarve climate.
Surfing beaches and breaks in Lagos
Lagos has two main surfing beaches, Porto de Mos (beach and reef break) and Meia Praia (beach break). You'll find many surf schools and rentals in Lagos. A great thing about Lagos is its geographical location. Lagos is protected from big Atlantic swells and when there are no waves hitting the south coast, it's easy to just drive around the corner of Portugal to the west coast. This makes Lagos a perfect place to stay for all surf levels as bigger west coast swells are just a half an hour drive away.
Besides the surfing beaches in Lagos, you'll find many good surfing beaches within a 10-30 minute drive like Praia da Luz, Praia do Zavial, Tonel and Beliche (Sagres) and several beautiful surfing beaches on the west coast. If you're not an advanced surfer, I would recommend taking a surf safari or a guided surf session to explore the best surfing beaches around!p
Tip! Hire a surf guide
If you're not familiar with the area, book a surf guide to get the most out of your trip. It's so worth it! Transfer from your Lagos stay, board and wetsuit are included.
Tip! Meo beach cams
To check out the waves at surrounding surfing beaches, make sure to check out the Meo surf cams! This will make your search for waves a whole lot easier as you won't have to drive from beach to beach to see what the swell is like. You can also check download their app!
Surf Lessons in Lagos
You'll find many options for surf lessons in Lagos. The great thing about lessons is that surf schools always know where to go for the best waves! They will also take you on surfari's (surf safaris) and trips to different beautiful beaches.
Good to know about surf lessons:
Many surf schools provide pick ups to the surfing beach and also drop you back off!
The surf school will provide you with a board and wetsuit.
Most lessons cost around €35 - €45 per two hour session incl. wetsuit and board.
Best time to visit Lagos for surfing
Very important to keep in mind is the time of year you want to travel to Lagos for surfing. The seasons and weather significantly effect the height and quality of the waves.
Like mentioned before, the west coast is not far and you will almost always find waves there. However, if you like to surf waves on the beautiful and more mellow south coast I would recommend to not plan a surf trip during the summer months.
Waves on the south coast can be non-existent as the ocean is usually flat during the summer high season. You can definitely stay in Lagos but you will mostly have to visit beaches on the west coast for waves.
Here are the best times to travel:
Beginner | All year |
Intermediate | October - April |
Advanced | Late October - March |
Want to know more about when to travel to the Algarve? Here are my favorite months to travel and why! 👇
Surf and stay in Lagos
From budget to luxury and everything in between, there is a perfect place to stay for everybody in Lagos. There are plenty budget surf hostels but also more upmarket surf stays like Tiny Whale Surf Lodge where you can hang out by a beautiful pool after a big salty day!
Staying at a surf house or surf hostel can be very convenient as they plan and provide your surf sessions and equipment. When you're a beginner and not sure where to go when, staying at a surf house will make your surf trip much easier. Here are some of my recommendations for (slightly upmarket) surf lodges in Lagos:
Bura Surf House (private rooms and hostel)
You don't have to stay in surf house or surf lodge to go surfing. Just book any nice place in Lagos and check into a surf school in Lagos whenever you feel like planning your surf lessons. If you do, make sure to check out Casa Maē, it's one of my fave places in Lagos.
Not sure if Lagos is the perfect surf town for you? Make sure to check out my list with my personal favorite surf towns in the Algarve!