I can already feel the wind blowing through my hair, my sore muscles and the hangovers when I think about my weeks at Dreamsea Surfcamp. When I think back, it felt like I crawled through the closet door from Narnia. I entered a whole other world when I first got to Dreamsea in Portugal. If you are interested in surfing and want to meet new people from all over the world, Dreamsea is the place to be. They have camps in Portugal, France, Sri Lanka, Spain, Nicaragua, Maledives and last but not least Bali.

 

Where the magic meets the ocean, my experience in Portugal

The camp I went to is located in the hills of the beautiful beach ‘Praia da Galé’. It is near Lisbon and located at the Midwest coast of Portugal. I got picked up at the airport and immediately met the people I would spend the next few weeks with. People from France, Spain, Germany, America and a lot of people from The Netherlands. Everybody checked in and settled in their tents. There was no internet connection when I got there a few years ago. International 3G was way too expensive back then. So, you felt disconnected from the rest of the world. But that disconnection was everything I needed in those weeks. Being surrounded by the beach, new people and being one with nature made me not even miss it for a second.

And on the second day of my stay, we woke up at 07:00 to be at the beach at 08.15 to start our first surf lesson. I never surfed before. So, when I learned the basics and theory about surfing, the nerves hit me when it was time to do what I came for. I imagined my first time being an absolute success. That I would ride that wave all the way back to the shore, everybody would clap and I would be a natural. When in reality I failed, miserably. It was hard, cold and tough to even get into the water. Let alone trying to stand up on your board when there are 15 other students who want to ride the same wave. But it was so much fun.

But how does it work when you book your trip?

Whether you are travelling the world and want to have an active week in between where you learn to surf. Or just go to have the Dreamsea experience, they are very flexible when you book your trip. You can come at any given day. And if you want, they pick you up from the airport. You have options to go from camping, to glamping to luxurious tents with beds and electrical sockets. Depending on your price range and how you want your stay to look like. You can bring your own surfing gear or rent everything you need for a reasonable price. And most people want to take lessons, but if you are experienced and want to go there for a good time, you are also very welcome. And in addition to surfing, you can book yogalessons, a trip to Lisbon and much more to make your stay even more personal. It is mostly a surf camp for adults. Here is the website to get you acquainted with the camp: https://dreamseasurfcamp.com. So you can always see what is the best surf camp near me. 

 

So much more than surving

Surfing is an exhausting sport. Especially if you do not have any prior experience or you are not quite in shape. In the afternoon it was time to relax in the hammocks, read a book you brought or lent from the camp. You could also sign up for yoga in the afternoons. Could you imagine yourself on top of the hills in Portugal? Surrounded by grass and trees? Becoming one with yourself and nature. Being utterly relaxed and you feel your worries and troubles disappear? I felt free. Truly free. And after yoga the day is yours, you can do whatever you feel like. Around 18.00/19.00 the camp staff served us our dinner. Every day we ate something different, they cooked dinner from various countries. For example, Tuesday was Taco day, Wednesday was Greek. The staff included vegan and vegetarian options which I highly appreciated. And as the night falls you could do whatever you liked. If you were tired, you could go to sleep. But you would miss the amazing beach parties the staff hosted. People who lived close to the beach came all the way to party with the Dreamsea camp, because our parties were absolutely crazy. We literally partied until the sun came up.

 We played drinking games like ‘Flunky ball’. Where you go up to a volleyball net, make two teams and the person who drops the ball needs to down their drink. The person on the other side of the net needs to do the same. First one to down their drink needs to hold their drink upside down above their head. If you spill a drop on your head, your team gets a negative point. If your team gets 3, you officially lose. And at the end of the Flunky Ball tournament, you see three balls coming your way instead of one. After a big night, the staff scheduled the surf lessons to the afternoon. Which is great if you partied until 06.00, you didn’t have to go to the class drunk.

A dreamsea family

Because you share your experience with people from around the world, you get very close with them very easily. It is similar to staying in a hostel when you travel alone. You meet new people in the blink of an eye. But what sets Dreamsea apart is the fact that they consider every guest as a new family member. They are genuinely interested in who you are as a person. They are very openminded, love to laugh and go in dept when you share stories about yourself. Even if you are there for just a week.  “In humanity we trust, and that’s what makes us keep moving and working by looking to make this world a better place, a peaceful and joyful world. Our objective is to create a broad multicultural and multilanguage environment where everyone can enjoy a different summer, in contact with nature, while learning one of the most amazing sports, and all as a part of a healthy and balanced way of life” (dreamsea, 2020). I could not have said it better myself; this is what they are about. They want to create the ultimate surfcamp of your dreams. They dream that young people from all around the world could come to the Dreamsea Surfcamp to share experiences, culture and values, while enjoying a lifetime experience and the best holidays you could ever wish. And according to them fun and good times are an essential ingredient in the surf camp. As good young people love to party and love to make some noise and to let their voices be heard in this world. It Is all focused on fun. And they succeeded. I had a summer I will never forget. And I am still in touch with one of the managers of the camp. She became of my dearest friends. And we still fly across the world to see each other. I have also seen various other people from when I stayed there. There were two amazing girls from Austria, who visited me when I lived in Amsterdam. So deep connections have definitely been made.

Surf around the globe with Dreamsea

Are you still not sure if you should book a trip at Dreamsea? Are you still not convinced? That’s alright. I only went to Portugal, but heard a lot of stories from people who went to other places as I mentioned before. Because I cannot give you a good perspective of the other places, I rounded up some helpful other stories and links so you could see it for yourself. 

Here is Addies experience in Bali, Dreamsea Uluwatu:

{{cta(‘4fdd3ab0-2011-4cd2-a113-c97315458f3d’)}}

And here is a good video representation about your stay at Moliets, Dreamsea France:

{{cta(‘234eb720-dfd5-4e52-a4d0-826dc8b38171’)}}

Lastly, if you are interested to see more information and experiences, tripadvisor is always a good place to find information about the surfcamps:

{{cta(‘e20ff2cb-20c6-4a4d-aca1-9ec1346192d8’)}}

 

What are you still waiting for?

My love for surfing began when I was about 18 years old. It was a great experience. And if I were planning another surfing trip, I would definitely book Dreamsea again. But maybe Costa Rica or the Maledives. As I am a big believer that if you can travel and see the world, it is a shame to visit the same places over and over again. The world has so much more to offer. 

In conclusion, if you are looking for a trip where you can surf for as long as you like. Where you can go to relax, but still are very active and in touch with nature, new openminded people and to free your mind? Dreamsea Surfcamp is the ultimate place to be. It is an affordable stay with a proactive group of people who want to make the most of their vacation. The staff makes sure you are taken care of and everything is well organized. If you want to have a summer you will not ever forget, Dreamsea Surfcamp is the place to be.

{{cta(‘3dbd4dff-ade8-4a7a-9709-e764a4ac1ffa’)}}

Want to receive more travel related inspiration and post?

{{cta(‘8df66f73-05d8-42b3-965a-e850b4bc5313’)}}