10 reasons for surfing Portugal in September & October

Surfing Portugal September on: May the surf be with you!

You might have been wondering about the best time to go surfing in Portugal. Well, we have a sweet spot for the Fall for several reasons.  So basically what it comes down to is; what are the best places to surf in September and what are the best places to surf in October? Portugal has one of the most consistent waves in Europe and that makes it a top contender. Our surf houses are situated in the Porto area and therefore we would like to give you some reasons on why we think the North of Portugal has all the ingredients to make your surf trip in September/October the best you had so far.

Surfing in Portugal and in Porto is always a good option, despite the time of the year. Nevertheless, Surfing Portugal in September and October in particular, has a different feel to it. It’s hard to explain. Some special magic happens and it just has a different unique mood to it which makes this time of year one of our personal favorites. There are several other reasons besides this feeling, which we like to share with you. Why we love September and October? Here’s why:

10 reasons the Fall is the best time to go surfing

  1. The high season is over. Therefore, some very cheap ticket deals can be found for flights to Porto (OPO). Tickets, in general, will never be very very high, but the higher rates of August will be over and a steal can be found.
  2. Around Porto’s best surf spots the crowd is never huge when you compare it to the most famous surfing spots in Portugal ( Peniche, Ericeira, Lisbon, and Algarve). From September on it’s even less. You might even have one of the surf spots all to yourself if you’re lucky. Which makes you really feel one with nature, very peaceful. Making the area around Porto one of the best places to surf in September / October in our opinion.
  3. The weather is still good- sunny, nice temperatures and usually without rain. Probably different than what happens in many other countries in Europe.
  4. Swells in Portugal are pretty consistent. But what it is not, is warm, at least according to our standards. But the water will be the warmest around September/October.
  5. Summer winds are usually gone and it’s a period when some nice glassy surf sessions can be expected.
  6. It’s a time of changing swells, between the typical Summer swells and the bigger waves of the Winter. In between especially October, some really solid mid-range surfing can be done. Making it one of the best surf destinations in October for the beginner intermediate.
  7. There are always some nice events happening here in Porto. Besides that, Porto’s street markets, architecture, people and daily life are totally worth it by themselves.
  8. The WSL World Championship Tour, besides the WSL Qualifying Series men’s are some great events to visit and see high surfing level. 2 hours driving. Easy!
  9. Some nice Autumn colors start to come out. Portugal beaches in September are just breathtaking. And you can experience that together with your soulmate, while holding a surfboard under your arm. It’s the perfect time for you to fulfill that longtime promise of a romantic vacation and still get the opportunity to have some nice surfing sessions at Porto’s best surfing destinations!
  10. This might not be a direct reason for surfing Portugal in September / October. But surfers are people, and they need to enjoy the finer things of life, which of course is a good glass of wine. Well, it’s the season to harvest the grapes for the best Port / Douro wine and it’s a unique opportunity to be part of it. Also, it’s the chestnuts time and you can get them everywhere on the Porto’s streets. Just need to follow the smell!

So we hope we could convince you that Porto is the answer to the question where to surf in September and October. If you’re leaning towards the thought of planning your surfing vacation with us, for sure we can help you with that. Tell us your needs. We’ll make sure your surf trip in September and/or October will be great. Have a look at our youtube videowall about our surf holiday experience at Watermark surf house to see more of the area.

May the surf be with you!

Watermark Surf House