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Nazaré: How a Portuguese Fishing Town Became the Capital of Big-Wave Surfing
Nazaré existed before 2011 as a beach town with a funicular and a seafood economy. Then Garrett McNamara rode a wave measured at 78 feet, a photograph went viral, and a submarine canyon became the most consequential piece of seabed in big-wave surfing.
By ZealZag TeamSurfing Florianópolis: Brazil's Southern Wave and Santa Catarina's Surf Coast
Florianópolis sits 800 kilometres south of Saquarema on the same Atlantic swell window — with more consistent beach breaks, colder water, a deeper local surf culture, and none of the WSL event traffic. The complete guide to surfing Floripa.
By ZealZag TeamThe Rio Coast Road Trip: Surfing Beyond Saquarema from Maricá to Búzios
The 180-kilometre stretch of Atlantic coast east of Rio de Janeiro holds nine surf breaks, two national parks, and one of the most consistent winter swells in South America — all accessible from a single base in the Região dos Lagos.
By ZealZag TeamSaquarema: Brazil's Power Barrel Capital and the Break Behind the WSL's VIVO Rio Pro
Praia de Itaúna hosts the WSL every year for good reason. This is Brazil's most consistent beachbreak power surf, an hour east of Rio de Janeiro, and the destination to visit if you want to see — or surf — the same rights that define the Championship Tour's Brazilian stop.
By ZealZag TeamSupertubos and Peniche: Portugal's Championship Tour Wave, for Everyone Else
Peniche is 85 kilometres north of Lisbon on a peninsula surrounded by Atlantic on three sides. Supertubos — the beach on its south flank — has hosted the WSL Rip Curl Pro since 2009 and produces one of Europe's most powerful beach break barrels in autumn swells. What the town actually offers beyond the competition window.
By ZealZag TeamHossegor and the Landes Coast: Europe's Beach Break Capital for Traveling Surfers
The Landes coast runs 130 kilometres of near-uninterrupted beach break from the Gironde estuary south to the Basque border. Hossegor sits at its centre, above a submarine canyon that focuses Atlantic swell into waves of unusual power for a sand-bottom break. The WSL Championship Tour comes here every autumn for a reason.
By ZealZag TeamHossegor: Europe's Most Consequential Beach Break
The beach breaks at La Gravière shaped professional surfing for three decades. What remains after the WSL contest moved on is one of the Atlantic coast's most powerful stretches of surf — accessible, practical, and honest about the skill level it requires.
By ZealZag Team