Two total beginners, tight-ish budget, torn between Baleal/Peniche vs Ericeira for a 2-week surf trip — help us decide
Hey everyone,
Me and my buddy (both 22, from Italy) are planning our first ever surf trip and we're stuck deciding where to go. Never surfed before in our lives.
The plan: fly into Lisbon, 14 nights total, aiming for around 10 beginner group lessons somewhere in that time (with rest days in between so we don't destroy our arms). Budget is on the lower side, so we're trying to be smart about where the money goes.
We're torn between two areas:
- Baleal/Peniche — seems like the classic beginner-friendly surf camp hub, softer beach breaks, lots of hostels built specifically around surf camps, seems very social/party-oriented from what we've read.
- Ericeira — closer to Lisbon, prettier old town, World Surfing Reserve, closer to Sintra/Cascais for sightseeing, but waves seem more reef/point break oriented and maybe less forgiving for total beginners?
Our main priorities, roughly in order:
- Actually learning to surf properly as complete beginners
- Meeting people / making friends / having a fun social scene (we're not going just to sit on a beach quietly)
- Seeing some nice scenery/beaches while we're there
- Keeping costs reasonable — we don't have a car and won't rent one
My worry is that Ericeira might feel "too much of a real town" and less of that concentrated surf-camp energy where everyone's there for the same reason, but I could be totally wrong about that. Anyone who's done both, which would you actually pick for two guys in their early 20s wanting to learn, have fun, and not spend a fortune?
Also open to any specific hostel/surf camp recommendations in either area if you've stayed somewhere good. Thanks in advance!