In terms of variety, few places on Earth can match Portugal\u2019s plethora of world-class wavescapes. You know how you know? What was once the country\u2019s most famous wave, the powerful righthand pointbreak of Coxos, is barely even mentioned anymore. That\u2019s how good the other spots are.<\/p>\n
Portugal has arguably the most challenging big wave in the world (Nazar\u00e9 Canyon in Praia do Norte), one of the most bloodthirsty righthand slabs in the world (Cave), one of the best jetty wedges in Europe (Figueira da Foz), one of the most consistent contest locales (Ribeira D\u2019ilhas), and a beachbreak with barrels that are so superb, that\u2019s exactly what they named it (Supertubos).<\/p>\n
If that weren\u2019t enough, Portugal also has two sets of islands, Madeira and the Azores, under its governance and so many beachbreaks, reefbreaks, pointbreaks, slabs, jetties, lefts, rights, A-frames, and backwash novelties scattered along its 530 miles of coastline, you\u2019d have to be lobotomized to lose interest. And there\u2019s rideable surf year-round (although fall and winter are best). And with all its peninsulas, somewhere\u2019s always offshore.<\/p>\n