Baleal is located on the Peniche Peninsula, on Portugal’s beautiful and unspoilt “silver coast”. This area is known world-wide for its famous surfing wave called Supertubes. The advantage of surfing this area over others is that it is considered ideal for both learner (novice) up to expert level of surfer.

 

This is because it offers a wide variety of waves – sand, reef, left, right, hollow, mellow  - all within a few minutes of each other.

 

Also, because of its location on the peninsula, it catches Atlantic swells from all directions and and no matter which way the wind is blowing there is nearly always a clean off shore wave to enjoy. The island of Baleal is located adjacent to the peninsula of Peniche. Considered by many the most consistent surf zone of Europe, the area has a temperate climate and excellent conditions for practicing the sport throughout the year.

 

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 .

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. 

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.

 

Best Tide: mid to low

Best Swell Direction: west-northwest

Best Size: head high to a couple feet overhead

Perfect: 5 (1=Flat Lake Surf ; 10= World class)

Bottom: sand, except for the reef at Lagide

Ability Level: beginner to advanced

Best Season: fall and spring

Shark Danger: 2 (1=none; 10=bring an iron cage)