Surf’s up all year long in Europe. It’s an excellent, if alternative way, to get acquainted with the local community and culture, as well as an excuse to spend your entire vacation at the beach while doing more than sunning like a seal on the sand.
Ocean.
Sea.
River.
If it’s got a wave, you can surf it. Here are a few of our favorite surfing spots to hang ten in Europe, especially in the UK, France, and Spain.
Best surf spots in the UK
Oh, yeah: you can surf in the UK. While you can catch waves at Portrush in Northern Ireland, there are plenty of surf spots you can access in Great Britain by train and bus. Hit all three of GB’s countries with your board.
Cornwall, England
Smooth waves also grace the English coast throughout the year, with places like Cornwall filling its beachline with partiers and amateur surfers.
Freshwater West, Wales
A top Welsh surfing spot, Freshwater West has fun breaks that break left and right; and for the Potterhead, you’ll also find Dobby’s gravesite in the area.
Belhaven Bay, Scotland
Up in Dunbar, clean waves are reserved for January, but beginners can take advantage of smaller swells year-round only minutes from Edinburgh.
Best surf spots in France
Port Blanc
Port Blanc’s wild coastline has its share of rocks and cliffs, making its barrel swells best ridden during low-tide or mid-tide.
Biarritz
Six beaches along this Spain-adjacent coastline offer honkers and humpbacks that you (and all the hodads on the beach) will love.
Lacanau
Another top surf spot in France, the WSL Qualifying Series stops here so you may have some pro company out in the water.
Best surf spots in Spain
San Sebastian
The San Sebastian surf scene is perfect for chasing waves no matter your skill level; paddle out to Zurriola Beach and enjoy the swell.
Lanzarote
Catching waves in Spain’s Canary Islands is commonplace, but Lanzarote is well-regarded for its variety of sizes ranging from ankle slops to some seriously dangerous swells.
Mundaka
Big waves in Mundaka will show which surfers talk a big game; and if you do embarrassingly eat it out there, at least you can eat your shame away with Basque tapas.
Best Surf Spots in Europe this Summer
Looking for a place to tear it up under the sun? Discover a new side of these popular destinations during a European surf sesh this summer.
Ho Bay, Denmark
Paddle out into the waters of the Wadden Sea National Park and enjoy the limited surf season along Denmark’s Hjerting and Sædding beaches.
Munich, Germany
Munich surfers don’t need an inch of ocean shoreline to tackle Germany’s Eisbach wave. This man-made wave on a small arm of the Isar River provides year-round river surfing.
Nazaré, Portugal
While the gigantic winter waves are 100% not for beginners, Nazaré’s summertime waves are more welcoming for gremmies.
Best surf spots in Europe for beginners
We’ve got no beef with a quimby coming over for a quickie sesh, but we will recommend that you stay out of the impact zone. Find a manageable swell at these European surf spots perfect for beginners:
Port Ferro, Sardinia, Italy
Favorable surf conditions and consistent swells make Alghero’s Sardinian coastline a reliable spot.
Kolymbithres, Tinos, Greece
A quick ferry from Mykonos will get you to Tinos, a landing spot for novice surfers who want to get comfortable carving the manageable currents at Kolymbithres beach.
Ghanj Thuffieha, Malta
Still a secret surf spot in Europe, Ghanj Thuffieha in Malta is a great place for beginners to practice the basics and for more advanced riders to get more wave time without the crowds.
How to get to the best surf in Europe this summer by train
Allow us to clarify: you can surf in Europe wherever your rails take you, not ours.
Many trains in Europe do not allow you to carry on a surfboard, but thankfully, most buses do. Check the luggage requirements for individual train and bus operators, then use Trainline’s app to purchase both sets of tickets.
And whenever you and your shubie companions want to zoom around the coastline without your stick, stash it at the hotel and then take a train ride over to the coast. Cheap train tickets around Europe plus surfboard rentals in Spain, France, and more maximize your rail riding.