We’ve come to Portugal’s southern Algarve coast to learn how to surf. Years of failed attempts, swallowing gallons of sea water, smashing my nose and being thrown off surfboards tell me I’m destined never to make it to shore upright – but who could say no to some winter sun?

 

Surfing has exploded as a sport in Ireland and the attraction is obvious: it is exhilarating, the rewards enormous, the challenges endless. The tiniest improvement feels like a huge achievement. Thousands of hardy souls follow the waves around the Irish coastline, but for rookies sacrificing themselves to the sea, the warmth of the Algarve makes it the perfect place to learn.

 

Our base for this holiday is Lagos, a pretty Roman port town an hour’s drive from Faro airport. Daily direct flights from Ireland make it accessible throughout the year, and with temperatures above 20 degrees for eight months of the year, it’s a welcome break from the cold Irish winter - and cold Irish summer. Praia Dona Ana, the sheltered white beach in the town or Meia Praia, the long golden stretch on the outskirts of Lagos, are perfect for swimming and sunbathing, but it’s the remote beaches of the west coast that offer the best surf all year round.

 

On our first morning, we’re collected from our hotel – the sleek, tranquil Hotel Vile Galé on the outskirts of town. We pile into a minibus, stopping to collect the rest of our group before hitting the coast. With a number of beaches within a 45-minute drive, conditions determine where we’ll spend the day. Our instructor Marcel opts for Praia del Amoreira as we’re a mixed group, ranging from experienced to intermediate surfers to, well, Gráinne and me.

 

Surfing can seem intimidating, but here, all levels of surfers share the same beaches, with beginners staying closer to the shore, while the braver head out to the large waves. There’s a friendly, welcoming atmosphere, which puts us at ease. Eager as we are to fling ourselves into the sea, the basics are best learned on land. We squeeze into our wetsuits, lie on our boards and follow Marcel’s lead as the “tak tak tak” mantra begins, each call signifying a change in position until we’re upright. When we’re surfing the sand like pros, it’s time to enter the water.

 

It’s not as easy as it was on the beach – funny that – but we’re encouraged to concentrate, take it slowly and follow the steps we have learned. It seems ridiculous that you can carry out each movement while a wave rumbles beneath you, but gradually, we begin to get a feel for it.

 

We’re falling off less frequently, we’re making it to our knees, we can feel success just around the corner . . . what? We have to come in for lunch? Now? Tired arms and legs will cause you to make mistakes, and it’s only when we sit down to eat our packed lunch on the beach that we realise how worn out we are. We relax for an hour, chatting to the other surfers, a groups of friends from Ireland. There are also some families dotted around the beach; this is the sort of trip that suits both and can be tailored to your budget and needs: we’re staying in a family-friendly hotel on the beach in Lagos while the Irish guys have opted for a lodge in town.

 

Back in the water, we’re standing more and more and Sebastian even begins to teach us how to turn and control the direction of our boards; we certainly didn’t expect to make it this far. Before we know it, it’s 4pm and time to head back into town. Winding our way back to Lagos through a stunning Parque Natural, the minibus is filled with chatter about the day’s triumphs and wipeouts – and the snores of a few who are simply wiped out.

 

Most evenings we need a nap as soon as we get back, then it’s out to one of the excellent restaurants in Lagos. From simple seafood cafes, serving buckets of fresh prawns drenched in Portuguese peri peri sauce, to the bustling family-run restaurants offering local specialities such as bife à Portuguesa (steak cooked in a Port sauce) and Cataplana (a seafood and chorizo dish), the food is delicious and great value.

 

If you can find the energy or fancy a day off, there’s more to do besides surfing. Explore the Lagos marina and the cobblestoned old town on foot. Fit in a day’s golfing on one of the Algarve’s many courses. Try your hand at kite-surfing, quad biking, skydiving, wakeboarding, rock climbing, off-road driving, mountain biking. Or shop at the malls in Faro and nearby Albufeira, or the monthly markets all along the coast.

 

As night falls, the bars and clubs in Lagos come to life, but for Gráinne and me, an early start and the next day’s surf beckon and we fall asleep to the sound of the waves outside our window and “tak tak tak” in our heads.

 

Rachel Collins was a guest of surfholidays.com

 

SURF 

Irish company Surfholidays.comoffers five days of surf lessons (two sessions per day) including daily transfers to beach, equipment and lunch for €200pp. Lessons for adults and children from age of six. Tel: 01-4822828  or visit the surfholidays.comstand at the Holiday World Show in the RDS today and tomorrow.

 

Value : Casa Offshore, Estrada Da Porto Do Mos, Lagos

A lodge-style surf house 10 minutes from the town and beach. Incredibly friendly, perfect for groups. Prices from €287pp for seven nights’ BB with five days surfing and lunch on beach.

 

Midmarket : Vilabranca Apartments, Rua Santa Casa da Misericordia

Ideal for groups and families. Four swimming pools, tennis courts, bar, restaurant. From €50 per night for a 2 bedroom apartment sleeping 6. Surf lessons extra

 

Upmarket : Hotel Vile Galé, Estrada da Meia Praia. 

Fashion-themed four-star hotel, overlooking the beach. Stylish pool area, spa and two restaurants. Great for families, with separate kids’ club. Prices from €51 per night (double room). Ground floor family rooms sleeping two adults and two children from €70 per night. Surf lessons extra

 

Value : Paraiso do Mar, Praia Da Amoreira, Aljezur. Tel: 00-351-282991088.

Nestled on a cliff overlooking the surf beach of Amoreira, this cafe offers simple lunches. Burgers, omelettes from €7.

 

Midmarket : Adega Da Marina, 35 Avenida dos Descobrimentos, Lagos. Tel: 00-351-282764284. Cavernous seafood restaurant overlooking the marina. Very busy in high season. Amazing prawns and local vinho verde (green wine). Mains from €8.

 

Upmarket : Don Sebastião, Rua 25 de Abril, Lagos. Tel: 00-351-282780480      .

Traditional Portuguese tavern-style restaurant on pedestrianised street in the old town. Focus on seafood and Portuguese meat specialities. Fantastic service. Mains from €16.

 

At night, the cobbled streets of the old town come to life with bars and clubs. Bar Mullen, on Rua Cândido dos Reis is a favourite with many visitors, as are Three Monkeys on Rua Lançarote de Freitas and the numerous pubs along Rua 25 de Abril. Escape the bustle of town at Bahia Beach Bar on Meia Praia Beach.

 

GO THERE 

Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Faro year round and from Cork and Belfast from March 25th. See aerlingus.com.

Ryanair flies to Faro from Dublin, Cork, Kerry and Knock. See ryanair.com

 

Hertz provides car hire from Faro airport hertz.com

There are few things that never change in this world, and yet during the 60s if you had talked to any surfer about what it felt like to be riding a wave you would probably hear the same answer today.  

 

The sense of freedom that surfing gives and inspires has meant that over the decades countless people have tried the sport for a million and one reasons.  Often when we think of classic images of surfing, we often think of the 60s longboarders cruising the waves.  So what is it that makes the era so iconic?

 

In a decade that brought us The Beatles, Martin Luther King, the peak of the war in Vietnam, a man landing on the moon, the emancipation of numerous African countries from colonial rule, and the liberation of women, there was a quieter revolution taking place on shores around the world.  Just as millions of people decided to break from the norm of society and speak out over injustices, some people chose to leave their rigid lives behind and start surfing.

 

To surf in the 60s was something controversial, often bringing the title of ‘beachbum’ with it.  Whereas today we associate surfing with something current, edgy and fashionable, in the 60s it was a way of saying a massive ‘no’ to society’s desires for your life, and choosing a different path.  It was often not just a hobby but a way of life.  Surfers got involved with creating their boards, exploring coastlines for new undiscovered waves, it was by word of mouth and invitation that a new wave was found... not just the latest online update via twitter or surf guide book.  There was a sacredness to the sport that was unique to the era.

 

Imagine a time when surfing was slower.  The shortboard hadn’t been invented yet, boards were generally still made from wood before foam was used towards the end of the decade, and neoprene wetsuits were still catching on.  Surfing was all about the ‘hotdogging’ style of effortlessly gliding along the wave on your longboard, tucking into the curl and dancing up and down the length of the board.  Tricks meant ‘hanging 5’ or ’10’ toes over the end of your board, not the slashing and aerial maneuvers we see on today’s shortboards.

 

Stars of the era were created by surf films, not contests.  Some of the most well known names and imagery came from Bruce Browns, often budget, surf films such as ‘Surfing Hollow Days’ and of course, ‘Endless Summer’.  Some of the best surfers in the world featured in Brown’s movies, including Phil Edwards, who along with Brown discovered Pipeline in December 1961.

 

Although Hollywood had its crack at capitalizing on the surf movement with sequel ‘Gidget’ girly surf films, those surfing during one of the most revolutionary eras in modern history surfed for the love of it.  Before all the money, the glamour and the approval, surfing in the 60s was about exploring and daring to be different.

 

To give a beautiful glimpse into the 60s surfing world here’s the trailer for the iconic ‘Endless Summer’.  Watch it, be inspired by it, and dream of your own surfing holiday adventure...
 

 

At last January is coming to an end and its starting to get warm again (or is it?!?!). Either way its time to start considering where you want to go on holidays this year... 

 

We are going to be in the RDS in Dublin this weekend at the Holiday World show. Come down and see what we have on offer for 2012. The show is on Friday (11am-7pm) and Saturday & Sunday (11am-5.30pm).

 

Our stand number is D8. We will be giving away a FREE SURF HOLIDAY - a  week long stay in the amazing Ecolodges in Ericeira, Portugal with 6 days of surf lessons including all equipment. It's a great prize -  the Lodges sleep up to 5 people and all you have to do is head over to our stand and say hello 

 

If you can make it we have 50 FREE passes to the show so just drop us an email asap and we'll send them to you - first come first served: info@surfholidays.com 

 

If you can't make it down have a look at our website and run a search and see if there is anything you like.  We now have options in 13 of Europes best surf towns! July & August are starting to book out, particularly for the Ecolodges and the Anna Margarida Villas in Ericeira.  

 

Hope to see you this weekend!

 

Nicky, Robyn and Julianne

Hand ups who’s feeling the January blues already? Most of us are probably feeling the post Christmas depression and the let down of a tough month full of broken New Year’s resolutions and bills.  So if all you want is to feel some warm water surf on your skin, forget all your worries and get some perspective on your life, then it’s time for a surf holiday.  Here are our favourite getaway deals and locations to perk you right up:

 

Right now:
 

There’s a reason why the Euro force contingent always heads to the Canary Islands each winter- the pumping surf. Whereas northern Europe gets waves, the freezing conditions are somewhat less than desirable.  So Fuerteventura with its mid 20s temperature, relaxed daytime beach attitude and nighttime pumping party scene is the ideal escape.  We love La Concha’s accommodation as its serene vibe, and close proximity to the surf and Corralejo town for more than your fair share of tapas and cerveza. 

 

Next month:
 

As Spring slowly approaches it's time to think about surfing Portugal.  The more sheltered breaks of Lagos in the Algarve boast some of the warmest waters around Portugal, and combined with their 300 days of sunshine a year, definitely works on the ideal surf break factor.  Some great deals are to be found at the beginning of the season, plus the surf breaks are quiet and you’ll have a wealth of delicious restaurants to choose from.  Take a look at Casa Offshore which opens in February for an ideal surf retreat for solos, couples or groups.

 

Spring time:
 

When further shores are calling your name and life at home needs shaking up, it’s time to head somewhere completely different.  Why not try a surfing mecca such as Bali, Indonesia.  There are always waves to be had around its coastline, the East coast in the wet season, and then in the dry season from end of April to October it’s all about the West coast swells. Find out why Taj Burrow spends half the year there, and check out the infamous Uluwatu wave which breaks over fiery living coral reef just 18 inches under the wave’s surface.
 

One of the best and hardest decisions you can ever make is to start caring for yourself and improving your fitness.  It’s amazing how easy it is to focus on everyone else, things going on around us, or even how we all just don’t feel like we can do something.

 

January is full of advice on new year’s resolutions that we know we will break, but that we hope will miraculously transform us into a better version of ourselves.  It can be demotivating to put on that much pressure, so how would it look if we just ‘started’ to improve our fitness?  Introducing new fun ways of keeping our training up, or maybe even starting for the first time, can do wonders for our self image and fitness.  So here are a few tips for regular living that will help get us on our way to being surf fit and ready for our next surf holiday...

 

‘More’ is ‘more’ sometimes, and when it comes to working out, getting off the sofa and exercising, having a workout buddy is the ‘more’ we all need.  When you least feel like doing that training session, run, swim, class or even cold water surf, having your buddy ask you to join them is a great motivator. If you don’t know anyone who’s up for working out with you, then join a club- meet new people and change your lifestyle that little bit.

 

It feels great when you’re on holiday, surfing and getting in the ocean everyday, we are really connected to our bodies, know what’s good for them and what to avoid.  However, when we’re at home it can be difficult to break from bad food habits and often our bodies are left second to our emotional or energy levels.  There’s a reason why the saying ‘old habits die hard’ exists, and with unhealthy food it definitely fits the bill.  So if there’s something that you want to change, whether it’s to eat more fruit and vegetables, or steer clear of the take-outs, make a point of changing one thing a week.  Try it out, see how your body feels, and live normally with it.

 

For when you really need a shake up and some motivation to kick start improving your fitness, use online trainer sites.  We all spend a lot of time online during the course of the week, so why not check in with sites like magazine site www.menshealth.co.uk, Gabby Reece’s www.gabbydaily.com, or fitness buddies Karena and Katrina’s site http://toneitup.com.