Why spend a few days surfing abroad? In my opinion, the answer is: to meet people, to open up your mind through contact with another culture and, above all, to relax by getting closer to nature.
I spent 5 days surfing in Faro, in the Algarve, Portugal. I enjoyed the experience beyond my expectations. Here’s why.
“Welcome to paradise “
I leave Bordeaux on a Sunday morning and arrive in Portugal on Tuesday, after a stop in Madrid and another in Seville.
I get off the bus at Faro train station. Immediately, the scent of the ocean surprises me. It’s a delicious, rejuvenating smell. I set off in search of a place to buy a newspaper or magazine, in French or English but can’t find one. As I walk up the streets towards the place where a bus will pick me up, I look at the old buildings. Some are dilapidated, which gives them character. What I see of the little town is pretty unremarkable. Whatever, visiting it is not on the agenda for my trip. Instead, it’s dedicated to nature, relaxation and sport.
Carrying my suitcase by hand, since one of the wheels is broken, I make my way to a bus stop in a narrow street not far from the sea, which is nowhere to be seen. The city seems to be asleep and the light rain that falls gives the place a sad look. The vehicle arrives on time. It crosses a bridge leading to the beach at Praia de Faro. The meeting with Tiago, the friend of the owner of the surf club where I’ll be staying, is confirmed.
30 minutes later, outside the bus stop, I hear the sound of the waves, but can’t see them in the dark. Their powerful sound amazes me as the wind whips through my k-way. Suddenly, a car appears. Tiago, smiling, gets out and makes me get in.
After a straight stretch, a street lined with small houses appears. Surfboards and vans come into view.
“You’re not scared of dogs, aren’t you?”
2 little French bulldogs greet us as soon as we enter his house. He shows me to my room and then advises me to go to the nearby supermarket to do some shopping before it closes.
While I prepare my dinner in the kitchen, a chat about surfing begins, much to my delight. Tiago is an experienced surfer who did a lot of bodyboarding in his youth and gave lessons. Living by the ocean, he can ride the waves as often as conditions allow.
– “When was the last time you surfed?
– Last week, in Lacanau. I stayed in the white wash but it was still a good session. I’m a beginner and progress in surfing is slow.
– I’ve seen a lot of people who start surfing thinking they’ll be able to surf green waves. Generally, they don’t succeed. You have to take it one step at a time and stay humble.”
In the morning, the colours reveal themselves from the living room: the golden yellow of the sand, the silvery blue of the water in the lagoon and the light blue of the sky. After a few steps, I find myself on the terrace. It’s tiled with beautiful blue patterns. In front of me, a fisherman’s boat and a sailboat rest on the water and, in the distance, I can make out the city of Faro. Suddenly, a plane appears and lands on the airport, its noise shattering the calm. It must be located between the city centre and the beach.
I work in the living room until 11am, the time of my first surf lesson. With a bag containing my booties and surf gloves in hand, I cross the street and enter the club. Young people wait in their wetsuits, including a group of girls who speak German. There’s a queue of people in front of the counter. At the back, wetsuits and bibs in living colours line up on hangers. It’s a typical surf club, as you’d find anywhere else. I can smell the sea salt.
Behind the counter, a tanned young man, smiling and relaxed, says to me: “Welcome to paradise”.
After putting on my wetsuit, I join the group waiting outside.
– “Have you ever surfed?
– Yes, I live near the ocean, in Bordeaux. I regularly surf.”
My aim is to catch as many green waves as possible and enjoy myself. From what I’ve seen online, the waves are small on the south coast of the Algarve. These are ideal conditions for beginners like me.
The beach we go to is away from the crowds. The instructors, Italian and Brazilian men, lead us to a path marked by wooden planks, similar to the one at the ocean near Bordeaux. I start a conversation in English with a German-speaking Swiss participant, then we switch to German. Meeting people is one of the attractions of this surfing week. In particular, talking to foreigners appeals to me.
Living to the rhythm of the surf
The calm waters of the lagoon glisten in the bright sunshine. There are a few basic wooden huts that must belong to fishermen. At the place where the boards are stored, the instructors ask us to choose one. With so little care taken, they can’t be expected to last long.
I choose a foamy 7’6 similar to my board in Bordeaux. After another 200 meters, we reach the beach on the ocean side. I admire the long stretch of sand and the waves breaking at high frequency. A strong current is going to push us to the left. There’s hardly anyone in sight.
Then, during the warm-up, an instructor tells me that I won’t need my gloves or my booties. The waves seem high for a spot that’s supposed to be suitable for beginners. I lay back and paddle. It’s impossible to make any progress. I turn round, paddle and stand up as soon as a wave touches my feet. The participants in the course move away from each other, following the current.
After 1 hour in the foam, the instructors ask us to gather on the beach. The Brazilian comes up to me: “Put your front leg in the right place the first time, instead of taking little steps”. I have to position myself so that I can put my front leg further out on the board. He also tells me to bend my knees as soon as I’ve taken off, to get better balance. I receive other advice, such as placing my body weight in the middle of the board during the paddle, while raising my feet and chest.
On the next wave, I force myself to keep my centre of gravity very low, close to my board, while looking into the distance. Then, back on the beach, the Swiss and I walk at least 200 m to the meeting point: “The waves are breaking, it’s not clean at all!”
The return to the club house in the middle of the sublime setting is a great moment. There are few people in sight and nature is not invaded by human constructions. This calm must also be due to the time of year, February.
On the way, a man, accompanied by a woman, comes across the group and start talking to the instructor, laughing. He’s jovial, short and very muscular. He’s the club manager, with whom I exchanged e-mails before my arrival.
At home, I discover a leftover spaghetti bolognese in a frying pan. Tiago sent me a message offering to help myself. Delighted by this surprise, I go and eat on the terrace, while my egg boils. The dogs keep me company.
At the end of the meal, he appears after his nap. He got up early this morning to go surfing at a spot 1 hour away. Once there, the Portuguese decided not to go in the water because the conditions weren’t good enough. I find that hard to believe.
– “How was the session?
– Good but difficult, I didn’t go behind. It was big and the frequency was high.”
I think he has an enviable lifestyle, by the sea in a sublime setting. Even though being able to surf at any time is a luxury, I couldn’t imagine living here all year round because I’d get bored.
The next morning, after work, I head to the surf club. This time, my winter gear stays at home. I’m delighted to be back, it’s the highlight of my day. There are only 5 lessons, so let’s make the most of each one and concentrate on making progress.
As I enter the room, I can smell the neoprene. No one from yesterday’s course is in sight. A young couple is waiting for a wetsuit. Lorenzo, the Italian instructor, sets off for the beach. The 15-minute journey is, as it was yesterday, an opportunity to chat. The young girl is Portuguese and originally from the north of the country. She’s studying here with her Czech boyfriend, who’s accompanying her, and she’s going surfing for the first time. She admits to me that she swims badly. At the beach, I tell the instructor so that he can look out for her.
During the session, I don’t feel in great shape. Rowing against the powerful waves makes me tired. I manage to pass the waves to go far away but I miss my take-off, which disappoints me.
A place to relax near nature
I love the peaceful atmosphere. I make the most of it in the evening by taking a walk at sunset, breathing in the fresh air and relaxing to the steady sound of the waves. After lying on the beach for a few minutes, I return to the quiet street. Here I pass an open window from which words and music are coming out. It must be a messy kitchen. Someone is standing in front of me, a dish in his hand. Lorenzo lives here in a flat-share with other young people of different nationalities. The atmosphere seems great to me.
“I’m brining this cake to friends of mine. They’re having a jam session.”
I go with him. When we arrive at the house behind the beach, we noticed that there’s no-one inside. He puts the cake down and we agree to meet up later for a beer and a game of pool with his flatmates in the only bar in the area. Later, lying in bed, I get a message from Lorenzo, telling me they’re not going out after all. Too bad.
The little cocoon is a place I’d like to live in for a few weeks, because there are people of many nationalities here and you can surf whenever you like. Praia de Faro reminds me of a world away from civilisation, where a community lives, connected by its proximity to the sea.
Walking towards the sea one evening, I notice that the sand is covering the terraces of the houses close to the beach. It rushes into the alleys leading to the main street as if it were nibbling away at the built-up area.
The setting sun no longer lights up the area. On the beach, I see anglers, the green lights at the end of their long rods standing out in the darkness. There is some chatter. It’s hard to make out the groups. They must be friends or family.
Grateful for the opportunity to make this journey, I feel my feet sink into the sand. My body feels in good shape, with more stamina, agility and muscle than before I left. Surfing develops all these qualities.
Another day, I get up early but miss the sunrise. The beach comes into view. It’s an ideal natural setting for tai chi: nature, few people around me and the steady sound of the waves. I feel a slight wind on my face. It’s a good thing I’ve brought my k-way. The exercises of concentrating on my body, breathing and movements awaken and soothe me. The tai chi gestures I learnt in Hamburg give me a feeling of well-being. Then I stretch my legs.
Progress in difficulty
The next day, at the surf club, a large number of people are waiting. Let’s hope they’re not course participants. Lorenzo tells me that every week, students from the University of Faro come to learn how to surf. Listening to the languages spoken, I can tell that most of them are on an Erasmus exchange.
The sun is still shining and the area around the path is quiet, as usual. Only the chatter of fishermen and the sound of planes in the distance can be heard. At the beach, we are divided into 2 large groups according to our level. While the instructors give instructions I’ve heard before, I jump into the water. The waves are just as big as on previous days.
After walking until I’m waist deep in water, I paddle out and catch my first white wave. My take-offs become more and more confident. I get into position quickly, no longer touching the board with my knees before putting my feet down, and I’m in the right place on the 1st try, without taking any small steps.
However, I can’t get up every time. After each wave that takes me back to the shore, I have to paddle to wait for a place far enough away again. My efforts in the arms are becoming more fluid, in particular because I’m relaxing my shoulders instead of tensing up.
It’s difficult to get past the waves, but I don’t mind. The pleasure of being in the water and enjoying the natural surroundings is greater this time than on previous days. I’m thinking less about technique and targets in terms of the number of waves I need to catch.
The flag is a long way off. I see several surfers, boards under their arms, coming up the beach, and do the same. At the end of the session, I feel exhausted but delighted to have caught wave after wave, whether I got up or not.
It’s now time to cool the meal. I put the water on to boil for my egg before starting to cook the pasta. The scent of tomato sauce wafts from the pot as soon as I open it. Tinned sardines complete the meal. Sitting on the terrace, I enjoy my meal while admiring the calm, silvery water. Tiago comes down from the 1st floor says hello and asks me how the session went.
Then, after a nap, I work in an armchair until the sun goes down. In front of me is a large photograph on a shelf. It shows a man gliding along in a sublime roll on a body board. It must have been difficult to get the shot at the right moment. Suddenly I realise that it’s Tiago! That’s why he’s putting up this big poster in his living room.
Trying to catch a green wave
The next day, in the queue at the club, I notice a man about my age. This brought me closer to him, as most of the other attendants are younger. I start the conversion in English, then switch to German when he tells me he’s Austrian. Speaking in someone’s mother tongue brings you closer to their feelings. We chat about our lives and then, when we get to the beach, we go our separate ways after the usual warm-up.
I meet him again the next day for the last session, as he has booked several classes. As we wait outside while the instructors gets ready, the club manager, always jovial, appeares: “Today you have to be able to surf the green waves. They’re smaller than the last few days”. This news fills me with excitement. At the same time, I’m feeling the pressure.
The long journey, spent chatting with Max, the Austrian, is an opportunity to admire the sublime setting for the last time on this trip. After the warm-up, a handful of us, men and women, go into the water. The Brazilian instructor accompanies us. Little by little, as we rowe, the distance between us grows.
I get through several waves, either by rolling onto my back with my board underneath me, or by picking up speed and riding the wave before it breaks. Here I am behind the bar. Sitting on my board, I see the instructor next to me: “Choose your wave wisely!”
I see one coming and it seems to be the right size and the right distance. I turn round and paddle with all my might towards the beach, looking at the beach in the distance. The wave knocks me off balance as soon as my feet are on the board. The mass of water crashes down on me and turns me over. I lay down and starts rowing again.
This 1st attempt shows me that despite their smaller size than in recent days, the waves have a characteristic that doesn’t work for me. They’re different from those I’m used to surfing near Bordeaux. Once again, efforts are needed get back behind. The other participants also seems to have difficulty getting up on their boards.
This last session comes with mixed feelings. I enjoyed being behind, but I didn’t surf any green waves, which was my objective. The disappointment’s quickly forgotten as I tell myself that there was a good atmosphere in the group and that the sun was shining.
After saying goodbye to Tiago, I walk to the bus stop. On the way, I sit down facing the ocean as the sun sets. Several surfers are still in the water. Restaurants and bars reveal themselves to me for the 1st time during my stay. It was spent in a bubble, in the secluded part of Praia de Faro. I’ll be come back here again in winter, to unwind.
Have you ever been on a surfing holiday? What did you think of it? Tell me in the comments!