Surfing in Europe in November? Yes please! I really wanted to go on a short surf trip before the new year starts and this was the perfect place to go. Dreamsea opened a new location in Sintra this summer. It’s a surf house which is open all year, so of course I needed to check this place out.
Oh and how I fell in love with this surf house! It’s a beautiful villa in the middle of a landscape with a nice pool and the best view. I stayed in a private room with my boyfriend. Every room looks so Bali-inspired which I really love. It’s the perfect place to recharge, calm your mind, to connect with yourself and with great like-minded people, to be in nature and of course to go surfing & to do yoga.
Sure it’s November so it can be quite cold and to be honest we had some really bad rainy days too, but we also had some really good days with sunshine & good waves. When it was rainy I did some writing, yoga, reading and we went disco bowling with the group which was SO much fun.
There’s also a spa area with jacuzzi in the villa and the first night we set up a beamer on the wall so we could have a movie night in the jacuzzi with another couple. (=GOALS)
We spent another rainy day in Lisbon which was only 40 minutes by train. We did some shopping and walked around the city. I have to be honest, Lisbon is not really alive when it’s raining haha, so it’s nice to go shopping but I think it’s better when the weather is nice.
The other days the weather was so good and it actually felt like summer. We spent so much time on the beach and in the water, I really needed that!
The beaches are so beautiful and it wasn’t too crowded. Most times we went to the Carcavelos beach. It’s a very big beach with waves for every level (beginner and advanced). There’s a little castle next to the beach and behind the castle is another small beach where you can surf. The cool thing about this spot is that there’s no wind. So when the waves are too big on the other side of the castle, there’s a big chance the waves are better on this small beach on the that side of the castle.
The water was extremely cold though haha! I’m always cold so for me it was quite challenging sometimes. Dreamsea has wetsuits for everyone so you don’t need to rent or bring your own. However I’m definitely considering buying my own since I’m a very small size. And I would definitely recommend a poncho towel (Dreamsea sells them as well) since it can be quite cold changing on the beach.
I also did yoga every day. Anna was teaching the yoga classes and she was really good. I also took over a little part of the class, to teach a little Vinyassa Flow. She really encouraged me to do it even though I was super nervous. Anyways it went so well and everyone was very positive about it so I’m really glad I did it. It’s so good to get out of your comfort zone and do the things that scare you.
A big reason why I always like to go on trips like these is that I want to be active and do things. When you’re on a yoga/surf trip you are working out so much that you get super tired but oh so satisfied. My boyfriend and I can’t sit still for a very long time so we always like to plan more active trips. We are so lucky we are both very much into surfing so it’s easier to find an active trip we both like and next to that my boyfriend is starting to like yoga as well. Both so good for your body and so much fun you can do it together!
Another thing that I really want to share with you is that the food at Dreamsea is SO good. I know I’m not the easiest one when it comes to food since everything has to be vegan and gluten free, but they were so creative and I really loved every meal! What’s super cool is that they try to make the vegan meal look the same as the not-vegan meals.
All the food, water and tea is included so you don’t have to worry about extra costs. Only if you want to buy some drinks/alcohol you pay extra of course. We bought some really nice wine in a small supermarket nearby Dreamsea so you can always bring your own wine too.
And of course I shouldn’t forget to mention how amazing the people at Dreamsea are. I’ve been to Dreamsea Portugal (the camp) 2 times, Dreamsea France, Dreamsea Nicaragua and this one in Sintra and every time is so magical. They have the best locations for sure, but most important the people always feel like family. I feel totally accepted as I am and this time too I’ve met such nice people and I’m sure these are friends for life. I still see the people I’ve met 2 years ago once in a while all over the world. So I dare to say that in Dreamsea you will make friends for life. I feel so blessed.
Coming to Dreamsea feels like coming home. For me it’s the place I can escape to to come back home to myself. To feel where I belong. In nature, surrounded with beautiful souls, at the beach, on the waves and on my yoga mat. <3
