Surfing Matosinhos

Matosinhos is Porto's city beach, at the end of the metro line, and the place most people in Porto learn to surf. The long breakwater of Leixões harbour shelters the north end, so the waves there stay small and soft when the open beaches nearby are too big.

The surf schools teach at the north end, next to the breakwater. Further south the waves get bigger and the sandbanks have more shape, and that's where the local intermediates surf. It's best on a clean groundswell with light wind at lower tides, and onshore wind ruins it quickly. The water is cold all year. Easy to combine with a few days in Porto.