We all know that the Portuguese are blessed. Blessed with good weather, blessed with pastel de natas, blessed with good wine, and definitely blessed with a long coastline offering waves for days. From North to South, Portugal is spoiled with amazing surf spots. A few of these surf spots can be found in Sintra and the best way to enjoy them is by staying at The Peak House. Are you up for a holiday with sun, sea, and surf?
Welcome to The Peak House
Sintra is ideally located only 30 minutes by car from Lisbon. Well known for its palaces, it’s a popular town for a day trip from the capital. But as much as we love fairy tales, we love waves even more, so no day trip for us but a full week of surfing at The Peak House. Once you’ve made your way through the small streets of authentic Portuguese villages and rolling hills, you’ll arrive at a little oasis. The Peak House is like coming home. The vibe is so relaxed and welcoming, that you’d probably decide to extend your stay with them after a few days. Brothers Diogo and Duarte are the proud owners of this place, and will make sure you’ll love The Peak House just as much as they do. Their enthusiasm is contagious, and so is their taste in music. Life here is slow and simple. Relaxing, surfing, and eating, are basically all the things you need to do. What’s not to love about that?
Surf & Turf
You say surf, we say where!? If there’s one thing that gets us going, it’s surfing (ha, surprise!). There are many different surf spots close to The Peak House. So no matter the conditions, there’s always a wave working close by. While Praia Grande is the most famous surf beach, it’s also the most popular one, where you’ll most likely have to compete with very talented locals. Thankfully, you’ve got the perfect surf guides to navigate you to the best surf spot for your level. Because whether you’re a beginner or an intermediate, Diogo and Duarte are there to help you improve your surf skills. As they are from Sintra themselves, you can’t have better guides to all the secret spots. We both got loads of tips from them and loved having them around to learn us more about the breaks and conditions.
Explore Sintra
You can be as active as you want during your holiday at The Peak House. I mean, it is your holiday, right? So there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a morning surf session, an afternoon yoga session, and a find-me-by-the-pool session the rest of the day. However, if you do want to see more of Sintra, there’s plenty of fun stuff to explore. Most important thing is to get in touch with Svenja; our favorite tuk tuk driver in town (and The Peak House’s manager). She can show you all the highlights from the Pena Castle to the hidden beaches, beautiful forest hikes and everything in between. We can also highly recommend having lunch at Bar do Fundo, Raiz, and Agua e Sal. And definitely visit Cabo do Roca for sunset; it’s a sight you certainly don’t want to miss out on.
Memories that last a lifetime
After days full of surfing and exploring (or doing nothing), there’s one thing left to top off the days at The Peak House. Because of all that makes you hungry. And while the dinners at The Peak House are definitely tasty, it’s their ‘special nights’ that are stealing the show. I mean, what can seriously beat sunset picnics on the cliffs of the Portuguese shoreline? Or homemade pizza nights? Good food, good company, and good memories is what it’s all about. And it’s exactly what makes this place so special.
Live Simply at The Peak House
Like we said, there are many great surf spots in Portugal. But not many have, what The Peak House has. It’s not just the abundance of waves to be found, or the relaxing yoga taught, or even the beautiful surroundings of Sintra. It’s mostly the feeling of coming to a place you’ve known for years, even though you’ve never been before. We could’ve easily extended our stay here and will most probably return in the near future. Because, we too got The Peak House bug.
Love,
Marthe
Recap
Do you rather look at images than reading stories? No worries, we have a short recap of everything you need to know about our stay at The Peak House below.
Best time to visit
Between March and June, and from September onwards. Less crowds, better waves!
Best surf spot
Sorry, can't kiss and tell. You gotta come visit The Peak House and let Diogo & Duarte show you!
Surf conditions
Mostly exposed beach breaks that work all year long. Ideal conditions are with an easterly wind and NW swell. Praia Grande is the most famous and most consistent break in the area.
Must visit
Cabo do Roca during sunset
Best activity
A tuk tuk tour with Svenja, The Peak House's manager. She's also an amazing massage therapist!
Best restaurant
Bar do Fundo and Agua e Sal.
Photos by: J. Roeland & M. Barends©
