The history of surfing in Portugal has just changed radically. The first waves with a board were ridden between 1926 and 1927

Portugal enjoys a rich surf history that stretches back to the early 1920s. As opposed to large surfing nations such as Australia, the USA, Brazil, South Africa and even France though, the particulars of Portugal’s surfing heritage are still relatively unknown outside of its own borders. But this doesn’t mean that surfing in Portugal isn’t worth a mention, nor does it imply that the country has never excelled on the world stage.
On the contrary, Portugal boasts some of the best waves in the world and consistently churns out hordes of well-rounded surfers. With decorated individuals such as Pedro Lima, Tiago Pires, Joana Rocha and Nic Von Rupp all making a name for themselves one way or another over the last 50 plus years.
With this in mind, we thought we’d put together a brief history of surfing in Portugal. Complete with all the events and moments that shaped this country’s surfing psyche and made it the wave riding powerhouse it is today.