Learning How to Surf in the South of Spain

I started to paddle, paddle, paddle and soon found myself gliding, as my board came to a sudden speed. I pulled myself up, pushed my chest to the sky and opened my arms. It was as if I was about to hug the sky and the beach I could see from afar. Right at that moment, a feeling of pure freedom overtook my entire body. It was as if I was flying; and I was in a way, but on the crest of a wave. 

The wave led my board to the shoreline and on to the sand. A curious dog raced to meet me. He jumped on the end of my board wagging his tail even though he didn’t know me, his happy greeting made me smile. I just finished my first flight, as it’s known in “surfer” speak. I am learning how to surf in the South of Spain!  

About the Sea Retreat

The Sea Retreat is the brainchild of Marina and Callum, who both love surfing. Marina and Callum met a few years ago, fell in love and got married three weeks before my visit to the Sea Retreat. Callum is from England and has travelled all over the world, doing adrenaline sports such as skiing and mountain biking. He is a keen photographer and you can see his photos hanging on the walls of the Surf House and in this article, as he took most of the photos during my time at the Sea Retreat.

Marina was born in Seville and learned how to surf from a very young age. Her parents own a house in El Palmar, where she used to spend all her holidays. As surfing was the most interesting thing to do in El Palmar, she tried it, fell in love with it, and now teaches it.

The Sea Retreat is a project meant to teach more and more people about the joy of surfing. The surf camp runs from autumn to spring, when there are the least amounts of tourists in the South of Spain, but when it’s the best weather for it. If you have had enough of the dark, cold, rainy winter days in England, how about coming down to the South of Spain and learn how to surf in the sunshine?

The Surf House is a cosy Spanish townhouse with four bedrooms and a large garden. It can host up to 8 people and it’s a great place to socialise in the evening, over dinner and a glass of wine.

Surf and Mental Health

Taking to Marina, I found out that surfing has a very positive effect not just on the body, but also on the mind. When you are in the water, all you think about is the next wave, and how to conquer it.

Surfing has become a more and more practiced hobby in the past 10 years. Whilst most of the tourists who come to the South of Spain to learn how to surf are Germans, with every year there are more English who become interested in this water sport.

It is well known that being by the water, in a sunny place, improves mental health. Surfing is a water sport that requires a lot of concentration, preventing your mind from wandering away and welcoming negative thoughts. Put the two together, and you have found a great natural remedy that helps when you are feeling low. Catching waves is a great way to clear your mind.

Surfing is also a great panacea for insomnia. Without even realizing, the ocean tires your body so much that you are bound to have a great night’s sleep after spending the day in the water.

The First Lesson of a Novice

I woke up early, made a cup of coffee and walked to the beach. It was still a bit dark, with the sun preparing the rise from the sand dunes behind me. A light breeze was caressing my body. There was no other sound other than the waves crashing gently into the shore. I took a deep breath and felt the salty air entering my lungs.

Back to the Surf House, the first lesson started in the garden. Putting the wetsuit on was quite a challenge, but I managed to get into it with Marina’s help. The first half an hour was all theory: how to read the waves, how to identify the wind, how to see a rip current and, more importantly, how to stay safe on the board. We learned how the fin controls the direction of the board, how to go faster or slower, as well as the importance of covering the head when falling into the water. As the board is attached to our legs with a cord, it’s imperative in particular to cover our heads with both arms when falling into the water to avoid being hit by the board when it bounces out to the surface. 

The next part of the lesson was learning how to paddle, as well as the best technique to get up on the board. Bend the knee underneath the body, turn the torso, put the leg towards the front of the board and stand up. Or, for novices like me, knee up, leg up front, then the other leg up, on the back of the board. And stand! Easier said than done though.  

After a few trials, we waxed the boards and carried them to the beach. The real lesson was about to begin!

Let’s Go Into the Water!

After a short warm-up, we grabbed the boards by the nose and went into the water. The temperature was very pleasant, even if it was the end of October. The 25 degrees and the clear sky predicted a fantastic day for learning how to surf.

The waves looked giant from the water, even if from the shore they are barely visible, even if the water was no deeper than my waist. I struggled to get the board beyond the breaking point of the waves, but I did not give up. I pushed it through the dark green mountain of water in front of me and avoided the white water. I’ve made it! Now, let’s try to catch a wave and get up.

Marina was carefully supervising, preparing us for the waves coming. I jumped on the board, maybe a little bit too hard. I positioned my arms underneath my chest, and looked straight to the shore.

“Ready?”, Marina asked me.

“Let’s do it!”, I said.

“This is your wave!”

And she pushed my board into the wave. I pushed myself up, lifted my arms from the board and “flew” to the shore, on my belly. And with that first feel of freedom and speed, I understood why so many people fall in love with this water sport.

I grabbed my board again and went back into the water, passing that line of white water. Don’t think about it, just do it, I kept telling myself. Wave after wave, I wanted to conquer it. With every wave that knocked me down, with every sip of salty water I swallowed, I was more determined to finally get up on the board. Up on my knees, then back into the water, which by now I called the washing machine. It’s that point where the waves break one after another, not giving you enough time to get out between them.

First leg up, followed by the second one. Let the board go. Ah, almost had it! Callum cheered from the shore. I almost did it!

The Surf Lessons

The surf lessons continued, once a day for two of us, and twice a day for our third party. Marina told us that surfing is not a hard sport to learn, but it takes time to advance. This is because no wave is the same, there are no same movements over and over, like in other sports. You need to understand the wind as well as you need to be able to read the waves and the directions they are turning to. The end goal is not to come to the shore on your board, but to surf the wave until it dies out, to stay on top of it for as long as possible.

The Sea Retreat runs every Sunday to Saturday and includes five surf lessons plus theory, accommodation, one sunset or sunrise surf session, one video analysis, as well as a full board menu. They also offer the surf equipment free of charge. The price for this package is £699 per person, or £2,390 for a family of four (two adults and two children).

The packages are customisable, based on how much surfing you want to do. You can see more information and enquire directly on the Sea Retreat website, by clicking here.

The nearest airport to El Palmar, where the Sea Retreat is located, is Sevilla, with daily flights from London.

The Food at the Sea Retreat

The Sea Retreat collaborates with the lovely Alessia who runs Comiendo Tierra, a farm to table gastronomic experience company. She is the one in charge of lunch and dinner, which were always a feast. Her approach is connecting the body with the earth and nature through organic food. She uses ingredients picked directly from the organic farm, which we have visited during our stay in El Palmar.

Alessia delighted us with her cooking and opened our tasted buds to vegetarian food that tastes delicious. Think of winter salmorejo with beetroot and pomegranate, mushroom and micro herbs soup, sweet and sour tofu with almond hummus, local payoyo goat cheese served with homemade chutneys, as well as delicious cakes such as carob, orange and almond Bundt cake.

We even cooked together a giant veggie paella with vegetables that we picked at the farm, with extra virgin olive oil.

Eating at the Sea Retreat was an experience in itself. However, we did go out to explore the local restaurants as well, enjoying fresh fish dishes and traditional Spanish food.

Why El Palmar?  

El Palmar is a great place to learn how to surf in the South of Spain because of its mild climate, especially during the winter months. There are plenty of days with offshore wind, which is the best for surfing. The waves are not big either, making it a perfect place for beginners.

El Palmar is a small village, with a very rural feel. There is not much development here, which makes it a perfect destination if you are looking for a peaceful holiday. Many people come to El Palmar to learn how to surf or practice this wonderful water sport. You will encounter a friendly surfing community and you can definitely meet people with the same interests as you.

There are a few restaurants and bars in town that remain open during the winter time as well. If you want to explore beyond El Palmar during your trip here, it is best to hire a car.

What Else to Do Around El Palmar?

When you are not surfing, you can always explore the area around El Palmar. I liked to surf in the morning and enjoy different activities in the afternoon, such as horse riding at sunset to the Trafalgar lighthouse, going for a glass of wine in Vejer de la Frontera or in Conil de la Frontera, or visit Sancha Perez, an organic local vineyard.  

Marina and Callum can help you organise all these activities, and give you great advice on what else you can do around El Palmar, beyond surf.

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