The Ultimate Guide to Baleal Surf - Surf Atlas (2024)

The Baleal surf is the beginner offering of Peniche. It takes you to a town just north of Peniche itself where you get two beaches with better protection that others down the coast. It’s the top place to go if you want surf camps or surf schools, especially when the swells get bigger after the fall.

An introduction to Baleal surf

Baleal is often seen as an extension of Peniche but it’s sort of come into its own in the last couple of years, offering some of the more protected breaks on this long run of what’s now legendary surf shoreline.

That’s all down to the shape of the coast, which protrudes out into a fishhook-shaped island that’s fringed on its northern side by a run of beaches that have fantastic shelter from the biggest W and NW swells, plus those killer Atlantic onshores.

The upshot? The breaks here tend to be tempered and small compared to Supertubos and Nazare and others that face direct into the ocean. It’s for that reason that surf camps have popped up in the town ad infinitum and you get some of the very best total-beginner offerings in Portugal if you ask us.

Beyond the waves, Baleal is a charming town of whitewashed cottages. Prettier than Peniche, it also has it’s own buzzy nightlife scene and stretch of cantinas with views of the surf.

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This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing Portugal

Baleal at a glance

Wave type: Beach breaks // Level: Beginners (but all levels come) // Season: All year, smaller in summer

What’s in this guide to Baleal surf?

Where is Baleal?

Baleal is a part of the Leiria District of Portugal, which spreads north from the city of Lisbon along a coastline that’s become super-famous for its waves. Most surfers look to nearby Peniche, which is only 3km to the south of Baleal itself. You can get between the two in a taxi (20 euro) or by car (10 minutes). More generally, the town occupies a small tombolo (a isthmus beach) that offers surf on two sides. The nearest airport is in Lisbon.

How to get to Baleal?

Obviously you’ll need to fly to Portugal first. Lisbon Airport (LIS) is the best access point for getting near to Baleal. It’s only 42 miles away to the southeast. The good news is the airport in the capital also has the largest array of flights for getting to and from Portugal from both Europe and the US.

We always use Skyscanner to search for flights. It helps you compare cheapest dates for departures in a month at a glance. And it even compares the low-cost carriers, like Ryanair and easyJet.

Once on the ground, first, aim to get to Peniche. That’s easy from Lisbon, because there are hourly or even half-hourly buses RedeExpressos out of the Sete Rios station on the north side of the city. The fare is just under $10 each, each way. We rode with them in 2018 and they didn’t seem to have an issue with boards, but we’ve heard that’s changed.

Obviously, the faster and comfier way to go is to rent a car. Book them to be collected from Lisbon Airport using RentalCars.com. They are our go-to site for hires all over Europe, mainly because most bookings have free cancellation up to like 24 hours before pick up.

Baleal surf spots

Baleal has a handful of surf spots of its own. Most guides couple them together with Peniche because the area is seen as the nursery slope of that popular surf town. However, we think they are worth talking about distinct from Peniche simply because you can get away with a surf trip that’s 100% based in Baleal itself. Here’s what you’ll have on the doorstep…

Surf camps in Baleal

One of the reasons that we think Baleal is worth a whole separate guide on its own is that it’s now home to some of the very best beginner surf camps in the country.

That’s really saying something in Portugal, where there are thousands on offer. Sadly, the selection is now muddied by some that aren’t so great. But we can recommend the following for sure…

• 8 Day Breathtaking Surf and Yoga Holiday in Peniche at The Salty Pelican – The Salty Pelican’s newest addition to the seafront just south of Balean is an uber-cool hostel-poshtel-hotel that has walking access to some of the best beginner waves in Portugal. They do this package that’s based on UNLIMTED board rental and UNLIMITED yoga, plus 5x surf lessons throughout the week. We rank it as the best surf camp in the country for a reason!
• 4 Day Exciting Surf Camp in Baleal Beach at Alex Surf Hostel – The Alex Surf Hostel is pretty sweet stuff. It’s a modern spot with a grassy garden and sleek rooms. There’s a big common space to help you meet and greet other surfers, who will surely be big pals by the end of it all. This four-day package includes three days of surf lessons, and usually some sessions on the waves of Peniche if people improve enough.

We also have a complete guide to the top surf camps in Portugal for 2024, some of which – mainly for the beginner crowd – are in Baleal and Peniche.

A note on why we partner with BookSurfCamps.com: Book Surf Camps are probably the biggest online aggregator of surf camps and surf-yoga packages in the world. We sounded out a quite a few potential partners before we affiliated with them. But, in the end, the abundance of choice for beginners, intermediates, and female-only surfing sealed it. We also love the simplicity of their booking system and the trusted brand name, along with the focus on connecting with homegrown local businesses on the ground.

Want more baleal surf camp options? Search the whole shebang below right now and book in a few clicks.

Where to stay when surfing in Baleal?

There’s a fantastic array of surf hotels in Baleal these days. Many have arrived precisely because the town is now considered one of the very best of the learner spots in the country. We think you want to focus on the options that string down the main road away from the beach and the places close to the old town of Baleal Island, though they are likely to be a touch more expensive.

Surf lessons in Baleal

Baleal is a great place to do surf lessons.

In fact, as we’ve already mentioned, we think it’s one of the best places to come as a complete learner (perhaps only the Algarve is better) or intermediate improver (maybe only Ericiera’s south beaches beat it!) in the country.

A lot of that is down to the north- and west- facing beaches, which mean there’s usually somewhere sheltered and a bit smaller than the main swell.

Surf schools know all that, which is why there are 100s in the area. Most are based either in or around Baleal for a reason, you know! Pre-booking is a great idea for any trips between May and October, because classes are in high demand between those times. Check out…

• Surf Experience in Peniche (don’t worry, it’s actually in Baleal!) – These guys run a highly-rated surf lesson package that can be tailored to all levels. Surfboards and wetty included. They meet at the bar just at the entrance to Baleal village. All in for under $50 isn’t bad!
• Surfing Lessons with Experienced Instructors – A better pick when it’s smaller in the summer or if you’re after bigger waves, this one is a 90-minute lesson that tends to focus on the west-facing beaches south of Baleal.

When to surf in Baleal?

There’s surf all year round in Baleal. The biggest swells come from the fall onwards, with strong NW swells hitting between October and March most years. That doesn’t disqualify any would-be learners looking to do a surf school entirely. There’s lots of whitewash to keep you going plus there’s more protection on the north-facing beaches here than in virtually any other surf destination on the central Portuguese coast.

That said, we’d still recommend the spring and the summer months for total beginners. they offer smaller, easier waves and less wind, which is a real doozy since it can churn up the sets here like it’s nobody’s business. Book early for then, through – Peniche and Baleal are like the Hossegor of PT (AKA: It’s popular).