Terms of service

Who we are

Best Surf is a booking and marketing agency. We do not operate surf lessons. Every activity is run by the partner surf school named on the zone page. That school holds its own licences and its own insurance and is the operator of the activity. We are the intermediary between you and the school.

PLACEHOLDER: registered company name, address and tax number.

Your contract

Your contract for the lesson is with the school. We are not a party to it. Your contract with us covers the reservation and the deposit only.

How the money works

You pay a reservation deposit of 15 percent of the total to Best Surf. You pay the remaining balance directly to the school on the day. Your total is the same as booking with the school direct. Full detail on how Best Surf works.

Cancellation and refunds

You can cancel free of charge up to 48 hours before your first session. Use the cancellation link in your confirmation email, or email hello@bestsurf.pt with your booking reference.

We refund the deposit to the card you paid with. We start the refund within 3 working days and your bank can take a few more days to show it.

Inside 48 hours the deposit is not refunded, because the school has held the slot for you. Anything owed to the school is a matter between you and the school.

If the school cannot confirm

If the school does not confirm your reservation, we refund your deposit in full and we tell you by email.

If you do not turn up

If you do not arrive and you have not cancelled, the deposit is not refunded. The school may also apply its own terms to the balance.

If the surf conditions stop the session

Instructors call off a session when the sea is not safe. In that case the school offers you another time or another day. If nothing suitable works for you, we refund your deposit in full.

If the school fails to deliver

Contact us at hello@bestsurf.pt with your booking reference. We reply within 2 working days. We take it up with the school, we refund the deposit you paid us when the session did not happen, and we review the school's place in the guide. Any money you paid the school directly is refunded by the school, and we help you chase it. See complaints.

Right of withdrawal

PLACEHOLDER for legal review, do not rely on this paragraph yet. A surf lesson is a leisure service booked for a specific date, a category that is commonly treated as an exception to the 14 day right of withdrawal for distance contracts. The exact position for the deposit we take as intermediary must be confirmed by a lawyer before launch. Our 48 hour free cancellation applies in the meantime.

Commercial disclosure

Listed schools pay Best Surf an annual fee for exclusivity in their zone, and we earn a commission on bookings made here, which is the deposit you pay. Schools are selected on merit first and must meet every requirement on how we choose. Payment alone never buys a listing. Full numbers on how Best Surf works.

Not an official certification

Best Surf is an independent editorial guide, not a governmental or industry body. The "Best Surf Pick" badge means the checks shown on that school's page were carried out by us on the dates shown. It is our opinion, not an accreditation or a guarantee.

Surfing carries risk

Surfing is a physical activity in an uncontrolled environment and carries a risk of injury. Nothing here is a guarantee of safety. Follow your instructor and the lifeguard flags. Bookings for anyone under 18 must be made by an adult.

Accuracy

We work hard to keep prices, class sizes and verification dates correct, but details change. Confirm anything that matters with the school. If you spot a mistake, email hello@bestsurf.pt and we fix it.

Content

Text and images on bestsurf.pt belong to us or are used with permission and may not be reproduced without written permission.

Governing law

These terms are governed by Portuguese law. The courts of Portugal have jurisdiction. If you are a consumer resident in another EU country, you keep the protection of the mandatory consumer rules of the country you live in, and you can also use the dispute resolution routes on our complaints page.