Surf & Stay

Discover surf spots, as well as authentic beach restaurants, hidden hotels, architectural gems, secret camper sites and the most idyllic road and surf trips.

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Lifestyle journalist Veerle Helsen went out-of-office for six months, bought an old camper and travelled along the Spanish and Portuguese coastline by herself. Ever true to her motto "surf, see, sleep & eat", she combines three of her passions in this book: surfing, travelling and discovering hidden gems. How about a heavenly holiday mansion where there's a tree growing through the roof? Or an architectural public swimming pool that's hidden between rocks and the sea? She searched and found camper spots so quiet she could stay there for days without seeing another soul. Secret beaches that aren't indicated on the map where you sit back and watch the waves. Veerle Helsen dismisses the classic tourist image of Spain and Portugal and writes about a completely different world. Untouched, fierce and free. With little beach bars serving the very fish they caught earlier that day. With roads wrapping themselves around cliffs and dunes, sheltered by pine trees and maintaining the view of sandcastles on the beach. She drove a large car, her drone beside her on the passenger seat and her surf board on the roof. This guide transcends the clichés and avoids the classic tourist traps. Sea you soon! "Just imagine: a beach in the middle of nowhere. You can see a camper with sea view. You can hear Portuguese music coming from the speakers. The canopy is out and there are some chairs underneath. On the table is a plate of freshly grilled fish and a glass of vinho verde. Welcome to my surfer's life." "Living to the rhythm of the sea" "The waves, the flowing shapes, the poetry of the sea: surfing is, in fact, a distinctly female sport."