8-Day Yoga and Surf Retreat in Ericeira, Portugal

Dive into the ocean and leave your worries behind. This retreat will provide you with an active holiday that nourishes your body, mind, and soul and gives you a solid foundation for further practice of yoga and surfing. Enjoy your stay in the homely guesthouse, start your day with the tasty, homemade vegetarian breakfast buffet and make an amazing yoga and surf experience.

The benefits that yoga can have on surfing are far-reaching, whether it's through strength, balance, flexibility, or breathing techniques. On a physical level, yoga provides important pre-board stretches and allows the body to recover faster from the surf sessions. Joints become warmer and are opened, helping you to improve your flexibility, stability, and energy. Learning how to breathe and clear your mind will help you to stay calm and relaxed and to tighten your focus, catching your best wave ever.

Yogis can also get benefit from surfing. Surfing is feeling one with nature, feeling, and breathing with the ocean, connecting in deep respect to ride your wave in harmony. You may experience a new level of focus and intensity through surfing - there`s no reason to not give it a try.

The yoga classes

Depending on your arrival day, you will be able to enjoy a max of 12 yoga classes per week:

Yoga is for everyone, you do not need to be an aficionado, nor to be in top form. Each class includes the practice of pranayama (breathing exercises), asanas (seat, posture), and savasana (relaxation at the end of the class).

The morning classes will be the Vinyasa flow, a gentle practise of Hatha yoga which focuses on the synchronization of the breath (prana) with the postures (asanas). It is a dance of the asanas always in connection with breathing to calm the mind. Let the breath be your guide to liberate your mind and increase your inner peace, harmony, love, and joy. Practising yoga will help to harmonize the nervous system, increase the sense of balance of body and mind, and strengthen the lymphatic system.

Traditionally, the evening classes are more soft, slow, restorative or yin yogis to integrate the day and prepare for a great rest for the night. Let yourself emerge into the flow of your yoga practice. Enjoy breathing, and relax deeply your body, muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and also your mind. Let yourself lead your own breath through a class full of regeneration, recreation, and calm.

Surfing lessons will take place from Monday to Friday (approximately 10 hours of surfing lessons/week). Wetsuit, board, transport, and insurance are included.

The partner's team consists of qualified teachers who are local surfers who perfectly know and master all the technical aspects of the sport. They know the region inside out and will be happy to share our knowledge and teach you how to read, surf, and enjoy the ocean at its best. How to surf safely and how to feel confident in different surfing conditions.

Our partner provides surf classes for different levels in separate groups. The surf courses are specifically designed for your level of surfing, combining theory and practice in the most effective way. As a complete beginner, you will learn how to surf with us from the start. Well-experienced surfers will get the chance to perfect their surfing techniques. Take your surfing to a higher level.

Please note that surfing is entirely dependent on the weather and sea conditions. Omassim will try their best to guarantee the hours of surfing experience. When the conditions do not allow us to surf at Ericeira beaches and we need to go further north or south we ask for a small donation (approximately 5 EUR / person) to support the extra costs of transportation.

Miguel Fortes and Michel Amaro are the founders of Ericeira Surf School, 2 professional surfers from Ericeira, providing surf lessons for beginners, intermediate and advanced levels. Guided by their passion and knowledge as coaches and as international judges (Michel) of surf competitions for more than 20 years, they train their certified instructors to give the most professional and efficient hands-on lessons with a “safety first approach”, and fun in the water. According to your surfing level and the conditions of the ocean, you will join different groups once on the surf spot.

Surf lessons are with small groups with a maximum of 6 people (beginners group) per certified well experienced instructor with personalized feedback and hands-on support. Beginner lessons are held in a safe area the inside where you will be able to practice all the surfing basic techniques while enjoying the first rides on a wave. Intermediate level (maximum 4 people in the group) per surf instructor, will paddle to the line up (if conditions allow), catch green waves, learn how to perform the first manoeuvres and get comfortable among the other surfers. Most of the lessons will take place in Ribeira d´Ilhas, one of the most famous regular, consistent and forgiving waves in Europe.

Surfing lesson

Surfing lessons for you with the local surf schools run by professional surfers can be arranged. Whether it's your first time or you are an experienced surfer looking for some tips, a lesson at any level can be arranged. The surfing lesson will be given by local professional Ericeira Surf School. The price including surf gear, transport, and insurance is 40 EUR for approximately two hours of surf course, 170 EUR for approximately 10 hours of surfing on five days, intensive surf course for 300 EUR for approximately 20-25 hours.

Other activities

Other available options

You will also enjoy many other activities in the surrounding area. The nature reserve is ideal for walking or mountain biking. The trails take you between beaches, along the cliff tops and past famous surf spots. Also, if you just want to lie on a nearby beach or stretch your legs, breathe the fresh Atlantic air, watch the local surf and be surrounded by the stunning flora and fauna of Western Portugal, Omassim Guesthouse is the place to be.