The World's Ten Best Surfing Countries

From Portugal to Indonesia, the world's ten best surfing countries.

10) Portugal, including the Azores and Madeira archipelagos

With a long and convoluted coastline on the Atlantic ocean, plenty of winter swell and one of the most adventurous histories of maritime exploration of any nation in the world, Portugal is a natural as a surfing country of significance.

While most of the attention in recent years has been on the massive winter waves at Praia do Norte in the fishing village of Nazaré, where the new world record for the biggest wave ever ridden was set at 86 feet (26 metres) by Sebastian Steudtner in 2020, Portugal has many other spots for surfers, ranging from urban beaches like Carcavelos near Lisbon to high quality right point waves in the Ericeira area.