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A couple of miles north of Peniche is the sandy little island village of Baleal. It's not really much of a town, but it's been a big destination for traveling surfers for more than 20 years -- especially when the reefs around Ericiera are blown out with north or south winds. Baleal is an island, so there's almost always a protected beach.
It's no surprise that most of the learn-to-surf camps in Portugal are located here. With the mellow (though localized) left reefbreak of Lagide just north of town, followed by miles of open beachbreak, you can have a pretty high surfer population density without pissing too many people off. There's even a protected bay south of town with mediocre beachbreak that's sheltered from north winds (and huge swells).
You won't find perfection in Baleal -- there's no hidden Coxos, and Supertubes is a couple miles south -- but if you keep one eye out on the shifting sandbanks and the other on the flagpoles, you might be able to score some damn fine beachbreaks with mellow crowds. Plus, the learn-to-surf camps bring in lovely Northern Europeans superkeen on surfing, so if you're in the mood to give a couple lessons . . .
-- Marcus Sanders
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mid to low
west-northwest
head high to a couple feet overhead
for Baleal: northeast; for Lagide and Ferrel: southeast
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sand, except for the reef at Lagide
beginner to advanced
foamie and shortboard
fall and spring
There's a big parking lot right at Lagide where campers congregate. The beachbreaks north are accessed via a dirt track that runs along the coast.
As long as you avoid the surf schools and Lagide, crowds shouldn't be too much of a problem.
There's no shortage of barking at Lagide. It's generally not worth the hassle anyways, but if you do paddle out, be respectful and don't drop in on any bodyboarders.
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If you're going low budget, there's a big Intermarche just as you head into Peniche on the left. If you're in the mood for some decently priced fresh-grilled fish, head over to the waterfront just past downtown. Out at Baleal, there's a bunch of overpriced fish restaurants, and as you head north toward Ferrel, there's Roche Mar that seems to cater to the plethora of novice German surfers, some of whom are of the female persuasion, if you're into that sort of thing.
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There's an official campground right by Supertubes (approx. 500-1,000 esc/night; ph: 262-789-529), but if you feel like going Clan of the Cave Bear and have a fully self-contained unit, you can join the rest of Team Deutschland in the bluffs north of Baleal, and that's as free as you're gonna get. If you're into more plush accommodations, stop by the Turismo (ph: 262-789-571) in town, and they'll have more than a few suggestions. One option at Baleal is the Atlantis (approx 7,000 esc/night dbl. with breakfast; ph: 262-769-966), and in downtown Peniche, an option is Mili Residencial (approx 7,000 esc/night dbl. with breakfast; ph: 262-783-918). You can also go out onto Baleal Island and look around for houses for rent if you're with a group and/or feel like laying down a bit of cash. Some of the folks at the beachside restaurants may also have info on places to rent.
The Surf Castle, right in front of Lagido, is worth a try as well. Ph: +351 26 275 86 14
Or try
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Other than amping out on little coffees and strolling around the ultra-quaint fishing town of Peniche, if you're in the mood to bash your knees up, there's a graffiti-filled skatepark on the way into town on the right just before the Turismo office; there's a waterpark right by the campground and the Gothic-walled town of Obidos is about 20 minutes east if it's most certainly flat. If you get a kick out of watching flailing boards and bodies, check out the Northern Europeans learning to surf at the beachbreaks north of Baleal
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In Peniche, on the main street coming into town, there's the Rip Curl Surf Shop (ph: 262-781-720), which has gear and rents boards. Just past that, there's the Safari Surf and Sport (ph: 262-082-325) that has a decent selection of used boards. Up in Baleal, there's Maximum Surfcamp (ph: 262-769-295), which mainly caters to Germans wanting to learn to surf, but they could rent you a board.
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