Xtreme Gap Year Blog

Xtreme Gap focuses on Sports and Adventure Travel. Weather our programmes are in Europe or in Africa and whether it is for 1 day or 12 weeks, all have a lot to offer. Next to wild life, diving and over landing trips we have now also a lot of gap year surfing programmes.

We have a lot of request in for gap year surfing programmes, so we have explored some nice places for you. But if you do not want to fly all the out to Australia or South Afica, we found the perfect spot for you. Just 2 to 4 hours from any destination in Europe you can fly to Faro in Portugal.

 The surf camp is in Carrapateira, is close to Sagres in the Algarve, Portugal. Here you find the most western point of Europe. In Carrapateira and surroundings there are many un-spoilt secluded beached that are great to learn or improve your surf. The surf camp in Portugal  is on the beach and they have their own camp side just 1 km away from the beach. We provide transportation.

During the Portugal gap year surfing programme you not only learn to surf you most likely will make friends for life, eat delicious (fish) barbeques and explore the many beaches in the area. Portugal also has great wines and Sagres beer, and most important of all a great social life.

All surfing camps on the gap year surfing programmes list of Xtreme Gap are open to all levels and all nationalities. So over your big breakfast I the morning you will be chatting to some girl or boy living on the other side of the world, and this could become a friend for life! Ho amazing is that. Also, do not be afraid of travelling alone, most of our customers do and with all our programmes people make friends easily.

The owners of Xtreme Gap know what it feels like to ride your first wave, we know how cool and proud it makes you feel, so if you have any questions, please contact us.

Two of the Xtreme Gap members had to go to Portugal to explore the beaches and check on our partner surf school in Carrapateira. I was one of the lucky explorers and since we are Xtreme we went by motorbike from Malaga in Spain to Carrapateira in Portugal. This is just above Sagres where you find the most western point of Europe.

I knew it was going to be a great trip. I had been to Portugal before…But is was much better than I expected!

It was just June but the weather was hot and the beaches not crowded at all! The surf school we work with is located on an amazing beach, just 1 km out of town and we have a great camp site where you can stay. The camping is within 1 km but there is tranport included too. After a day of surfing you can catch a ride back and join one of the delicious BBQ’s with the other surfers. Not bad!

Check here the Surfing Portugal video.

I had surfed before. Once I took lessons in Australia in Noosa and once I tried to stand on my board in Morocco. Both times with little succes. So I was determined to ride a wave this time.

We started at 10 and after a good warming up, very good briefing of a guy with the cutest accent, I was ready to go. And quess what…within 15 minutes I was surfing!!!

What was also great is that we had a break after 1,5 hours and we could chill at the beach club and on the beach, have a picknick and rest up before the afternoon session begun.

This was different. There was suddenly more current and the waves where higher. This was a challenge. My collegue did very well. I was only dreaming of my well deserved portuguese wine and grilled fish… But I did not give up.

After this afternoon training session we could stay out and practice some more, and we did. When I finally had a glass of wine I felt tipsy straight away. Surfing is fun, challenching and a great work out!

Debby

Read all about our new programme online: Learn to surf in Portugal