Surf Events in Portugal
Portugal's main surf events in 2026–27 are the Alto Pro Am in Ericeira and the Norte Surf Fest Pro in Matosinhos in early September, Gliding Barnacles in Figueira da Foz in late September, the EDP Ericeira Pro in early October, the MEO Rip Curl Pro at Supertubos from 22 October to 1 November, and the on-call Nazaré Big Wave Challenge and Capítulo Perfeito in winter.
Published July 15, 2026 · Updated September 21, 2026
Portugal hosts some of Europe's best surf events, from culture-first festivals to elite WSL competitions, spread from Ericeira to Nazaré. Most run between early September and the end of winter, tracking the autumn and winter swell. Here's the 2026–27 calendar: what each event is, when and where it runs, and, since the contest peak is usually roped off and the town packed, where to surf and rent a board while you're there.
Wave type: Events & culture · Best season: Sep – Oct · Difficulty: All levels
Alto Pro Am: Ericeira (early September)
The Alto Pro Am is a surf contest that doesn't take itself too seriously: a retro, style-over-scores throwback in Ericeira, Portugal's only World Surfing Reserve. Competitors pull a random secondhand board before each heat, and the week spills into film premieres, live music and parties. It runs in early September (1–7 September in 2026). Ericeira's reef and beach breaks are waking up by then; when the contest has Ribeira d'Ilhas busy, Foz do Lizandro and the beaches south of town are the easy fallback.
Norte Surf Fest: Matosinhos (early September)
Just north, in Matosinhos near Porto, the Norte Surf Fest celebrates northern Portugal's surf culture, and its competition (the Norte Surf Fest Pro) is a WSL Qualifying Series QS 6,000 stop open to international competitors (1–6 September in 2026). Matosinhos beach is a 20-minute metro ride from central Porto, which makes this the easiest pro event in the country to go and watch. When the contest owns the main beach, the sandbanks up towards Espinho and the Minho pick up the same swell with far fewer people.
Gliding Barnacles: Figueira da Foz (late September)
Gliding Barnacles is the charming outlier: a longboard, art, music and food festival at Praia do Cabedelo in Figueira da Foz (23–27 September in 2026). It celebrates surfing as expression rather than competition: single fins, cross-steps and a slow, creative atmosphere. Cabedelo is one of Europe's longest right-handers when it lines up, and Buarcos next door is a gentle longboard-friendly bay, so bring or rent something with length.
EDP Ericeira Pro: Ericeira (early October)
A step up from the QS events earlier in the month: the Ericeira stop of the WSL Challenger Series (the tier that feeds surfers onto the Championship Tour) runs in early October (6–12 October in 2026). The sponsor title shifts year to year (recently EDP Vissla Pro, then EDP Ericeira Pro), so search the WSL calendar for ‘Ericeira Challenger Series’ to be sure. It's usually held at Ribeira d'Ilhas, Ericeira's most consistent wall. When the contest has the reef busy, Foz do Lizandro and the beaches south of town stay open, and boards rent locally near the village.
MEO Rip Curl Pro: Peniche / Supertubos (late October)
The big one. The MEO Rip Curl Pro is a WSL Championship Tour event: the world's best surfers at Supertubos, Peniche's heaving barrel. Despite what you'll sometimes read, it runs in late October, not September (22 October–1 November in 2026). During the waiting period Supertubos itself is a competition zone, closed to the public, and Peniche books out. But Baleal on the north side, Cantinho da Baía and Molho Leste stay open, and Peniche has more rental boards on Marola than anywhere else in the country, so surfing around the contest is easy.
TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge: Nazaré (winter, on call)
Portugal's most famous wave gets its own event, but it has no fixed date. The TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge holds an open waiting period through the winter (roughly November to the end of March) and is called on only when a giant North Atlantic swell lines up with the right winds, sometimes with a day or two's notice. It's a tow and paddle big-wave event at Praia do Norte, the wave that produced the largest ever ridden. You won't be surfing that, and nobody rents a board for it. But Nazaré is a normal, friendly beach town the rest of the time, with fun peaks at the sheltered town beach. Come to watch the giants, and you can still surf and rent nearby.
Capítulo Perfeito: Carcavelos (winter, on call)
A cult Portuguese event with the simplest premise in surfing: wait all winter for the single best barrel day at Carcavelos, near Lisbon, then run it on a few days' notice. Capítulo Perfeito (‘Perfect Chapter’) is an invitational tube-riding and air showcase, not a WSL contest, and it pulls a big local crowd whenever it's called, usually somewhere between November and March. Carcavelos is a 25-minute train from central Lisbon, so it's an easy one to catch. On a normal day it's the city's most popular beach break, and boards rent nearby.
How to surf around the contests
A contest is the one time a great wave goes off-limits: the main peak is roped into a competition area, and the town fills with spectators and travelling surfers. Treat the event as a signal, not an obstacle: the swell that drew the contest is hitting every nearby break too. Rent a board locally instead of flying your own into the crowd, keep it flexible, and surf the alternative peaks: Foz do Lizandro instead of Ribeira d'Ilhas, Baleal instead of Supertubos, Espinho instead of Matosinhos. Same autumn swell, a fraction of the line-up.
Frequently asked questions
When is the MEO Rip Curl Pro 2026?
Late October: 22 October to 1 November 2026, at Supertubos in Peniche. It's a WSL Championship Tour event run on a waiting period, so the exact competition days depend on the swell. Confirm on the World Surf League site before travelling.
What surf events happen in Portugal in September 2026?
Three: the Alto Pro Am in Ericeira and the Norte Surf Fest Pro in Matosinhos both run in the first week of September, and Gliding Barnacles, a longboard and arts festival, is at Figueira da Foz from 23–27 September. The MEO Rip Curl Pro is later, in late October.
Can you surf Nazaré?
Yes, just not Praia do Norte on a giant day. Most of the year the sheltered town beach has friendly, surfable peaks well within reach of everyday surfers, and boards rent locally. The 25-metre monsters at Praia do Norte are a tow and big-wave arena for a handful of days each winter, not somewhere you paddle out on a rental.
Can I surf during a WSL contest?
Not the contest peak itself: it's roped off as a competition area during the waiting period. But every nearby break is open and catching the same swell. Renting a board locally lets you surf the alternatives, like Baleal during the Rip Curl Pro at Supertubos.
Where can I rent a surfboard for these events?
From surf shops near each spot, from about €15 a day, and Marola books the partner shops that have boards listed. Renting locally beats flying a board into a packed event, and lets you switch boards as the forecast changes.