One of the best countries in Europe to surf, and one of the best to stay for a vacation. There are approximately 500 Km of beaches from north to south. Portugal offers the best warm surfing in Europe with over 800km [500miles] of consistent waves and no shortage of sunshine.
There are schools and gear rentals in all major surf locations, from the Algarve all way the up north to Viana do Castelo.
Portugal has a very mild climate with solid surf often with offshore morning breezes are extremely common, making it a popular surfing destination for surfers from inside and outside Europe. Portugal has a huge variety of waves and swell size and as a result makes an ideal surfing location for surfers of every ability. It is a good place to learn to surf with lots of places offering surf lessons and packages.
Situated west of Spain, Portugal picks up north, west and south swells, making surf conditions very consistent. During winter the swell size is around the 6ft mark but can get to 15ft or more, making it a spot for those looking for challenging surf. There is surf throughout the summer months and you can expect waves of 3-5ft.
There are many different waves and surf over the whole coast so a bit of research before you go is a good idea (see the Stormrider guide Europe link at the bottom of this page). The area around Peniche is ideal as the peninsular gives the opportunity to make the best of the weather conditions. A couple of waves to check out while you are surfing in Portugal are Pedra Blanca, Supertubos and Coxos.