Hi Peeps!
We went to Portugal recently and got some footage of the area. Arrifana is a small beach town where we stayed for two weeks of our trip. We wanted a small town vibe, with some good surfing waves.
Here were the pros and cons of this area:
Pros:
– The town is indeed small. So you have a very rural feeling at every turn. Not quite “ranches”, but that vibe for sure. No traffic, no lines at the market, and open hillsides and expansive views.
– There are a bunch of beaches to lay out or surf. There is a ton of space in this region, which makes it feel open and free.
– Arrifana beach is great for beginners and intermediate surfers, so you can go with friends that aren’t as experienced (budding shredders!), like Connor.
– Arrifana beach is almost in a cove, so the cliff sides protect it from those harsh north/northwest winds. You can lay out all day or surf all day without it getting too blown out.
– Because the town is small, you see many of the same travelers and locals at the beach and in the water, which makes it feel familiar and offers an opportunity to make friends. ,

Cons:
– The beach is crowded. This is great for making friends, but not for chilling or surfing. There were over 100 people in the water learning to surf when we were there and it wasn’t event he high season. The surf gets PACKED. We saw people running into each other daily and it got a bit hectic at times. There are probably 5 surf schools going at a time with hoards of newbies in the water.
– The beaches surrounding Arrifana are gorgeous, but aren’t as protected. So they get very windy during the day. There was not a non-windy day in the 2 weeks we visited. There is no surprise why Arrifana is so popular due to its protection from the wind.
– There is nothing to do in town. Very few restaurants and not a lot to see. Hiking is fun and having a morning croissant and cappuccino is relaxing, but that gets old after a while. we love to surf, so we were happy, but be aware that this isn’t a very populated town/area.

We hope you enjoyed our video! Please subscribe if you want to see more reviews and more adventures 🙂

Hugs and Love,
Dong and Dong

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