Surfing Life Club surf camp

Matosinhos beach is the long, sandy town beach just north of Porto, and it’s where many children in the city learn to surf. Surfing Life Club traces its history to 1994, when its founder João Diogo opened what the club calls Porto’s first surf school, on Aterro beach nearby. The school moved to a permanent home on Matosinhos beach in 2004 and opened its current beachfront base in 2009, with freshwater showers, changing rooms, a classroom for theory sessions and space for video coaching. João Diogo is president of the Portuguese Surf Schools Association.

The club says Matosinhos suits beginners because the gentlest waves are at one end of the beach, and the waves break about 50 metres from the shore, giving learners room to find their balance.

Each camp day has two surf lessons in small groups, with beach games in between and a rotating list of extras: bodyboarding, stand-up paddleboarding, skateboarding, yoga, Australian relays and outdoor team games. All the kit is provided, from soft foam boards for beginners to harder boards for children who already stand up, plus wetsuits.

At the end of each week the club holds a mini championship, with individual and team prizes handed out at a closing ceremony. Beginners and children who already surf are both welcome, and the school says it groups them so everyone feels safe.

This is a drop-off camp. The school’s FAQ says you don’t need to stay: a legal guardian registers the child and handles drop-off and pick-up, and certified instructors supervise the rest of the day.

Full days run from 09:00 to 18:00. Half days run from 09:00 to 13:00 or from 14:00 to 18:00. If your working day is longer, supervised early drop-off and late pick-up cost €5 per 30 minutes. You don’t have to book a whole week; single days and half days are available, which helps visiting families or parents who only need cover on certain days.

The 2026 camps ran weekly from 8 June to 11 September. When checked in September 2026:

• a full week with lunch cost €250, or €205 without lunch
• mornings or afternoons only cost €130 a week
• a full day cost €65 with lunch or €60 without
• a half day cost €55 with lunch or €45 without

Booking early brought discounts on weeks: 20% by 30 April, 15% by 30 May and 10% by 10 June. Groups of three or more got 10% off, and extra weeks 5% off. The discounts apply only to week-long bookings and can’t be combined.

Lunch comes from the club’s partner, XOXO Restaurant, which cooks balanced meals with vegetarian options. Choose a no-lunch option and you pack your own.

The school describes the camp as open to school-age children and teens but doesn’t publish a minimum age, so ask before booking a younger child. It also doesn’t say whether children must be able to swim for the camp. For its school programme, Surf Educa, it states plainly that the sea can be too much for non-swimmers, so ask about your child’s swimming before you book.

Check the water quality too. The Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) classed Matosinhos beach water as poor (Má) based on earlier results, and it’s missing from the 2026 Blue Flag list, although most of the council’s other beaches have one. Its checks during the 2026 season, most recently on 4 September, found it fit for swimming, but swimming was advised against at times in 2025 and 2026; our Praia de Matosinhos page has the detail. Lifeguards covered the beach from 13 June to 13 September in 2026.

The Atlantic here is cold even in August, and a whole day in sun and wind is tiring. Pack sun cream, a hat and warm clothes for afterwards.

Outside camp weeks the club runs surf birthday parties on Matosinhos beach for groups of 6 to 30, each with a 30-minute snack break. When checked, a 90-minute surf lesson cost €20 a head for 6 to 14 children (€16 for 14 to 30); a 2.5-hour lesson with beach games cost €22 (or €19); and a surf and skate party at the nearby skate plaza cost €24 (or €22). The birthday child surfs free.

Group surf lessons cost €30, private lessons €65, and packs of three or five lessons €80 or €100. Surfskate classes, which practise surf moves on land, run daily at 10:00, 11:30, 15:30 and 18:30 for €20. The school doesn’t give age limits for these on its lessons page, so ask before booking for a child.

Surf Special is the club’s adapted programme for young people and adults with autism or intellectual disabilities, run with partner associations. It starts in a pool before moving to the sea, with therapy staff alongside the surf coaches.

Another Matosinhos school, Onda Pura, runs holiday camps for ages 8 to 18, full time from 08:30 to 18:00 with lunch included, or half days, adding kayaks, sailing and climbing.

For a calmer swim, the Piscina das Marés saltwater pools in Leça da Palmeira, one of them for children only, open in the bathing season. SEA LIFE Porto is an aquarium on the seafront at Castelo do Queijo, and Jumpyard Matosinhos in Perafita has trampolines and climbing walls for a wet day.

Do I have to stay with my child at the camp?

No. A guardian registers the child and handles drop-off and pick-up; certified instructors supervise the camp.

Can I book just one day?

Yes. Day passes cost from €45 (half day, no lunch) to €65 (full day with lunch) in 2026.

What time does the camp start and finish?

09:00 to 18:00 for full days, or 09:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:00 for half days. Extra supervised time costs €5 per 30 minutes.

Is lunch included?

Only if you choose a lunch option. Meals come from a partner restaurant and include vegetarian choices.

What age is the camp for?

School-age children and teens. The school doesn’t publish a minimum age, so ask.