Peniche surftrip, the pretty girl of Portugal

Surrounded by beautiful beaches in this small peninsula that has a road that is hardly 3 km, it’s the ideal place for surf lovers. All of this in less than 80 km from Lisbon. Here we´ll give you a small guide to organize a surftrip to Peniche, the pretty girl of Portugal, surf capital of Europe.

How to get there?

To get there from Lisbon, you have to get the A8 highway or the IC1 that passes next to Caldas de Rainha. Then continue to IP6 all the way to Peniche. (GPS: LAT: N: 39 21 31 ; Long W: 9 21 59 05)

Surf Spots

Since time immemorial Peniche has always been connected to the sea. Initially an island, but because of winds and strong waves it turned into a peninsula. Here´s a short description of the beach breaks that we have in the area.

Spots in Peniche

1. Belgas

Belgas beach is a spot with right and left peaks. A beach with a great extension, where it´s still possible to surf alone. When there is a lot of sea and the weather forecast are good you can find strong and tubing waves.

Tide: All

Swell: North

Wind: East and South

Level of difficulty: 2/3

Max size of wave: Up to 2 meters

2. Almagreira

Spot with peaks on the right and left. Beach with sandy bottom and a few rocks. Some day can have short and tubing waves.

Tide: Medium and up

Swell: North / Northeast

Wind: East / Southeast

Level of difficulty: 2/3

Max size of wave: Up to 2 meters

Almagreira beach in Peniche

3. Lagide

Reef with short lefts. It´s not tubing waves, but a lot of fun to surf. Ideal for beginners that can surf next to the peak in the “prainha”. Big swells that last.

Tide: All, but the best moment is when it´s starting to rise

Swell: Northwest / Northeast

Wind: South and west

Level of difficulty: 3/5

Max size of wave: Up to 4 meters

Careful with the sea urchins.

4. Molho Leste

The beach of Molho Leste of Peniche is one of the favorite spots for bodyboarders. This surf spot requires a lot of sea to work. But when it works, it turns into paradise for the bodyboard aficionados. Its long waves with various tube sections is a delight to any surfer. Breaks over the bottom of the sand by the port of this small Portuguese locality.

Tide: High – Low

Swell: Suroeste

Wind: North

Level of difficulty: 4/5

Max size of wave: Up to 3 meters

5. Supertubos

In this beach we can find the queen wave of Peniche. Better known as Supertubos, it is also known as the “European Pipeline”. The name says it all. Beach with sandy bottom and, quick and tubing waves. The beach of Supertubos is located in the National Ecological Reserve. A beach with blue flag, main stage for the most prestigious competitions at a national and international level like the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal.

Tide: Low rising

Swell: South and West

Wind: East and Northeast

Level of difficulty: 3/5

Max size of wave: More than 3 meters

Supertubos beach in Peniche, Portugal

6. Praia Norte

Long beach with sandy bottom. Multiple peaks from Peniche to Baleal. Ideal for beginners. Works with big swell.

Tide: High

Swell: North

Wind: East and Northeast

Level of difficulty: 3/5

Max size of wave: More than 3 meters

Praia Norte in Peniche, Portugal

7. Consolaçao

Long right that breaks over a rocky bank. On the other side of the fort there is a left that also works although only with a big swell.

Tide: High

Swell: West

Wind: East and Northeast

Level of difficulty: 4/5

Max size of wave: More than 3 meters

8. Porto Batel

Located at the start of the giant bay that connects to Peniche with Baleal, it’s a beach break that offers left and right waves. It’s a surf spot ideal for beginners. Good place to protect yourself when the sea is too big.

Tide: Medium

Swell: West

Wind: South and West

Level of difficulty: 3/5

Max size of wave: Up to3 meters

The best time for waves

Summer, even though it´s when it most popular to go to the coast, is when the waves have less constancy. The best time is from October to May. Dates that coincide with the Rip Curl Pro Portugal and the coming of the swell from any Atlantic front in a constant manner.

Best time for waves in Peniche

Which wetsuit should I bring?

If you decide to escape to Peniche in the best season (October to May) don´t forget to bring your 4/3 mm neoprene wetsuit or even a 5 mm if the cold doesn´t suit you. That’s because even though the water is cold, the external temperature gets chilly too because of the north winds that come around this time. It´s precisely when the Meo Rip Curl Pro Portugal from the World Surf League.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjwO0hvTaiA

What board should I bring to surf in Portugal?

The same as other places, the waves in Portugal depend on the season. It´s not the same to travel to Portugal in August than it is to travel in October right in the Rip Curl Pro Portugal. If you are thinking about a surftrip to Peniche in August we recommend a wide surfboard with volume or one of the new softboard from Mick Fanning. This lets you enjoy daily surfing and get your fill catching waves. Another good option is a Twin Fin, and in EnelPico we´ve declared ourselves Twin Fin addicts. This is because this board has a lot of great qualities.

Recommended reading: The best surfboard for summer: The Twin Fin

If you are one of those that loves vertical waves that are fast and tubing like the ones our Portuguese neighbors enjoy from September to December, our proposal is a Hypto Krypto. Which you can read a review here. Another board model which is great for these conditions is the Clayton Spine Tek Solar. A Surfboard shaped by the prestigious Clayton Nienaber, mad using the lates Spine Tek technology.

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