Carrapateira

Carrapateira is a tiny inland village on the wild Costa Vicentina, best known for the two spectacular surf beaches on either side of it: Praia da Bordeira to the north and Praia do Amado to the south. Together they form one of the best-loved surf destinations on Portugal's untamed south-west coast.

The beaches are open Atlantic beach breaks set among dunes and dark cliffs, with peaks scattered along the sandbars and both lefts and rights. Amado is a magnet for surf schools and intermediate surfers thanks to its consistent, well-shaped peaks, while Bordeira's vast expanse of sand offers more space and variety. On solid swells the outer banks turn fast and powerful, rewarding stronger surfers.

North-west groundswell from autumn into spring gives the most reliable conditions, and mornings before the summer nortada wind can be clean and glassy. The exposure means the coast picks up plenty of size, so beginners are best off on smaller days.

The village itself is small and rustic, with a couple of cafes, guesthouses and a modest sea museum, set inside the protected Vicentine coast park. Dirt and paved roads lead down to the beach car parks, and the unspoilt dunes and headlands are much of the draw. It makes a quiet, affordable base for travellers chasing empty waves and big skies.