Salty Garden Surfcamp (Cortegaça, Portugal)

ABOUT THE SURF CAMP

This experience is ideal for solo traveller, couples, beginners, and intermediate surfers who wish to combine surf progression with nature, community, and mindful living. No prior experience is required, our instructors adapt to your level.

Rachel, Loïc, Niki (the dog) are a family who started Salty Garden from the roots, driven by a shared dream. Arriving in Portugal in 2021, they wanted to create a welcoming place for people from all over the world, a place where surf, nature, and human connection come together.

Loïc is an experienced surf instructor, while Rachel is a yoga teacher and therapeutic masseuse, bringing her knowledge of wellness to enrich the guest experience. Together, they believe in simplicity as the key: living in harmony with nature, surrounded by people they cherish, and enjoying life at its natural rhythm.

Beyond surfing and yoga, Rachel and Loïc share a passion for games, creativity, and playful experiences, making the camp a lively and joyful place for everyone. Their love for eco-responsibility and sustainable building practices is at the heart of Salty Garden, from low-impact construction and off-grid systems to vegetable gardens and experimental eco-projects.

With their complementary skills, adventurous spirit, and dedication, Rachel and Loïc continuously develop and enrich the surf camp, creating a space where guests can connect with nature, meet amazing people, and become part of a living community.

ACCOMMODATION AND CATERING

Glamping

Salty Garden is a cosy eco-camp, built with natural and environmentally conscious materials, designed to provide warmth and foster community. Sustainability and environmental responsibility are at the heart of the camp: reclaimed wood, recycled metal, and DIY structures are used throughout, giving the spaces a unique rustic charm that blends seamlessly with the natural surroundings.

Accommodation is set in spacious bell-yurts, available as private, twin, or shared, offering a cozy and off-grid experience. Each yurt is furnished with real beds, warm blankets, carpets, storage furniture, and soft lighting for ultimate comfort.

The shared areas include a fully equipped kitchen, outdoor chill lounges, garden tables, hammocks, and plenty of green space for reading, relaxing or socialising.

The true beauty of Salty Garden lies in its garden and surroundings. Set on 1.2 hectares of land in constant development and bordered by a vast forest that stretches all the way to the beach, the camp offers the opportunity to explore or create new spaces limited only by imagination. Here you will find a fire pit, a pond, a barbecue, outdoor showers, hammocks, a slack-line, and untouched nature waiting to be discovered.

With all these spaces and amenities, you will enjoy a balance of relaxation, community, and outdoor adventure between surf sessions.

Every morning, enjoy a homemade and varied breakfast prepared with care, featuring fresh fruits, eggs, warm dishes, salty or sweet pie, and jams made from our own garden.

On-site dinners are also part of the communal experience, with events such as pizza nights, grilled fish night, family dinners, and other special meals where everyone can gather and share. The camp works with local community members to offer additional lunch or dinner options on site.

If you prefer dining out, Cortegaça and Esmoriz has several restaurants serving traditional Portuguese cuisine, including fish and meat specialties, as well as some vegetarian options. A small supermarket is also conveniently located near the camp for snacks or groceries if you wish to cook your own meals.

SURF COURSE AND ACTIVITIES

Our surf lessons are designed to give you a solid foundation while getting the most out of your time in the water. Each session begins with a dynamic warm-up, followed by a clear, step-by-step explanation of key surfing techniques, including paddling, wave positioning, paddling up and catching waves, standing up and riding the wave in a controlled manner.

Before heading into the sea, you will also receive important safety instructions and an introduction to surfing etiquette.

Our 4-hour surf lessons take place at the stunning (but uncrowded) Maceda and Cortegaça Beach and consist of the following elements:

High quality wetsuits and surfboards

Surf insurance

Transportation to and from the beach

Warm-up, game and stretching exercises

Instructions on surfing etiquette and safety

Technique training on land (paddling, positioning, catching waves, standing up, surfing)

Time to rest and snack.

Lots of happy moments

Led by experienced and certified surf instructors, our small groups offer personal attention and individual feedback. Whether it's your first time on the board or you want to hone your skills, you'll make progress and, above all, feel the incredible energy of the ocean.

The times for the surf courses depend on the tides. To optimize your surfing experience, we adjust the course times daily to the best conditions. Therefore, we ask all guests to let us know their arrival times. Your proactive communication helps us enormously in organizing the surf lessons and coordinating with the surf instructors.

Safety during surf lessons always depends on the sea and weather conditions. Therefore, the surf instructor team reserves the right to adjust the schedule if necessary.

We believe that holidays are also about creating connections and meeting new friends. That’s why our camp offers a wide variety of social and creative activities, included in your package and always free to join or skip as you wish.

From wine and cheese tastings, bonfire nights, ceramic workshops and board games, to movie nights, sporty or “Olympic” tournaments, creative sessions, family dinner, and much more, each moment is designed to bring people together naturally.

All activities are included, with the exception of dinners, which are optional extras. If you’re on site on the day an activity takes place, you’re welcome to join, and if you stay for a full week, you’ll be able to enjoy most of our events.

Our camp is more than just a place to surf, it’s a welcoming community where shared experiences turn into lasting memories. Although we’re only 40 minutes from Porto, the surf camp feels like a world of its own. Whether you’re travelling solo, as a couple, or with friends, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for here: surfing, new friends, and unforgettable experiences.

Except for dinners, you can take part in all activities if you are on site that day. So if you book seven nights, you will be able to take part in most of our activities. Just note that the schedule may vary depending on weather conditions.

Massages (for an extra charge)

We also offer massages on site. Deep Tissue and Thai Massage, perfect for anyone who wants to treat themselves to an extra dose of relaxation.

MORE INFO, HOW TO GET THERE & FAQ

5 min away from the camp you can find our beach break, 10km of uncrowed beach.

Seasonal conditions

Perfect siwe in summer

Crowd factor and local people

Empty spots, perfect for learning in safe conditions.

Characterization of surroundings/region

Located in Cortegaça, a small seaside village, surrounded by pine forests and perfectly situated between Porto and Aveiro, Salty Garden It is the only accommodation with such good access to surfing, nature, and authentic Portuguese village

Cortegaça, while becoming a favourite surf destination for North Portuguese surfers, remains relatively uncrowded by tourists. No need to compete for space on the beach, as the surroundings offer more than 10 km of surf spots, spacious sandy beaches, peaceful dunes, and quiet surf breaks perfect for beginners and intermediates.

If you are looking for cultural experiences and sightseeing, Salty Garden is ideally located just two minutes from the train station. Easy train connections make Porto or Aveiro reachable in about 45 minutes, perfect for day trips while still returning to the calm and tranquillity of the countryside.

Activities and facilities

This experience is ideal for solo traveller, couples, beginners, and intermediate surfers who wish to combine surf progression with nature, community, and mindful living. No prior experience is required, our instructors adapt to your level.

Ways to get to the camp

Arriving by plane - Porto Airport, Francisco de Sá Carneiro (OPO).

Once you land, you can choose between two options to reach the camp:

1. Private transfer (fastest and easiest)

   A private transfer is the quickest and most comfortable option.

   If you need assistance booking one, we can arrange a driver for you or group for 65€ .

   No stress, your driver meets you at the airport, and in 30 minutes you arrive at the camp.

2. Public transport (most affordable option)

   A very budget-friendly option is to come by public transport.

   Count around 5€ and approximately 1h30 of travel.

   
   Here’s how to get to us:

   From Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, take Metro Line E (direction Campanhã).
   
   Get off at Campanhã Station and take a train toward Aveiro (Ovar).
   
   You can easily find schedules on Google Maps by searching Salty Garden Camp.
   
   After about 40 minutes, get off at Cortegaça Station.
   
   From the station, it’s only a 2-minute walk to reach the camp.
   
   Sometimes trains do not stop at Cortegaça and stop at Maceda instead, don’t worry, it’s only a 15-minute walk from the camp.
   
   

   Arriving by train

   From Porto or Lisbon, simply take a train on the Aveiro line (direction Aveiro from Porto, or direction Porto from Lisbon) and get off at Cortegaça Station.

   From there, it’s just 2 minutes walk to the camp.

PACKAGES & PRICES

This package includes:

5 surf lessons – 20 hours total, all equipment & insurance included

4-hour sessions, each to help you progress quickly and gain confidence in the water.

Clean, safe waves perfect for beginners & intermediates

Intimate atmosphere and Strong community vibe.

Ideal for solo travellers ou friends

Social events, workshops & occasional excursions included in your stay

Homemade daily breakfast

Nature Lovers

Free use of bikes & surf skates

Access to lots of equipment:

Board games, slack-line, volleyball, Mölkky, and more

Easy train connections to Porto & Aveiro

Balanced mix of surf, relaxation & social activities

Fully equipped kitchens available to all guests

Breakfast

This package includes:

3 surf lessons – 12 hours total, all equipment & insurance included

4-hour sessions, each to help you progress quickly and gain confidence in the water.

Clean, safe waves perfect for beginners & intermediates

Intimate atmosphere and Strong community vibe,

Ideal for solo travellers ou friends

Social events, workshops & occasional excursions included in your stay

Homemade daily breakfast

Nature Lovers

Free use of bikes & surf skates

Access to lots of equipment:

Board games, slack-line, volleyball, Mölkky, and more

Easy train connections to Porto & Aveiro

Balanced mix of surf, relaxation & social activities

Fully equipped kitchens available to all guests

Breakfast

This package includes:

Rental and Transport to the surf breaks every day, all equipment & insurance included

Clean, safe waves perfect for beginners & intermediates

Intimate atmosphere and Strong community vibe

Ideal for solo travellers ou friends

Social events, workshops & occasional excursions included in your stay

Homemade daily breakfast

Nature Lovers

Free use of bikes & surf skates

Access to lots of equipment:

Board games, slack-line, volleyball, Mölkky, and more

Easy train connections to Porto & Aveiro

Balanced mix of surf, relaxation & social activities

Fully equipped kitchens available to all guests

Breakfast