How we choose the schools
Best Surf lists exactly one surf school per surf zone in Portugal. This page explains who we are, what a school has to prove, how we check it, and how we make money. If any of it looks unconvincing, ignore our recommendation.
Who we are
Two Portuguese surfers. Between us we have surfed the whole coast, from the north down through the west and around into the Algarve, in every season it throws at you.
PLACEHOLDER Name One
Surfer, Portugal
PLACEHOLDER: a short paragraph in his own words, where he grew up surfing, how many years in the water, which zones he knows best, and what he does when he is not checking surf schools.
PLACEHOLDER Name Two
Surfer · surf marketing
PLACEHOLDER: a short paragraph in her own words. Include the surf marketing work openly, it is why we know this industry from the inside.
One of us works professionally in surf marketing in Portugal. That is a real conflict of interest and we spell it out on how Best Surf works.
What this is, and what it is not
This is our personal shortlist, built on local knowledge and first-hand experience in the water. That is the whole product.
It is not an official certification. It is not a government or federation endorsement.
It is also not a review aggregator. If you want crowd-sourced ratings, Google Maps already does that well and we are not going to do it worse. What we offer is different: two locals telling you where we would send our own family.
The hard requirements
Every school must meet all of these. No exceptions, however much we like the people.
Registered business with valid tax registration
A real, legally registered company in Portugal with current tax registration. We check the number.
Valid public liability insurance
We ask for the policy document and check it is in date and actually covers surf instruction.
Recognised coaching certification
Every instructor teaching lessons holds an in-date, recognised surf coaching qualification. We look at certificates, not website copy.
Certified first aid or lifesaving on the beach
Someone with current first-aid or lifesaving certification is present at every session, in the water or on the sand.
Valid licence to operate on the beach
Permission to run lessons on the beaches they use. No licence, no listing, however good the surfing is.
At least 50 Google reviews at 4.6 or above
Enough reviews to mean something, and a rating that holds up. We read them, not just the average.
At least 3 years in operation
Schools that have been through a few winters. Summer vans with twenty soft-tops and one instructor are not listed.
Maximum 8 beginners per instructor
A hard cap. Crowded beginner groups are the single biggest predictor of a bad, unsafe first surf.
What we judge on
Once several schools in a zone clear the bar, the choice comes down to judgement. This part is our opinion, and we say so.
- Teaching method, and how well beginners actually progress in a session
- Safety judgement do they call it off when the conditions are wrong
- Facilities: changing rooms, showers, gear that is not falling apart
- Languages spoken by the people actually teaching
- How they treat kids and nervous first-timers
- How fast, and how well, they answer an enquiry
We write our reasoning out on each zone page so you can disagree with the argument, not just the conclusion.
How we verify
- Desk research on the business, its licence and how long it has traded.
- Reading the reviews properly patterns and complaints, not the star average.
- Asking for and checking documents: insurance, licence, instructor certificates.
- Sending anonymous enquiries as ordinary tourists, to measure how fast and how well they really answer.
- Where we can, surfing with them or visiting in person.
Each zone page shows the date we last checked that school, item by item. If a date looks old to you, it probably looks old to us too. Email and we will re-check.
Grounds for removal
- Insurance or operating licence lapses.
- Google rating falls below our threshold.
- An upheld safety complaint.
- Repeatedly failing to answer bookings sent from this site.
Removal happens regardless of the fee, and the fee is not refunded for the rest of the year.
Talk to us
Challenge a choice, tell us a zone is wrong, or report a problem with a listed school. We read everything and we act on it, and that is the only reason this page is worth anything.
hello@bestsurf.ptBest Surf is a personal selection, not an official certification. Partner schools pay to be listed, and we earn a commission on bookings made here. How Best Surf works