Surfing in Sagres

At breakfast, I meet Adrian, whom I briefly encountered in another hostel. He has also booked a surf course. Preparations begin immediately; everyone gets a wetsuit, and then we drive with two vans to a beach. It's not far from Sagres and is already quite crowded with surfers. We start with a brief safety briefing. After that, we learn the theory of surfing and do some dry exercises and warm-ups. Finally, we go into the water! However, it is not so easy to get out a bit over or through the waves. With the help of the two surf instructors, I manage to ride a wave a few times and even stand up. I also manage to do it alone twice - that feels really damn cool, a bit like snowboarding on water. 😁

The water is very salty, so I keep drinking in between. At noon, everyone gets a sandwich and an apple. Then the surf lesson is already over, and we head back to the hostel. There, we rinse off the wetsuits and boards and clean up. After a short break, I take a walk through Sagres. I try a hearty pastry and treat myself to an ice cream.

Additionally, I go to the fortress right on the cliff. However, it closes in 30 minutes; perhaps I'll come back tomorrow. On the way to a ruin, I strike up a conversation with Joan and Kevin, who are 'armed' with binoculars. They are currently observing stonechats, whose chirping sounds like the clinking of stones. The two are from Ireland and work in a national park. It is so nice to talk to people who are also passionate about nature. 🥰

I arrive at the hostel hungry and eat there at the bar; afterwards, I am super full.