Best Surfing in the World: 12 Destinations Every Surfer Should Know

There are few people who haven’t been inspired by surf culture, from the songs of the Beach Boys to watching experts ride the waves. Growing up on the California coast, I witnessed the influence surfers have in shaping music and fashion while injecting that famously laid-back vibe that can be found in many coastal towns across the globe. 

For newbies looking to experience the incredible feeling that comes with paddling into a wave, facing the visceral power of the ocean while time slows down, and the rest of the world fades away, you’ll want to do your research to find the top destinations to learn. But if you’ve ever gotten up on a board, you know how addictive the sport can be. Once you’ve begun to master those surfing skills, you’ll probably start thinking about traveling to some of the top surf spots.

Among these destinations, you’ll find some of the best surfing in the world, whether you’re a beginner who’s never gotten up on a board, intermediate, or advanced.

Hawaii is the birthplace of surfing, with Oahu at the heart of its vibrant surf culture. It offers everything from beginner-friendly swells at Waikiki Beach to the powerful winter waves along the North Shore that bring experts from across the globe. Olympic gold medalist and native Hawaiian Duke Paoa Kahanamoku introduced the sport to the world, and his legacy lives on here, especially in Waikiki where he often rode the waves.

Waikiki Beach is a great spot for those who want to learn to surf with shallow waters and long, rolling waves, although you’ll find a more relaxed experience with fewer others around at Kawela Bay and Pua’ena Point Beach Park on the North Shore. They both have a laid-back setting with smaller waves that can help you build confidence at your own pace. Waimea Bay is good for beginning surfers in the summer, but in the winter it becomes a mecca for the experts with massive waves. 

Of course, the Pipeline is the granddaddy of them all, with few surfers skilled enough to ride it. But it’s a great place to watch the experts, located off Ehukai Beach Park in Pupukea on the North Shore.

Kauai is excellent for surfing with a wide range of waves suitable for all skill levels, from beginner-friendly spots to big waves for the experienced. While Poipu Beach on the south coast is best for learning with its gentle waves, the North Shore has world-class swells. The pros love Hanalei, set in a horseshoe-shaped bay, with dramatic cliffs laced by waterfalls in the backdrop. Just west of Hanalei and Wainiha Bays, Ha’Ena Beach is a dream for the experts, boasting white sands, crystal-clear turquoise water, jagged emerald mountains, and cascading falls. It’s known for its powerful shorebreaks that provide challenging, fast, hollow waves that break over shallow reefs. Tunnels is on the eastern side of the shallow bay, or you can paddle out to Cannons, which doesn’t take as long. 

Just under 30 miles south of San Francisco, the town of Half Moon Bay has plenty to offer, including several miles of wide, sandy beaches for surfing, swimming, bodyboarding, fishing, sunbathing, and more. The crescent of the bay itself is formed by four miles of beach stretching from Princeton Harbor south to El Granada. Surfers’ Beach is located directly south of Pillar Point Harbor and is a top destination for beachgoers of all types, but particularly surfers. It’s known for its consistent high-quality waves that are in part due to the adjacent jetty that forms the harbor. The waves are suitable for beginner and experienced surfers alike, plus there are several rental shops and surf schools nearby. 

Mavericks, the wave of legends, is just north of town outside Pillar Point Harbour in the village of Princeton-by-the-Sea. Follow the bluffs to the northwest where you’ll see a dirt trail running along the water to the viewing area. The only way to reach the wave, with a peak that can reach as high as 82 feet, is by jet ski or boat. Only a few of the most daring, experienced surfers have managed to conquer it.

Just north of Los Angeles, Malibu is home to many celebrities and surfing hotspots like famous Surfrider Beach, officially called Malibu Lagoon State Beach. It was the first beach to be designated as a World Surfing Reserve and is widely regarded as one of the state’s best right-hand point breaks, with consistent waves suitable for shortboarding and longboarding. 

Summer typically brings more beginner-friendly waves, while the larger swells draw the more experienced surfers in fall and winter. You’ll find an unparalleled surfing experience here, but with that comes the big crowds, so you might want to arrive early in the morning to beat them.

Sumba Island, lying at the eastern end of a chain of Indonesian island gems an hour’s flight from Densapar, isn’t often talked about, especially as compared to places like Bali. But this “lost” isle, where headhunting was practiced as recently as a half-century ago, is known among surfers as it’s one of the world’s best for surfing. 

The top spot on the island is the private beach at luxurious Nihi Sumba resort, which features the world-class Occy’s Left wave, a long and powerful left-hand break providing exhilarating, up to nearly a thousand-foot rides. It’s accessible to just a limited number of guests at the resort, which has often been named the world’s best. With the number of registered surfers limited to a dozen per day, it ensures a high-quality, uncrowded experience, particularly between May and September, with the largest surf in July and August.

Located in the Eastern Cape along the Sunshine Coast, less than an hour’s drive from Port Elizabeth, Jeffreys Bay is considered one of the best places to surf on Earth as the true jewel in South Africa’s surfing crown. Surfing Magazine called it the world’s best right-hand break with fast, long, and perfectly hollow rides. You’ll have plenty of choices too, with the bay divided into multiple sections, including Boneyards, Magna Tubes, Kitchen Windows, and the most harrowing, Supertubes. The experts flock here for the rides that are up to 985 feet long during the winter months, from May through September, with the strong south/southwest swells creating ideal conditions. 

A city and stretch of shoreline spanning nearly 45 miles in Queensland, the Gold Coast is most famous for its beaches, with Surfers Paradise at its heart. It’s a bit of a misnomer, however, as it’s not where you’ll find the best waves. Currumbin Alley provides consistent, world-class waves that are protected from southerly winds, making it ideal for beginners with the Currumbin Alley Surf School here for lessons. Duranbah Beach, or “D’bah,” offers something for newbies and the experienced alike, with smaller, gentle swells along with sections that bring more powerful, hollow waves to challenge the more skilled. 

The Superbank, which hosts the famous Gold Coast Pro, is a legendary, man-made surf break in Coolangatta known for producing one of the world’s longest rides on a good swell. You can take off at Snapper Rocks at the northern side of Point Danger and end up at Kirra for an over 1.2-mile surfing experience. While it won’t be uncrowded, it offers the total surfing adventure with classic wave faces, aerial ramps, and fast barrels. Just be sure to save some energy for the walk back along the beach.

Located on the Pacific coast of the Baja Peninsula just south of Todos Santos and less than an hour’s drive north of Cabo San Lucas, Los Cerritos is a popular surfing spot for locals and visitors alike. It offers warm water and spectacular views, but its versatility is one of the more appealing features. The more experienced can challenge themselves with powerful breaks further from the shore, while beginners can take advantage of the smaller, more manageable waves that are closer in. You’ll also find surf schools here with local instructors who are known for their friendly approach and expertise. Renting a wetsuit or a surfboard is affordable and easy with numerous options, whether you’re a longboarder or prefer a shortboard.

Winter brings the larger swells to Cerritos, ideal for the more advanced. It’s also when you can often see humpback whales breaching and listen to their songs underwater. Summer sees milder conditions that are good for beginners, but keep in mind that temperatures are sizzling between July and October. You’ll also want to keep an eye on the forecast, with August and September at the highest risk for tropical storms and hurricanes. 

One of the most scenic places in Ireland, the Dingle Peninsula was called “The Most Beautiful Place on Earth by National Geographic Traveler. This is what many envision when picturing the Emerald Isle, with lush green hills dotted by sheep and crossed by stone fences, dipping down to dramatic cliffs that hide coves with sandy beaches. When it comes to surfing, a world-class experience can be enjoyed at multiple spots like Coumeenoole Beach at the tip of Slea Head Drive. This secluded gem at the bottom of the cliffs is at its best in August and September, with powerful, sand-bottomed waves for intermediate and advanced surfers. 

Inch Beach on the south side of the peninsula is a nearly two-mile-long stretch of sand that’s ideal for beginners, with several surf schools operating here during the summer. Inch Reef is often named among the best waves you’ll find in Ireland as the jewel in the Dingle area’s surfing crown. When it breaks, you can enjoy a long ride up to around 1,300 feet. 

Bundoran is the surf capital of Ireland, often ranked among Europe’s (and even the world’s) best surfing destinations with a wide variety of waves suitable for all skill levels. It’s the quintessential surfing town with accommodation catering to surfers, along with multiple surf schools for beginners and intermediates looking to improve. The friendly locals are happy to provide tips as well. The Peak is widely regarded as Ireland’s most consistent and shapely A-frame reef, providing a challenge to the more experienced, while more gentle rollers can be found at Tullan Strand.

Tullan is a long beach, stretching for two miles from the town’s north end to the Erne Estuary. It can catch a lot of swell even when there are no waves at other breaks. The more powerful section is next to the cliffs, producing fast, hollow waves, with the peaks mellowing the further down the beach you go. Closer to the center of Bundoran, the Main Beach often produces good waves on a high tide with a medium to large swell. The shore break is known for its fast, short rides, but occasionally longer rides can be enjoyed when it breaks out back. 

Portugal‘s southernmost corner, the Algarve attracts surfers from across the globe with nearly 125 miles of coastline. One of Europe’s greatest surfing playgrounds, there are gentle breaks suitable for learning, while skilled surfers will find lots of variety in the winter, with optimal waves. Sagres is the epicenter of it all, perched at the edge of the country in one of its sunniest, most beautiful regions. Straddling a headland, two coastlines converge here: the more protected southern coast and the wilder west coast for consistency and versatility. The town is jam-packed with surf schools, with the southern beaches like Mareta and Martinhal popular for beginners. 

The more exposed bay of Tonel, with a dramatic rock rising from the water, is the most famous surfing spot in Sagres. Located beneath the high cliffs on the west side, it gets the full force of the Atlantic while the surrounding headlands offer some protection for northern and eastern winds. It produces waves for intermediates and experts, with the strongest on the south side. 

Want to surf while hearing the screeches of howler monkeys in the background? Head to Tamarindo in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica. Tamarindo Beach is the main beach, getting plenty of waves reaching heights of 10 feet, although it’s a bit more protected than some of the more exposed beaches in the area. It also offers the most beginner-friendly wave for those who want to learn to get up on a board. There’s no shortage of surf schools and camps, while all the popular beachside amenities, bars and restaurants you need for a full day out can be found right here. 

Intermediate and advanced surfers will find more powerful breaks at beaches nearby, such as Playa Grande, Playa Negra, and Playa Langosta. Witch’s Rock at Playa Naranjo, north of Tamarindo, is a world-class surf spot for the advanced, with hollow beach breaks at their best between December and April. Ollie’s Point, a few miles north, is a right-hand point break providing a surfer’s dream with consistent four- to 10-foot waves.