Surf: General: A couple of miles north of Peniche is the sandy little island village of Baleal, a big destination for traveling surfers for more than 20 years -- especially when the reefs around Ericeira are blown out with N or S winds. Baleal is an island, so there's almost always a protected beach. It's no surprise that most of the learn-to-surf camps in Portugal are located here. With the mellow left reefbreak of Lagide just north of town, followed by miles of open beachbreak, you can have a pretty high surfer population density without too many problems. There's even a protected bay south of town with mediocre beachbreak that's sheltered from N winds (and huge swells). You won't find perfection in Baleal -- Supertubos is a couple miles south -- but if you keep one eye out on the shifting sandbanks and the other on the flagpoles, you might be able to score some fine beachbreaks with mellow crowds. Tides: Mid to lower tide typically best. Size: Head-high. Wind: Northeast for Baleal and southeast or even south for Lagide and Ferrel. Swell: WNW Bottom: Sand, except for the reef at Lagide. Paddling: Depends on the size and which zone you surf. Spot Rating: Pretty average. Access: There's a big parking lot right at Lagide where campers congregate. The beachbreaks north are accessed via a dirt track that runs along the coast. Crowds: Crowd Factor: As long as you avoid the surf schools and Lagide, crowds shouldn't be too much of a problem. Local Vibe: There's no shortage of barking at Lagide. It's generally not worth the hassle anyways, but if you do paddle out, be respectful and don't drop in on any bodyboarders. Environment: Not bad. Hazards: Crowds. Season: Autumn and Spring -- wind and weather can be issues in the Winter.