Best Surf Spots in Europe

Coxos is arguably Portugal's best wave—a heavy, hollow right-hand reef/point break in Ericeira's World Surfing Reserve. The wave produces thick, grinding barrels over a rocky...

Nazaré is where surfing's largest waves are ridden—a Portuguese beach break that produces mountainous surf thanks to the Nazaré Canyon, an underwater trench that amplifies...

Supertubos is Portugal's answer to Pipeline—a savage beachbreak that produces some of the heaviest barrels in Europe. The wave breaks over sand banks shaped by the Nazaré Canyon...

Ribeira d'Ilhas is the crown jewel of Europe's first World Surfing Reserve—a long, reeling right-hand point break that has hosted Championship Tour events and produced countless...

São Torpes is Portugal's quirky surf anomaly—a consistent beach break made famous by a nearby power plant that warms the water several degrees above normal. While this industrial...

Praia do Populo is the Azores' most consistent surf spot—a beach break on volcanic black sand that sits in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, catching swells from virtually every...

Jardim do Mar is Madeira's controversial surf legend—a world-class right-hand reef break in one of Portugal's most picturesque villages, forever altered by a controversial seawall...

Praia do Tonel is where Europe ends—a dramatic beach break beneath the historic Sagres Fortress at the southwestern tip of the continent where Prince Henry the Navigator once...

Ribeira d'Ilhas is competition surfing's European home—a long, makeable right-hand point in the Ericeira World Surfing Reserve that has hosted WSL events and produced some of...

Arrifana is the Algarve's most beautiful surf bay—a sheltered crescent of beach set into dramatic cliffs that protects from the northwest winds that plague the rest of Portugal's...

Praia do Cabedelo is northern Portugal's consistent alternative—a quality beach break in Viana do Castelo that receives the same Atlantic swells as the famous Peniche zone but...

Mundaka is Europe's most celebrated barrel—a left-hand rivermouth sand point in the Basque Country that delivers incredibly long, hollow tubes when conditions align. The wave...

El Confital is Europe's hidden gem—a world-class right-hand barrel breaking over volcanic reef on the northern tip of Gran Canaria, visible from the city of Las Palmas yet somehow...

Zurriola is one of Europe's most glamorous urban surf breaks—a consistent beach break in the heart of San Sebastián, arguably the world's most beautiful surf town. The crescent...

Pantin is Galicia's surfing gateway—a powerful beach break in northwest Spain that hosts the longstanding Pantin Classic, one of Europe's most respected WSL Qualifying Series...

La Izquierda is the Canary Islands' high-performance showcase—a fast, hollow left breaking over volcanic reef right in the heart of Playa de las Américas' tourist zone. The wave...

Bundoran Peak is Ireland's premier reef break—a horseshoe-shaped rock shelf that creates perfect A-frame peaks in the heart of County Donegal. The wave offers both left and right...

Easkey Right is one of Ireland's most consistent and forgiving reef breaks—a long, peeling right-hander in County Sligo that handles everything from playful 3-footers to solid...

Mullaghmore Head is Ireland's premier big wave slab—a terrifying left that combines Teahupo'o's thick lip with Shipstern's mutant steps to create one of Europe's most challenging...

Aileens is Ireland's most dramatic big wave—a right-hand reef break that detonates beneath the famous 700-foot Cliffs of Moher on Ireland's west coast. The setting is almost...

Riley's is the proving ground for Ireland's big wave chargers—a shallow, heavy slab that serves as training for the more serious Aileens nearby. The wave breaks over a dangerously...

Belharra is France's premier big wave—a deepwater reef 2.5 kilometers offshore from Saint-Jean-de-Luz that only wakes up during the most massive North Atlantic storms. The wave...

La Graviere is arguably the world's heaviest beachbreak—a freight-train of a wave that breaks with reef-like power over shifting sand banks in Hossegor, France. The Gouf de...

Guéthary is where European surfing ventures into serious territory—a powerful reef break tucked beneath the charming Basque village that transforms into a genuine big wave arena...

El Quemao is the "Pipeline of Europe"—a thick, square-barreling left that breaks over ultra-sharp volcanic lava reef in La Santa, Lanzarote. The wave produces some of the heaviest...

Thurso East is Scotland's crown jewel--a world-class right-hand reef that has hosted international competition and draws dedicated cold-water chargers from across the globe. When...

Hoddevik is Norway's most spectacular surf beach—a remote fjord setting surrounded by dramatic peaks where you can surf under the midnight sun in summer or chase Northern Lights...

Westerland is Germany's unlikely surf capital—a beach break on Sylt Island in the North Sea that receives consistent swells from autumn through spring. The water is cold, the...

Þorlákshöfn (Thorlakshofn) is Iceland's most accessible surf spot—a black volcanic sand beach on the south coast that receives consistent North Atlantic swells. The water is...

Varberg is Sweden's unlikely surf capital—a beach break on the west coast that catches North Sea swells and has developed a passionate local community against all odds. The waves...