Our Top 15 Group Surf Lessons in Portugal

1.Small Group Surf Lesson with Transportation

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 594 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $58Our pick

Meet your van near Aliados and let the guide choose the beach with the best conditions that day. You’ll get a wetsuit, board, safety and technique coaching, then practise in the water with a group capped at seven. Instructors including Igor, Bernardo, and Katerina teach in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

“Very exciting!! We spend a nice morning surfing with excellent instructors. If you come to Portugal, you must try it.”

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2.Funchal: Madeira Island Group Surf Lesson

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 282 reviews · 4 hours · from $100

Join Johnny, João, Kaja, or another MadSea instructor for a four-hour Madeira surf lesson. You’ll warm up on the beach, learn board technique, then practice in the clearest, calmest conditions available at Machico, Porto da Cruz, or Seixal. Equipment, transport, insurance, and coaching are included.

“It was an absolutely amazing day. Very beginner-friendly and still not boring. Johnny and Kaia were great trainers, we would absolutely take lessons with them again.”

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3.Ribeira Grande, Azores: Group Surf Lessons

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 198 reviews · 2 hours · from $53

Spend two hours learning to surf with Watergliders Azores Surf Club. Instructors such as Constantino and Pedro teach ocean safety, board handling, paddling, and take-off skills in English or Portuguese. Groups are limited to six, with the beach chosen for the day’s conditions.

“Amazing experience - the guides were so helpful and laid back. Explained everything so well to ensure everyone was safe and got the best out of the experience. They congratulated every move which was so motivating. Had such a great time, I highly recommend.”

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4.Group Surf Lessons

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 73 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $54Top rated

Meet Salty Experiences at Praia de Faro for a two-hour surf lesson suited to your level. Your instructor provides the board, wetsuit, Lycra, and sports insurance. Beginner-friendly coaching, a possible boat ride to the waves, and instructors such as Nuno, Bruno, Antonio, and Oscar make this a friendly choice for adults and children over six.

“Cours de surf au top nous avons adoré le coach était super cool. Le cadre pour commencer est super Je recommande fortement 😎”

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5.Group Surf Lessons For All Levels

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 66 reviews · 4.5 hours · from $94

Filsurf picks you up in Lagos, Praia da Luz, or Burgau and takes you to the Algarve beach with the best conditions. You get a safety briefing, land practice, and 2.5 hours of coaching with instructors such as Ricardo and Nico. Boards, wetsuits, and transport are included. Beginners can learn the basics, while stronger surfers receive tips to improve.

“I would really love to recommend this course to everyone! I just finished my lesson yesterday, and I truly think it’s an excellent program. My instructor was Riccardo—he was very professional, extremely responsible, and always put safety first. The weather wasn’t too hot and the water felt cool at first, but thanks to the wetsuits we didn’t feel cold at all. I also learned how to catch waves and even tried standing up on the board, which was so exciting! It was an unforgettable experience, and I definitely plan to come back again. 🌊🏄‍♀️✨”

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6.Small Group Surf Lesson with Instructor

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 63 reviews · 3 hours · from $94

You’ll be picked up in Carvoeiro, Lagoa, Portimão, or Lagos and taken to one of the Algarve’s surf beaches. A certified instructor, including Duarte on some sessions, covers safety, beach technique, and board practice before you enter the water. Groups are capped at eight, with boards, wetsuits, insurance, and coaching included.

“È stato magnifico! Le lezioni si svolgono in un gruppo ristretto, così l’istruttore puó aiutare tutti a turno. Ci siamo divertite tantissimo e siamo state in acqua per più di 2h. Duarte è un ottimo maestro e molto gentile, la pratica su sabbia prima di entrare in acqua è stata essenziale. Super consigliato!”

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7.Small Group Surfing Experience with Transportation

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 40 reviews · 3 hours · from $64

Meet Armando and the PortoSurfClub van near Porto Cathedral, then ride to the beach with gear, a certified instructor, and a spot chosen for the day’s conditions. Your three-hour lesson suits beginners and stronger surfers, with wetsuits, boards, insurance, photos, and a van shower included.

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8.Group Surf Lesson in Costa da Caparica

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 35 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $35

Meet Gecko Surf School at Praia Norte in Costa da Caparica for a two-hour beginner surf lesson. You’ll warm up, learn paddling and the stand-up technique on the beach, then practice in the water with an instructor nearby. Boards, wetsuits, leashes, and accident insurance are included.

“I had a great time surfing with the Gecko surf school! The school supplies you with a wetsuit and board. The instructors were informative, knowledgeable, and friendly. The instructors will help you throughout the experience so don’t worry if you don’t know how to surf or struggle with the waves. With the help of the instructors, I was able to catch and ride some waves that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to do on my own. If you are thinking about learning how to surf I would highly recommend the Gecko surf school.”

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9.Surfing Lesson | Porto: Small Group Surf Lesson with Transportation

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $55

Meet at Avenida dos Aliados in Porto and ride with a certified instructor to a northern beach chosen for the day’s conditions. You’ll get a wetsuit, board, insurance, and hands-on coaching in English. Instructors including Igor and Jorge work with beginners and improving surfers, then return you to the city after about three hours.

“Very patient and friendly instructors. Very accommodating to all levels of skill. Pickup and drop off were very easy.”

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10.Small Group Surf Coaching in Porto with photos

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 28 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $42

Meet at Praça Cidade de Salvador in Porto for a three-hour surf lesson with a maximum of five people. Instructors including João and Juan provide patient guidance for beginners and improving surfers, with boards, wetsuits, insurance, and lesson photos included. The team chooses a beach based on your ability and sea conditions.

“Booked this for my first ever surfing experience and was not sure what to expect, and it was amazing! You get lots of time and helpful advice to pick up the skills and catch some waves. Highly recommend and would love to come again.”

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11.Small Group Surfing Experience with Transportation in Porto

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 22 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $66

Meet Armando in central Porto at 10:00 am, then ride to a northern beach chosen for the day’s surf conditions. Your roughly three-hour session includes transport, board, wetsuit, water, beach instruction, and time in the waves. Small groups allow focused help, and beginners are welcome.

“The best experience even if there was no surfing. The drive and conversation made it worth it. Surfing was incredible and Armando was an incredible teacher.”

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12.Sintra: 2-Hour Group Surf Lesson at Praia Grande

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 16 reviews · 2 hours · from $56

Meet at the Surf At Surfschool sign for a two-hour lesson on Praia Grande or another Sintra-area beach. An English-, Spanish-, or Portuguese-speaking coach assesses your level, teaches on sand, then guides you in the water. Groups are limited to five, with a 4.3mm wetsuit, suitable board, insurance, and free transfer if sea conditions require a different beach.

“Terrible experience. We arrived, were given our wetsuits and and boards of a size that we were barely able to handle (and I’m a big guy) and then had to find our way to the meeting point at the beach by ourselves. There the people were already starting warmup without us. When I went to grab my water (which I told the instructor) the safety instructions were given without me. In the water none of the instructors cared about us at all. We had trouble even getting into position to try to surf a wave. On multiple occasions we just sat down at the beach, highly frustrated, heart rate sky…”

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13.Group Surf Lessons (1 per day)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $54

Meet Carrapateira Extreme Tours for a 90-minute surf lesson at Bordeira Beach. You’ll receive a softboard, wetsuit, lycra, and leash, then practice with guidance suited to your level. Summer sessions use this wide, dune-backed beach, while lesson times may shift with tides and swell.

“Super Surflehrer, hat sehr viel Spaß gemacht und hat alles gut erklärt und vorgezeigt. Sehr zu empfehlen.”

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14.Group Surf Lesson @Praia da Rocha

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $48

Meet Portimão Surf Clube at Praia da Rocha for a 90-minute beginner surf lesson. Your instructor covers safety, sea conditions, standing, wave riding, and safely dropping a wave. Groups are limited to eight, with equipment and insurance included. Balthazar has been praised for making the session fun and relaxed.

“Great having Balthazar as my instructor. Really fun experience! Highly recommended. Water was great. Could do without the seaweed.”

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15.Small Group Surf Lesson: Catch Your best Wave

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $43

Meet Blue Xperiences in Armação de Pêra for a 90-minute beginner-friendly surf lesson. A certified coach, soft-top board, wetsuit, and small 1:8 group help you learn safety, wave choice, and the pop-up. Bruno may lead your session, with beach choice based on the day’s swell and tide.

“My wife, cousin, and I booked a private 3-person surf lesson with Bruno. We are beginners and he was great going through the whole process step by step. We asked what day during our week stay would be best for waves and he gave us great advice, it was perfect for us beginners. Wonderfully friendly and knowledgeable about the local area as well. I would totally recommend using them if you are here in town for a few days. We surfed just to the east of the fishing huts. The photo is representative of the wave conditions when we were there.”

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