Surf Road Trip: Portugal to Morocco Route

Updated for 2026 — Accurate as of February 2026.

The stretch of Atlantic coastline from Lisbon to Agadir is, by any reasonable measure, the best surf road trip in the world. In 2,500 kilometers of driving, you pass through three countries (Portugal, Spain, and Morocco), cross two continents, and surf waves that range from mellow beach breaks perfect for beginners to thundering reef slabs that will test the best surfers alive. The water temperature shifts from cold to warm, the culture shifts from European to African, the cost of living drops dramatically, and the quality of the waves only gets better.

I drove this route in a rented Renault Kangoo in October 2024, spending five weeks between Ericeira and Taghazout with stops everywhere that caught my eye. I surfed 38 of those 35 days (yes, some days I surfed twice), ate $3 tagines and $15 seafood platters, slept in campervans and riads and one memorable night on a beach in southern Morocco because I could not be bothered to drive another kilometer. It was the best trip of my life, and this guide is everything I learned.

The Route Overview

Segment	Distance	Driving Time	Days Recommended
Lisbon to Ericeira	50 km	45 min	3-5 days
Ericeira to Peniche	80 km	1 hour	3-5 days
Peniche to Nazare	30 km	30 min	1-2 days
Nazare to Figueira da Foz	100 km	1.5 hours	1-2 days
Figueira da Foz to Porto	180 km	2 hours	2-3 days
Porto to Tarifa (via Spain)	1,050 km	10 hours	1-2 days driving
Tarifa to Tangier (ferry)	14 km sea crossing	35 min	Same day
Tangier to Taghazout	800 km	9 hours	2-3 days with stops
Taghazout to Imsouane	80 km	1.5 hours	3-5 days
Imsouane to Agadir	90 km	1.5 hours	2-3 days
Total	~2,500 km	~28 hours driving	21-35 days

Portugal: The Warm-Up

Ericeira

Ericeira is a World Surfing Reserve, one of only a few in the world, and for good reason. Within a 4-kilometer stretch of coastline, you have at least eight quality breaks covering every skill level from beginner beach break to expert-only reef.

Key spots:

• Ribeira d’Ilhas: The main event. A right-hand point break that works from waist-high to double overhead. Long, clean walls perfect for frontside turns. Gets crowded but the wave is long enough to share.
• Coxos: Portugal’s best wave and one of Europe’s best rights. A fast, hollow right-hander that breaks over a rocky reef. Not for beginners. Localism can be intense.
• Foz do Lizandro: Beach break perfect for beginners and intermediates. Wide, sandy beach with consistent waves and multiple peaks.
• Sao Lourenco: A powerful beach break that produces hollow waves when a solid swell hits. Can be excellent but also punishing.

Where to stay: Ericeira town has hostels from $20 per night and surf houses from $35 per night including breakfast. Camping at Parque de Campismo da Ericeira is $12 per night for a campervan pitch.

Food: Ericeira’s restaurants serve some of the best and most affordable seafood in Europe. A grilled sea bass with potatoes and salad costs $12 to $15. The pasteis de nata (custard tarts) from the bakeries are mandatory.

Peniche and Supertubos

Peniche is a fishing town on a peninsula that creates an astonishing variety of wave types within walking distance of each other. The exposed western beaches catch every swell, while the sheltered bays on the eastern side work when everywhere else is too big.

Key spots:

• Supertubos: The name says it. A hollow, barreling beach break that hosts WSL Championship Tour events. Fast, powerful, and unforgiving. Intermediate-advanced.
• Baleal: A long stretch of beach breaks on the north side of the Peniche peninsula. Multiple peaks, good for all levels. Less crowded than Supertubos.
• Consolacao: A reef break south of Peniche that produces long, workable walls. Best at mid-tide with a south swell. A hidden gem that rarely gets crowded.

Practical tip: Peniche works best as a hub for 3 to 5 days. The camping at Peniche Praia Camping is $14 per night and walking distance from Supertubos. The waves are consistent enough that flat days are rare.

Nazare: The Big Wave Spectacle

Nazare is not a surf trip destination in the traditional sense. The big wave break at Praia do Norte, where the undersea Nazare Canyon focuses Atlantic swells into 20 to 30-meter monsters, is for a handful of professional big wave surfers with jet ski support and death wishes. But watching from the cliff at Sitio is free, extraordinary, and should be on every surfer’s bucket list. The big wave season runs from October to March.

For actual surfing, the south beach (Praia do Sul) and the main beach offer fun, if sometimes powerful, beach break waves accessible to intermediate surfers.

Photo credit on Pexels

The Spain Transit

The drive from Porto through Spain to Tarifa is the least interesting part of the trip in terms of surfing (though the Basque Country and Andalusian coast have excellent waves if you have time for detours). Most road trippers cover this in one or two long driving days, overnighting in a campsite or cheap hotel along the way.

Tarifa: The windiest city in Europe and the kitesurfing capital of the continent. If you kitesurf as well as surf, Tarifa deserves 2 to 3 days. Even if you do not, the old town is charming, the food is excellent, and watching Africa across the Strait of Gibraltar from the castle walls is a genuinely moving experience.

The Ferry Crossing

The crossing from Tarifa to Tangier takes 35 minutes by fast ferry (FRS and Inter Shipping operate multiple daily crossings). Book online in advance during peak season (June to September) or buy at the port for off-peak travel. Cost: $40 to $60 per person plus $80 to $120 for a vehicle.

Border procedures: European passport holders process quickly. Expect 1 to 2 hours total for the vehicle ferry process including check-in, customs, and disembarkation. Have your vehicle registration, insurance (you need Moroccan insurance, available at the port for $30 to $50 for 10 days), and passport ready.

Driving in Morocco: Moroccan roads are generally good on the main highways (A1 to A3 autoroute from Tangier south). Driving culture is more aggressive than Europe: expect overtaking on blind corners, livestock on the road, and creative interpretation of traffic signals. Drive defensively and never drive at night outside cities.

Morocco: The Main Event

Tangier to Essaouira (The Coastal Route)

Many surfers rush south toward Taghazout, but the coast between Tangier and Essaouira hides excellent, uncrowded waves. Key stops:

Sidi Kaouki: A windswept beach 25 kilometers south of Essaouira with consistent waves and a growing surf community. The beach break is forgiving and fun, and the village has budget accommodation from $15 per night.

Essaouira: A beautiful walled medina on the coast with consistent wind and waves. The main beach is better for wind sports than surfing, but nearby spots like Moulay Bouzerktoun (20 minutes north) offer excellent waves. Essaouira deserves 2 to 3 days for the food, culture, and atmosphere even if the surf is not firing.

Taghazout: Surf Central

Taghazout is the surfing heart of Morocco. This small fishing village north of Agadir has been a surf destination since the 1960s, and its collection of world-class waves within walking and short-driving distance is extraordinary.

Key spots:

Spot	Type	Level	Best Tide	Best Swell
Anchor Point	Right point break	Advanced	Low-Mid	NW 5-8ft
Hash Point	Right point break	Intermediate-Advanced	All tides	NW 3-6ft
Panoramas	Right point break	Intermediate	Mid-High	NW 3-5ft
Killer Point	Right point break	Advanced	Low-Mid	NW 6-10ft
Banana Beach	Beach break	Beginner-Intermediate	Mid	All swells
Devils Rock	Reef break	Expert	Low	Large NW

Anchor Point is the jewel. A long, fast right-hand point break that on its day produces 200+ meter rides through multiple sections. I surfed it on a head-high northwest swell with light offshore winds and the waves were as good as anything I have surfed in Indonesia. The lineup can be crowded and competitive, but if you surf with respect and wait your turn, waves come.

Where to stay in Taghazout: The village has exploded with accommodation options. Budget surf hostels from $15 per night, mid-range surf apartments from $30 per night, and luxury surf villas with pools from $80 per night. Surf camps including coaching, accommodation, and meals run $300 to $600 per week.

Food: Tagine for $3 to $5 at local restaurants. Fresh grilled fish at the harbor for $5 to $8. Moroccan mint tea everywhere, always. The value for money in Morocco is extraordinary compared to European prices.

Imsouane: The Longest Wave in Africa

Imsouane is a small fishing village 80 kilometers north of Agadir with two waves that together cover every skill level:

The Bay: A long, soft right-hander that breaks into a sheltered bay. Rides of 300+ meters are possible on solid swells. This is the longest rideable wave in Africa and possibly the longest right-hand point break in the world. It is perfect for longboarders, intermediates, and anyone who wants to practice turns on endlessly long walls.

The Cathedral: A fast, powerful left-hand reef break that works on big swells. Expert only. When The Bay is 3-4 feet, The Cathedral can be 8-10 feet with heavy barrels.

The vibe: Imsouane is what Taghazout was 15 years ago: quiet, authentic, and centered around fishing and surfing. Development is coming fast, so visit sooner rather than later. Budget accommodation from $10 per night.

Budget Breakdown

Portugal (Per Day, Per Person)

Expense	Budget	Mid-Range
Accommodation	$12-25 (camping/hostel)	$40-80 (guesthouse)
Food	$15-25	$30-50
Fuel	$10-15	$10-15
Surf (gear rental if needed)	$0-20	$0-20
Daily Total	$37-85	$80-165

Morocco (Per Day, Per Person)

Expense	Budget	Mid-Range
Accommodation	$8-15 (hostel/basic)	$25-50 (riad/apartment)
Food	$8-15	$15-30
Fuel	$8-12	$8-12
Surf	$0-10	$0-10
Daily Total	$24-52	$48-102

Total Trip Cost (4 Weeks, Per Person)

Style	Portugal (2 weeks)	Morocco (2 weeks)	Ferry + Misc	Total
Budget	$520-1,190	$336-728	$200	$1,056-$2,118
Mid-Range	$1,120-2,310	$672-1,428	$300	$2,092-$4,038

Practical Tips

Board logistics: If flying into Lisbon, bring your own board. TAP Portugal charges $55 each way for surfboards. If renting, Ericeira and Peniche have excellent board rental shops ($15 to $25 per day). In Morocco, Taghazout surf shops rent boards for $8 to $15 per day.

Wetsuit guide:

• Portugal (October-March): 4/3mm
• Portugal (April-September): 3/2mm, sometimes boardshorts in August
• Morocco (October-March): 3/2mm
• Morocco (April-September): 2mm spring suit or boardshorts

Safety: Portuguese beaches have excellent lifeguard coverage during summer. Moroccan beaches generally do not. Know your limits, surf with others, and be aware of rip currents, especially at exposed beach breaks.

Respect: At Coxos, Anchor Point, and other premium spots, respect the locals. Sit wide for the first 20 minutes and watch. Do not paddle straight to the peak. Do not drop in. These waves are someone’s home break.

Cultural Tips for Morocco

Morocco is a Muslim-majority country, and while the surf towns are liberal by Moroccan standards, cultural sensitivity matters. Cover your shoulders and knees when visiting mosques or walking through traditional villages away from the beach. During Ramadan (dates shift annually), be respectful of those fasting by avoiding eating, drinking, or smoking in public during daylight hours. Learning basic French phrases (widely spoken in Morocco alongside Arabic and Berber) goes a long way.

Moroccan hospitality is legendary. Accept invitations for mint tea, which is offered as a gesture of welcome. Haggling is expected and enjoyed in the souks, but not appropriate in restaurants or for fixed-price services. Tipping is customary: round up restaurant bills and tip guides and drivers 10 to 15 percent.

The surf culture in Taghazout and Imsouane is a blend of Moroccan and international influences. Local surfers are skilled and welcoming, and many speak English, French, and Arabic. Surf shops and hostels are often run by locals who grew up surfing these waves and can provide the best insider knowledge on conditions and secret spots.

You Might Also Like

• Best Surf Towns
• Kitesurfing on a Budget: Best Wind Destinations
• Adventure Van Life: First Road Trip