Surf camp in Portugal: my experience with Gota Dagua

Want to learn to surf? Go on a surf camp in Portugal! I learned to surf at Gota Dagua (near Lisbon) in a week and share my experience in this blog post.

About Gota Dagua

Gota Dagua is a surf school in Costa da Caparica, just below Lisbon. I always wanted to learn to surf, but somehow I never got around to it. When Gota Dagua invited me to a week-long surf camp, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Learning to surf in one of my favorite countries, why not?

The surf camp of Gota Dagua is located in the village of São João da Caparica, which is adjacent to the larger resort of Costa Da Caparica. During your surfing lessons at Praia de São João, you will look out on the Lisbon skyline, so you are very close to the Portuguese capital.

The surf camp at Gota Dagua: what to expect?

Of course, I did some research on Gota Dagua beforehand, because I wanted to know where I was going to spend a week. The reviews absolutely do not lie, with a 4.9 on Google, the camp is very high-rated.

What I personally also really liked is that there is so much included when you book the camp. There are several packages to choose from, but the basic package includes the following:

• Accommodation (you can choose from a bed in a dormitory or pay a little more for a private room) – including towels and bedding
• Breakfast (every day)
• Dinner (for 6 out of 7 nights)
• You get free use of all surf equipment
• A bicycle, which makes it easier to get around
• Activities – these are organized almost every evening, for example, a movie night or a game night

Then you can buy additional packages with surf and yoga lessons. So you can make it as expensive as you want. The surf camps last seven days as standard, but you can shorten or extend them if you wish.

Surf camp in Portugal: a full week at Gota Dagua

What does a week at surf camp in Portugal look like? During my week in São João da Caparica, I kept a daily diary. This way, you can see what to expect during your surf camp.

Saturday: the arrival day

Since I was staying in Setúbal (about 50 kilometers from Costa da Caparica) in the days before the surf camp, I was already at the reception of Gota Dagua at one o’clock on Saturday afternoon. I was kindly greeted by Luis (the manager) and allowed to leave my large backpack and my laptop. Check in is at four o’clock and they are pretty strict about that.

This was not an issue for me, as the weather is beautiful and the beach is about a twenty-minute walk from the camp. Today, there are some strong winds, and the waves look quite turbulent. It doesn’t seem like ideal surfing weather, but fortunately, I don’t have to worry about that today. I eat a burger choco frito (fried squid, the local specialty) on a terrace at a beach bar and enjoy this wonderful place that I can call home for the coming week.

Then I return to Gota Dagua and there I already meet a number of other guests. Although most are from the Netherlands and Germany, there are also people from Switzerland, the United States, France, Romania, and Poland. It’s a fun mix and the official language is English.

Upon checking in, I am assigned a nice private room in house three. There are three buildings all together within a few minutes’ walk of each other. The room is decorated minimalistic, clean, and has a big comfortable bed. The doors open up to the big garden which has some comfortable couches, a tiny pool, and some picnic tables. There are two bathrooms down the hall, which are shared.

After a quick shower, I have a fun chat with Maren from Germany in the garden, and around seven pm we head to the restaurant together for the Welcome Event. The staff members are introduced to us (I really hope I will remember those names soon, there are so many!) and the schedule for this week is presented.

Then it’s time to eat, we get some tasty Portuguese snacks as an appetizer, sangria, and delicious pasta. So far so good! A little before ten pm I leave the restaurant and go to my room. Tomorrow is the first surf lesson, and I’m looking forward to it!

Sunday: the first surf lesson

I sleep pretty well, which is a good start to the day. Breakfast is not until nine o’clock (which is late for me, I usually get up early), so I take my laptop to the tables in the garden to get some work done.

Breakfast is a fun affair and surprisingly extensive. There is yogurt with many different toppings, in addition, there are sandwiches, different kinds of cheeses, salads, tomatoes, etc. Every morning, there is a special treat. Today it is pastel de nata and of course I have to try one, as it’s one of my favorite pastries in Portugal.

Then the theory lesson for surfing begins. We get to see videos about the history of surfing and learn more about different surfboards, the wind, and waves. Very interesting, and I realize that there is so much more about surfing than just riding a board on the waves!

After the theory lesson, we are divided into two different groups for the surf lessons and are assigned a bike. This is because the beach where we get our lessons is about a 20-minute walk from the houses, so it is nice to be able to get around a little faster.

I go to the supermarket for lunch and read in the garden for a while. The weather is lovely, so I feel very relaxed.

At three o’clock I have my very first surf lesson ever. We all get our own wetsuits this week and then head to the beach with a surfboard (softboard). At first, I think “oh, this is not that hard to carry,” but as I walk further down the beach, it gets heavier and heavier, haha!

On the beach, we first do some yoga exercises to warm up and then we learn (in the sand) how to stand on the surfboard. Because yes, that’s step one. If you can’t stand on your board, you can’t surf.

Standing up on the surfboard feels really easy on the beach, so it’s time to try it in the water. And that’s not that easy! Due to the storms of the past week, the waves are quite turbulent, really coming from all sides. I struggle to keep my surfboard under control as I walk further into the sea and I continuously get lots of salt water in my face. This leaves me with burning eyes, not very pleasant.

The instructor takes turns giving us tips and the occasional push into the waves. This is the moment we have to stand up. I fall, I fall, I fall and I fall. Every time when it’s my turn to get up on that board, I forget the whole step-by-step plan to stand up. I keep trying and keep going back to the instructor, at some point it has to work right? Unfortunately, the lesson ends after an hour and a half (it feels much shorter!) and I haven’t been able to stand on the board. Luckily, there are five more lessons this week.

For dinner, we get some delicious fried rice and some ice cream for dessert. It’s game night tonight and we play Cards against humanity, which is a little weird, but also a lot of fun. I go to bed around ten o’clock. Tomorrow we have a full schedule and I want to be as fit as possible for classes.

Monday: I’m standing!

Unfortunately, I sleep a bit restless that night because I wake up a few times from people coming “home” after going out. Even in a private room and wearing earplugs, you can hear people stumble around and talk The broken night causes me to wake up a little bit grumpy.

But I decide I want to be positive and happy for the rest of the day, so I start my first yoga class in good spirits. It lasts about an hour and includes not only yoga poses, but also some breathing exercises. I feel a lot more relaxed afterwards.

Breakfast is delicious again and I eat more than I usually do because I have two surfing lessons today. The first one starts almost immediately after breakfast. Since I had so much trouble standing up yesterday, today I am taught a new way to stand up. And it is a real success: already on the second try in the water I manage to stand on the board! Eventually, I managed to stand up about five times, although I still don’t manage to stand up for long. In any case, I am very happy that there is some progression.

We have about a four-hour break until the next class and I decide to go out by myself. I cycle to Costa da Caparica (about 2.5 kilometers from where we are) and find a very nice place for lunch called KOA. Here I sit and feast on a wrap with egg and avocado and enjoy the peace and quiet for a while. Although I really like most of the people in the surf camp, as an introvert I need a moment alone every now and then too to recharge. I’m happy that it’s easy to do as you have some free time between classes.

At four o’clock the next surf lesson starts and I go a little early so I can take some pictures of Group 1’s surf lesson. It’s nice to see them getting better already.

And yes, my second lesson of the day is also going much better. Although I still fall down regularly, I am getting better at standing up and I manage to keep on standing twice. I even get a high five from the instructor, yeah!

Dinner is fun as usual and afterwards there is a beer pong tournament. I watch it for a while (don’t really like beer, so I don’t feel like joining in) and then head for my room. After a rough start, today was really a great day!

Tuesday: can we go surfing in the storm?

The weather has changed quite a bit today, after a few days of sunshine the day starts with rain. On top of that, I have pain everywhere, learning how to surf is (much) harder than I expected. But anyway, I don’t want to let myself down and go to yoga class. It’s a bit difficult, but I’m glad I’m doing it, it’s a nice relaxing start to the day.

After breakfast, we are shown videos of our first surf lesson yesterday, so we can learn from our mistakes. Almost everyone is supposed to be discussed once, but the selection didn’t go quite right. Many people do not appear in the clips, but yours truly appears no less than four times (and that was not very positive). Let’s just say I learned some things again.

For lunch, I return to KOA again, this time with Maren. We have to hurry quite a bit, because right after that we have our surf lesson, and I can’t help but say that it is quite stormy. It is incredibly heavy to carry the board to the water. The wind comes from all sides and takes incredible strength to hold the board.

The waves are also unbearable, coming from all sides and very fast one after the other. In addition, there is a strong current so I just don’t manage to get to the instructors. It feels like a big fight. But I persevere and get seven pushes from the instructors, which I cash in no less than three times by standing on the board. Yes!

After about an hour the instructors get us all out of the water (half the group had been on the shore for some time), surfing is to hard today, it’s just fighting the elements. We will make up for the missed time later this week (lessons normally last an hour and a half). By now it has also started to rain, so fine to change clothes and quickly go home for a hot shower.

We are tired from the exhausting surf lesson and the rain is pouring down. There is little socializing going on and everyone is reading or watching series in bed. Time to relax and get cozy.

A little after six, I leave with Maren to the restaurant for a hot cup of tea, where we invite a few others and we soon find ourselves with a fun group at our table. After dinner, there is a karaoke night. I leave the singing to other people, but it is incredibly funny to see others belt their hearts out.

Wednesday: I’m in pain

Like the previous days, I start the day with another yoga class. Our yoga teacher thinks we can handle a little more and recites rather complicated exercises. I sit and watch. I am clearly not as flexible as the rest of the group. But she does something to me that makes some of the exercises suddenly easier, am I starting to become more flexible?

After breakfast, we have another surf lesson. Although the weather today is certainly better than yesterday, the waves are still quite rough and there is still a strong undertow. By now I have figured out the best way to get to the instructor (circle around and then go with the current) and soon get a few pushes. Out of the first four attempts, I stand upright on the surfboard no less than three times. So proud of myself that I manage this after only a few days!

After that, unfortunately, it goes downhill. The weather changes, the wind picks up, the current gets stronger and I have more and more trouble keeping the board under control. At one point I want to lift the board out of the water in the shallow part, but the wind picks it up and it hits my feet rock hard. I have half a nail in my hand and my feet immediately start to turn blue, ouch!

Fortunately, I can still move them well, so I get back into the water for another surfing attempt. But then my right calf cramps up completely. I fall over and Manuel, one of the instructors is immediately with me to help me. I have to push against him while I lie in the water and occasionally get a wave of salt seawater in my face, not fun. But the cramp fortunately goes away.

This is also the end of the surf lesson, after a strong start I’m physically and mentally not feeling very well. So I take a lot of rest for the rest of the day and I isolate myself from the group activities (there is beach volleyball, among other things). I go to a pasteleria (my go to place when I’m in Portugal) in Costa da Caparica for a nice cup of coffee and a pastel de nata. The rest of the day I mostly sit and read in the garden. My feet hurt pretty badly, so I think it’s smart to take it slow.

At dinner it is also pretty quiet, everyone is tired. There is a movie night, but most of the surf campers drop out to go to bed early.

Thursday: a day off!

Fortunately, I sleep well that night and the “damage” to my feet doesn’t seem to be too bad. I can move them well, which is really nice! The yoga class is a bit difficult today, I notice that the cramp in my calf has radiated (?) to the muscle in my upper leg and I have quite some trouble with some of the stretching exercises. I do what I can and am still very happy to start the morning with this.

At breakfast, there is a convivial crowd, and everyone is happy that we have a break from surfing lessons. Although surfing is really great fun, you definitely feel it in your body. Almost everyone has aches and bruises somewhere.

A small part of the group is going on a tour to Lisbon today, but since I have already visited the city several times and will be there for the next five days, I am skipping the tour. I also have some useful things to do this week, such as laundry and some work on my website.

After lunch, I call it a day in terms of work, and, together with the German Ella, I meet up with the Dutch Joanna, as she is sitting in a coffee shop in Costa da Caparica. We had a very pleasant afternoon and evening with the three of us, which we spent partly on the beach and in nice restaurants. It really feels like vacation for a while, especially the moment when I watch the sun sink into the sea with a glass of wine in my hand. Life is good!

Friday: the last day…

Friday begins as usual with a yoga class. Several people left Thursday and some went out till late, so there are only five of us today. It was a great last class, I’m definitely going to miss this. It is so nice to start the day with some stretching!

Since today is the last full day, everyone is a little elated about the surf lesson. Although my group’s lesson doesn’t start until 12.30 pm, I’m already on the beach at 10.30 am to cheer on the other group and take pictures.

When it’s my group’s turn for class, the first group is there too, and because of that, there is an incredibly fun atmosphere. Everyone cheers when someone stands and stays on the board. We’ve all come pretty far over the past few days! I gave Iris, one of my fellow students, my camera, so now I also have some pictures that actually include me. Here’s the proof that I can stand on the surfboard after just a few lessons.

After the classes, we have a nice relaxing afternoon. I take an extended shower, do a bit of snacking, sort out some photos, and read my book. The weather is lovely, so it’s nice to chill in the garden again.

The evening starts with a wine tasting and we get to try various (delicious) wines from the region. This is followed by dinner and a small awards ceremony. Several people receive a special surf award, for example, “rookie of the week” or “best performance”.

And guess what? I also got one; I won the award for “the one that never gives up.” For me, this is the best one! It is a pleasant evening and we even have to say goodbye to the first people who are leaving tomorrow before breakfast. It’s a little sad, as you sort of become a family after a week together.

Saturday is departure day and it is mostly devoted to packing, a last delicious breakfast, and lots of goodbyes. It is really special how you get close to many people after a week of learning how to surf together. I would love to go again next year, it was a great week!

Surf camp at Gota Dagua: Is it worth it?

If you want to learn to surf in an approachable way, Gota Dagua’s surf camp is definitely worth it. They do their best to make you feel comfortable and because the camp is standard from Saturday to Saturday, you get to know the other participants well.

In doing so, it is very nice that you can choose between different accommodations, from eight-bed dormitories to private rooms. Don’t expect over-the-top luxury, but overall it’s clean and the beds are very comfortable. Because the sleeping quarters are spread over three different houses, it also doesn’t feel so massive, which is nice.

Of course, the camp is not completely perfect (does such a thing exist at all?), so I also want to share a few things I didn’t like so much. For example, I thought there was a little too much focus on drinking alcohol and going out, whereas as far as I’m concerned it should be more on surfing. But I’m also a bit on the older side as I turned 40 this year (most surf campers are in the 20-30 age range) and my party days are behind me by now.

In addition, it was occasionally a bit unclear in terms of communication. For example, you have to fill out a whole questionnaire online in advance, and at check-in, you have to fill in the same form again. It is also sometimes a bit unclear where certain activities take place.

In terms of food, I found the breakfast really good, but dinner was sometimes a hit or miss (especially for vegetarians it was not always tasty). But you get enough and may even ask for extra if you want another plate.

By the way, what I really liked is that an app group was created prior to the surf camp, making it very easy to ask questions and share photos and videos with each other.

Overall, I think the surf camp at Gota Dagua is absolutely worthwhile. The yoga classes and surf lessons are of good quality and there is a nice atmosphere. The staff are all very enthusiastic and do everything to give you and the other surf campers an enjoyable stay. And also important; I found the the price-quality ratio very good.

Book your surf camp in Portugal!

Do you want to learn to surf and do you want to do it in a beautiful and fun location? Then the Surf Camp of Gota Dagua is highly recommended. Go to the website to book your surf camp. During the booking process, you can easily add extras such as surf lessons and yoga classes.

And in addition, of course, you have to book your trip to Portugal. Check WayAway to find the best deals on plane tickets.

From Lisbon airport, you can use Uber, Bolt, or public transportation to make your way to Costa da Caparica. You can also email Gota Dagua asking if they will arrange transportation, they do that too (at an additional cost).

Also, make sure to invest in travel insurance, it will give you peace of mind during your trip. Check out Insubuy to find the travel insurance that fits your needs.