Best surfing experience so far We surfed for 6 days (NYE 2022/23) with Pedro, on which he always made sure we had the best conditions for our levels (intermediate and beginner). Due to windy weather, we even went as far as Peniche to catch waves, but the school can go to a wide range of beaches around Santa Cruz normally -- including Praia Azul, where you can basically stare all day at the waves rolling in or jump down to the beach if you stay at the hotel there. During low season, the area is a good option if you don't like crowds. Santa Cruz is a beautiful town and Praia Azul is nice and quiet. Pedro is a local and has surfed and coached all over the world; ask him for food recommendations and wave stories :) The teaching was very attentive and we were able to work on our technique without being overloaded with too much details at once, so we could focus on improving our individual skills. I liked the long lessons split up into 2 sessions, it really felt like I could maximize my surf each day and have fun as well as improve. As a cherry on top, we rented a surfskate from the school for some amazing sunset riding next to the beach. After having been to surf schools on 10 one-/two-week surf vacations (on the Algarve, Fuerteventura, and Madeira), I can safely say this one was my favorite so far. We had space for ourselves in the water, vibes were super friendly, the school staff are nice and helpful, we analysed some videos together, and the teaching quality was refreshingly above average. On top of my list for my next surf trip.

The surf lessons from Pedro and his team are simply brilliant. One of his priorities is safety and it comes through in the lessons and when you hit the sea (protect your head and know the sea)! Safety aside, the instructions on the beach are short and simple so that you can experience the waves for as much as possible and unlike other surf schools they help you get the perfect break to give you a good chance of riding a wave. I went for a 3 day lesson and I wish I had time for more as I was progressing well with each day! I would highly recommend Pedro's surf school for lessons.

I enjoyed 2 great days of surfing with Pedro and his crew. Communication was super easy - for the booking and also for time changes of surf lessons that may vary form day to day depending on the tides and where the best waves are. They just really care, that one has a great experience and I as a total beginner had super introduction to surfing. Would definitly go there again.

Nice school, nice locations.... Pedro does not hesitate to drive miles and miles in order to find you the best surfable spot... He will suggest the most indicated board and spot for each lesson in which he works different aspects of your surfing. He will check your surfing and adapt to your needs. He will plan each lesson so that you achieve better technique. Highly recommended. I'll be back soon!

Highly recommended!! Doesn't matter if you are on a surfboard for the first time ever or if you are more experienced and want to improve your skills, this is definitely the surfschool you want to go. Both Pedro's are dedicated and teach with a personal approach and in a relaxed way. They keep the groups small so there is always attention for everyone. The prices are really good too and they are flexible with changing the lesson package you choose . We took 4 days of classes, the first day we only took 1 class and we liked it so much that we bumped it up to 2 classes a day from the second day onward. If you're in the area, you should definitely go here :)

What an amazing surf school! Thanks for a great experience, Pedro was amazing and so attentive to everything, it felt that all the teaching was personalized and so on point. If you are looking for a best teacher in the area, look no more, totally recommend !! PS. The are area is amazing, beautiful location to surf!

Super! The lessons were so easy to organise, all surf instructors extremely helpful and friendly, would definitely come again and recommend :)) We learnt a lot! And not to forget: had lots of fun!! Such a pity we couldn’t stay longer… See you next time! Plus I have to add: the waves were doing their own thing the one day, so we spontaneously went to a different beach where the waves were more to our liking, thanks a lot for that :))

Stayed in the Surf Villa for a week with my sister it was an amazing experience. The staff and the instructors made the whole experience. The surf instructors are extremely patient and helpful. Their encouragement and feedback throughout each lesson really helped in my progression. The staff (shout out to Steph and Marta) were also so so kind and professional.

I love it! Great people and instructors! The accommodation was very nice and cousy and I really recommend because have a nice views in Santa Cruz! I will come back for more surf holidays :) Thank you Atlantic Coast Surf School!

Surf lessons with Pedro were great, he was professional, patient and gave me a lot of tips. The theory lesson and the video review were also super helpful to correct mistakes and understand the environmental influence. Surfing at Atlantic surf school is just fun!

My children and I had an amazing week learning how to surf with the Atlantic Coast team. We learnt at a couple of different beaches to experience different waves and currents. The lessons were tailored to us as complete beginners and we were supported along the way as we each progressed at our own rate. The instructors were patient, attentive and supportive. We had so much fun this week and really loved the non-prententious, inclusive setting, which comprised families and individuals of varying ages and backgrounds. The setting was stunning-we stayed at the wild and unspoilt Praia Azul, the perfect place to escape from the world and focus on learning how to surf. The most important thing I learnt was to let go of my ego and not care if I felt silly or rode in yet again on my knees or my tummy. I found my total focus was on trying to assess when a good wave was coming and then quickly put into place all the practical skills we'd learnt on land. We had a few days when the sea was very rough and powerful after a storm, so had a very useful theory lesson one of the days. Thanks so much to Pedro and the team-we are definitely hooked!

Thank you for our best days in Portugal. We enjoyed and learned new things every day. Every instructor was amazing and friendly. I recommend it to everyone who wants to improve in surfing and have a lot of fun. We are looking forward to see you again.

We had a great experience learning to surf at Praia azul! Nice beach, not too crowded, surfable waves for all ages/levels. We learned a lot in the 3 days we had classes. Both Pedro sr and Pedro jr had great tips and were good at explaining techniques in English. Would definitely recommend!!

We enjoyed the surf lessons from Pedro and João a lot. Always relaxed and fun. They are really very good and professional surfing teachers. Very nice crew as well.

I had a pleasure of attending an intense 5-day surfing course (5*2 lessons) at the Atlantic Coast Surf School. It was a lot of fun, I was enjoying it very much. All the instructors were super helpful and friendly and paid a lot of attention to my surfing and always gave very good tips and advice . I can highly recommend this school and will come again next time when I am in Portugal .

João did an amazing job of keeping us safe, helping us progress, and keeping things FUN!!!! Praia Azul is beautiful, to boot. Would highly recommend this surf school.