Note to travelling surfers
- Ecosystem first. Be kind to the environment you’re visiting: don’t leave any trash behind.
- Be kind to locals. Every lineup has an order and it was earned over years. Wait your turn, and respect local etiquette.
- Fly less, stay longer. The flight is the biggest impact of any surf trip. Two weeks once beats one week twice!
The best solo surf trips are Ericeira, Peniche and Sagres in Portugal, Hossegor and Seignosse in France, San Sebastián in Spain, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, Taghazout in Morocco and Canggu in Bali.
What they share is simple: surf schools on the beach, places to stay full of other surfers and a town that's easy to find your feet in. Seven of the nine are in Europe, which we cover in our guide to the best surfing destinations in Europe, and two can be reached without a flight.
- 1. What are the best solo surf trips?
- 2. What makes a surf trip good for travelling alone?
- 3. Portugal: Ericeira, Peniche and Sagres
- 4. France and Spain by train: Hossegor, Seignosse and San Sebastián
- 5. The Canary Islands: Fuerteventura and Lanzarote
- 6. Further afield: Taghazout and Canggu
- 7. Is it safe to surf alone on a solo trip?
- 8. Can beginners go on a solo surf trip?
- 9. Showers, wet kit and washing up when you travel alone
- 10. Solo surf trips: locals and the environment
- 11. Summary
- 12. Frequently asked questions
- 13. Sources
What are the best solo surf trips?
These nine destinations put lessons, places to stay and other surfers in one small area. Cleanest surf and sea temperatures (coldest and warmest ranges) are Surf-Forecast's figures for one break in each place.
| Destination | Why it works solo | Cleanest surf | Sea temperature (°C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ericeira, Portugal | World Surfing Reserve with waves for every level | Winter | 14 to 16 and 20 to 22 |
| Peniche, Portugal | Long beginner beach from Peniche to Baleal | Winter | 14 to 16 and 19 to 22 |
| Sagres, Portugal | Surf town with beaches on two coasts | Winter | 15 to 17 and 21 to 23 |
| Hossegor and Seignosse, France | No fewer than 30 surf schools, reachable by train and bus | Autumn | 12 and 20 to 25 |
| San Sebastián, Spain | City beach with four surf schools | Autumn | 12 and 20 to 24 |
| Fuerteventura, Canary Islands | Beginner beach breaks, surf camps and coworking | Winter | 17 to 20 and 22 to 24 |
| Lanzarote, Canary Islands | Famara, a long beach full of surf schools | Winter | 17 to 19 and 22 to 24 |
| Taghazout, Morocco | Packages that bundle bed, meals and lessons | Winter | 16 to 19 and 20 to 22 |
| Canggu, Bali | Warm water and plenty of places to stay | Around April | 25 to 28 and 28 to 30 |
What makes a surf trip good for travelling alone?
A good solo surf destination does the organising for you: lessons you can join on your own, shared places to stay and a beach with room for a newcomer. That's why surf camps work so well. Around Taghazout, Lonely Planet notes, most visitors book learn-to-surf packages with accommodation that includes meals, surf, yoga and transfers, so the week already has a shape when you arrive. Our guide to what to expect at your first surf camp walks through a typical day.
Portugal: Ericeira, Peniche and Sagres
We think Portugal is the easiest place to start, because its surf towns teach beginners and still keep experienced surfers busy.
Ericeira is Europe's first World Surfing Reserve, dedicated in 2011 according to Save The Waves, which says its waves offer "consistent opportunities for all levels of surfers". Its best-known break, Ribeira d'Ilhas, is an exposed reef with rocks and likely crowds on Surf-Forecast, so start with a school. Our Ericeira guide sorts the breaks by level.
In Peniche, the Center of Portugal tourist board sends beginners to Praia Norte, a very long sandy beach running to Baleal island. Supertubos, the famous wave, can get crowded enough to be dangerous according to Surf-Forecast. See our Peniche guide.
Sagres is the small one. Lonely Planet calls it a beach town used to travelling surfers where two coasts meet: Tonel for experienced surfers, Martinhal for beginners. Surf-Forecast flags strong rips at Tonel, and our Algarve guide covers the rest.
Most of us will fly to Portugal, and travelling alone usually means hand luggage only: one bag, and nobody to watch a second one. A single solid bar instead of three bottles keeps that bag simple, and a bar isn't a liquid at airport security.
Shampoo, body and face wash, all in one bar. Keep your hair and skin healthy on the go. Monoï-infused scent with a touch of vanilla. Designed for those always on the go.
Two of the best solo options don't need an airport at all.
France and Spain by train: Hossegor, Seignosse and San Sebastián
Hossegor, Seignosse and San Sebastián are the solo trips you can do by rail, on the TGV INOUI line from Paris Montparnasse to Hendaye. SNCF Connect lists direct trains calling at Dax, Bayonne and Biarritz on the way. For Hossegor, the tourist office says bus line 517 links Dax and Bayonne with the town.
The Hossegor tourist office reserves La Gravière for experienced surfers and calls La Sud its beginner spot, while Seignosse, next door, counts no fewer than 30 surf schools. So a solo beginner books lessons in Seignosse, and a solo intermediate watches La Gravière from the sand first. Our Hossegor guide has every beach.
San Sebastián is the city option. Euskotren's E2 line runs from Hendaye to Amara station, and Zurriola beach has four surf schools, showers and changing rooms, says San Sebastián Turismoa. Surf-Forecast expects crowds. It's one of the rail routes in our guide to surf trips without flying.
The Canary Islands: Fuerteventura and Lanzarote
Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are the solo choice for winter, with water of around 20 degrees all year according to the Canary Islands tourist board. Hello Canary Islands also says there are surf schools at almost all of the beaches, plus coliving and coworking spaces if "solo trip" really means "working from somewhere with waves".
On Fuerteventura, the board points less experienced surfers to the beach breaks of El Cotillo; our Fuerteventura guide covers the reefs for later. On Lanzarote it's Famara, a beach of over five kilometres that the board calls ideal for beginners and "a playground chosen by many schools and surf camps". It also advises bathing with caution there, and Surf-Forecast warns of rips, so stay with your group. More in our Lanzarote guide.
Further afield: Taghazout and Canggu
Taghazout and Canggu are the solo classics outside Europe, and both need more homework. Before booking anything outside the EU, read your own government's travel advice: the Dutch reisadvies, the Belgian travel advice or the French Conseils aux voyageurs. We won't summarise it, because it changes.
Taghazout is, in Lonely Planet's words, a fishing village and thriving surf community, with beginner spots at Hash Point and Panorama. Experienced surfers come for Anchor Point, a point break that Surf-Forecast rates best in winter, with rocks and crowds. Our Morocco guide covers the coast.
Canggu is world-famous for its surf according to Indonesia's tourist board, with hotels, villas and cafes behind the beach. Surf-Forecast is blunter: reef breaks, rips, rocks and a busy line-up, in water warm enough for boardshorts all year. Start with our Canggu guide.
In a shared surf camp bathroom, shelf space is the first thing to run out. One bar for hair, body and face takes up about as much room as a bar of soap, with no bottle to leak on the journey.
Shampoo, body and face wash, all in one bar. Cooling, refreshing and designed for those always on the go.
Wherever you go, the bigger question is what happens in the water.
Is it safe to surf alone on a solo trip?
Travelling alone is fine; surfing alone is the part to avoid. The RNLI, the British lifeboat charity, says to surf with a mate, tell someone you're going and when you'll be back, know your limits, be aware of rip currents and always wear a leash. On a solo trip, "a mate" means a lesson, a camp group or the person you met at breakfast. If nobody's free, tell reception which beach you're heading to.
One more thing worth knowing: the emergency number 112 works everywhere in the EU, free of charge, says the European Commission.
Can beginners go on a solo surf trip?
Yes, as long as you book lessons rather than just a board. Visit Portugal advises anyone with limited experience to use surf schools, which know the spots away from the crowds. The most forgiving picks here are Seignosse, Famara, El Cotillo, Praia Norte and Zurriola. For more, see the best places to learn to surf in Europe.
Showers, wet kit and washing up when you travel alone
On a solo trip you share almost everything except your wash bag, so keep it small. Surf houses usually mean a shared bathroom and a queue after the afternoon session; our piece on surf camp showers covers the routine.
Rinse off salt and sand at the beach with water only. Don't rinse shampoo or soap directly into the ocean or into beach showers that drain to the sea. Lather only where the water goes into a drain, which means the bathroom. A single solid 3-in-1 bar for hair, body and face is one thing to carry down the corridor, and nothing to leak next to a damp towel.
Shampoo, body and face wash, all in one bar. Keep your hair and skin healthy on the go. Monoï-infused scent with a touch of vanilla. Designed for those always on the go.
Then hang your wetsuit where the camp tells you to, not over the bunk rail, and you'll stay popular.
Solo surf trips: locals and the environment
Respect the locals
Arriving alone makes you easy to welcome and easy to notice. Wait your turn and don't paddle straight to the peak at a break you've never surfed. Our guide to surf etiquette has the rules, and at busy spots such as Ribeira d'Ilhas, Zurriola and Canggu, patience counts double.
Respect the environment
Ericeira is a World Surfing Reserve for a reason. Take your rubbish with you, keep to marked paths over dunes and cliffs, and if you can, fly less and stay longer: two weeks once beats one week twice.
Summary
The best solo surf trips put a school, a bed and other learners in one small town: Ericeira, Peniche and Sagres in Portugal, Hossegor, Seignosse and San Sebastián by train, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote for winter, and Taghazout and Canggu further away. Travel alone, surf with company, pack light and wash where there's a drain.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best place for a first solo surf trip?
We'd start in Portugal or Seignosse. Save The Waves says Ericeira has waves for all levels, and the Seignosse tourist office counts no fewer than 30 surf schools.
Is it safe to go on a surf trip alone?
Travelling alone is fine, but don't surf alone. The RNLI advises surfing with a mate, telling someone your plans and knowing your limits. Outside the EU, read your government's travel advice before you book.
Do I need to book a surf camp to meet people?
No, but it's the easiest way. A camp or a week of group lessons gives you the same faces every morning.
Can I do a solo surf trip without flying?
Yes. Direct TGV INOUI trains run from Paris Montparnasse to Dax, Bayonne, Biarritz and Hendaye, for Hossegor by bus and San Sebastián on Euskotren's E2 line.
When is the best time for a solo surf trip?
Surf-Forecast's statistics favour winter in Portugal, the Canary Islands and Taghazout, and autumn in Hossegor and San Sebastián.
Sources
The facts in this article are based on the sources below, checked in October 2026.
- Ericeira World Surfing Reserve. Save The Waves Coalition, 2026.
- Ribeira d'Ilhas. Surf-Forecast, 2026.
- Ribeira d'Ilhas sea temperature. Surf-Forecast, 2026.
- Surfing in the Centre of Portugal. Visit Portugal, 2026.
- Peniche, a surfer's paradise. Center of Portugal, 2026.
- Supertubos. Surf-Forecast, 2026.
- Supertubos sea temperature. Surf-Forecast, 2026.
- Best surfing in the Algarve. Lonely Planet, 2026.
- Tonel. Surf-Forecast, 2026.
- Tonel sea temperature. Surf-Forecast, 2026.
- Hendaye to Paris timetable. SNCF Connect, 2026.
- Getting to Hossegor. Hossegor Tourist Office, 2026.
- Surfing in Hossegor. Hossegor Tourist Office, 2026.
- Surf schools in Seignosse. Seignosse Tourisme, 2026.
- La Gravière. Surf-Forecast, 2026.
- La Gravière sea temperature. Surf-Forecast, 2026.
- Line E2 Hendaia to Lasarte-Oria timetable. Euskotren, 2025.
- The waves of La Zurriola. Donostia San Sebastián Turismoa, 2026.
- Playa de Gros. Surf-Forecast, 2026.
- Playa de Gros sea temperature. Surf-Forecast, 2026.
- Surfing. Hello Canary Islands, 2026.
- Surfing in the Canary Islands. Hello Canary Islands, 2026.
- Remote working in the Canary Islands. Hello Canary Islands, 2026.
- Famara beach. Hello Canary Islands, 2026.
- Cotillo. Surf-Forecast, 2026.
- Cotillo sea temperature. Surf-Forecast, 2026.
- Playa de Famara. Surf-Forecast, 2026.
- Playa de Famara sea temperature. Surf-Forecast, 2026.
- Learn to surf in Morocco. Lonely Planet, 2026.
- Anchor Point. Surf-Forecast, 2026.
- Anchor Point sea temperature. Surf-Forecast, 2026.
- Canggu Beach. Indonesia Travel, 2026.
- Canggu. Surf-Forecast, 2026.
- Canggu sea temperature. Surf-Forecast, 2026.
- Surfing safety advice. RNLI, 2026.
- 112: the European emergency number. European Commission, 2026.
- Reisadvies. Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2026.
- Travel advice. Belgian Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, 2026.
- Conseils aux voyageurs. French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, 2026.
