With over 70% of the earth’s surface comprising of ocean, it’s no surprise that there is an abundance of places to surf all over the globe. All countries with a coastline will usually have places to surf unless they’re in the Mediterranean of course.
In this article we reached out to surfers of all abilities to hear from them firsthand on the best places they have surfed across the world. Without further ado here are their top picks.
Hawaii
Entrepreneur and avid surfer of over 10 years Sally Stevens, says that Hawaii is the best place she has surfed. Having gone to school there for a while she become well acquainted with both the south and north shore of Oahu.
“The south shore of Oahu breaks during the summer and the water is very warm and the rides can be very long. The North Shore of Hawaii is most famous for big wave surfing and not for the faint hearted. The Banzai Pipeline has for decades has been lauded as being one of the most iconic waves in the world”
Nicaragua
For Brain Fomatto, founder of LeaderSurf, his favourite spot is Popoyo in Nicaragua.
“While there are epic surf spots that get all the press, Popoyo in Nicaragua is an amazing surf spot”.
He runs a leadership development program that teaches business executives how to surf as a program component. After searching out the ultimate location for the program, he landed upon the Emerald Coast of Nicaragua due to the variety of surf within a two mile stretch of beach.
“Popoyo is an awesome reef break, Magrock’s Beginners Bay is the best beginner wave I have seen in the Americas and Playa Santana is a classic beach break. All of this variety is within walking distance and in a picturesque setting. A must got surfing destination for surfers of all levels.”
Florianopolis
Giovanni Hashimoto, co-founder of AG Digital, says the best placed he surfed was Florianopolis in Brazil.
“Florianopolis is where I’ve enjoyed surfing the most. It’s a gorgeous island off the coast of southern Brazil with consistent waves for most of the year, making surfing there accessible for less advanced surfers like me.”
He says that it’s also much cleaner than some other places he surfed in Brazil and around the world. It’s also ideal for Americans who are looking for a place to surf and work from as it is only 1 hour ahead of the east coast in the US.
El Salvador
For Mauricio Tevez, founder of Surf and Trips El Salvador, it’s no surprise that his home break take the proverbial cake.
“El Salvador has 320 km of Pacific coastline with many incredible surf breaks providing enough waves to keep everyone happy. It’s uncrowded surf spots offer over 300 days of excellent surfing in warm (sometimes even hot!) water conditions. Add wave consistency and ease in finding an empty wave, and you’ll see El Salvador is a grade-A surf spot.”
El Sunzal is a very popular spot which recently played host to the 2021 International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games. El Sunzal is a soft, rolling, right-hand point-break and its sloping walls are great for longboarding and learning to surf.
According to Mauricio, the wave at El Sunsal is very popular with paddlers and surfers with mixed levels of experience, and the best part is that you can get very long rides. It also has a very big channel with calm water, which is excellent for beginners. Imagine waking up, sipping your morning coffee, then surfing in the same tropical waters where they hosted an international surfing event!
Punta Roca is also known as one of the best, if not the best, waves in Central America. It’s often compared to J-Bay, Noosa, and other standout right-hand, rock-bottom point-breaks. Either way, for advanced surfers, a trip is not complete without at least one visit to this world-class wave. The wave runs for more than a quarter-mile at an even pace with several barrel sections.
Space Coast, Florida
For Mary Eva her favourite place to surf in the world is Florida’s Space Coast.
It is one of America’s premier surfing destinations – known by many as the East Coast surfing capital. Since the 1960s, families from all over the world have been drawn here to learn how to surf, many of whom return again and again to relive the exhilarating experience.
In fact, this shoreline was once the training ground for countless award-winning surfers, including 11-time ASP World Tour Champion Kelly Slater and current Olympian Caroline Marks.
Conclusion
Well there you have it – the best places to surf around the world from avid surfers themselves. We hope that after reading this article you’ve come away with new-found knowledge on the best beaches to surf and that you’ll be inspired to go and travel and surf in all corners of the globe.