Peniche is one of if not the most important surf region in Portugal and for a lot a people the true Portuguese surf capital. Surfing is known in Peniche since the late 60’s and early 70’s when the first local surfers started the sport in the region in the spots of Molhe Leste and around Baleal area. Before that there are records of foreign traveling surfers that had passed by the region looking for quality surf just by looking at the geography of the peninsula.
Since these early times surfing as grown extraordinarily and it’s nowadays a part of the local scene with a span of activities related to surfing such as surf board manufacturing and repairing, surf shops, surf schools, surf camps and the local surf club which is proudly supported by us.
Baleal Surf Camp was in fact the very first Portuguese surf camp and started next to Cantinho da Baía surf spot pioneering the activity in Peniche. Nowadays there are several surf schools and surf camps operating in the region but also several other from neighboring areas that end up in Peniche’s Peninsula due to the incredible consistency and variety of surfing options something they can’t find at their home base breaks. It’s often to see surf schools from Spain and France that choose the region for some training weeks.
A breakthrough in Portuguese surfing history finally happened in 2009 when the ASP together with Rip Curl, the Tourism Board and Peniche Town Hall brought back to Portugal after a decade or so the World Surfing Championship. The Rip Curl Pro Search was to be an epic event by all counts and a turning point in the region’s and in Portuguese surfing overall.
The event was organized under the idea of total mobility and though the main event site was located in Peniche’s most outstanding surf spot, Supertubos, eventually heats occurred in 3 other surf spots in the region. Molhe Leste, Lagido and Belgas (Pico da Mota) hosted heats and there was an extra nearly epic free two-in surf session behind Baleal cliffs. All of these surf sessions proved again the incredible variety and consistency of Peniche surf region and, coincidence or not, the ASP decided for 2010 to include Peniche in the World Surfing Championship for 2010 and 2011.
The Portuguese Surfing Federation since 2006 has organized the Portuguese Cup of Surfing in Peniche more precisely at Baleal Surf Camp facilities. One again the consistency of the surf but also the unique conditions provided by our infrastructure was important factors to this choice and another unquestionable seal of quality of the Baleal Surf Camp at Peniche, Portugal’s Surf Capital.