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TThe sun is blindingly bright, the air rich, the sea clear blue-blue and 18C. Paddling out into the Atlantic Ocean from El Palmar on the Costa de la Luz in south-west Spain, it’s a far cry from the surf experience in England in January.
I’ve come to Andalucia to escape the British winter gloom with a stay at The Sea Retreat, a brand new surf camp on the coast between Cadiz and Tarifa. Set up by Marina Nieves and her husband Calum Jelli in the community of El Palmar – the name means “grove of palms”, it accommodates beginners and intermediates, with a maximum of eight adults staying in the surf house at a time (some rooms can accommodate more children).
The only British voices I hear all week are Callum from Yorkshire and Marina from Seville, although she’s been coming to El Palmar with her family since she was a child, a testament to how well she sails with enviable style and grace. regardless of wave conditions.
El Palmar has a long, wild beach and enjoys over 300 days of sunshine a year. It’s a mix of low-rise buildings, cafes and bars with colorful driftwood signs, surf schools and small farms. No house numbers or running water; Instead, residents use wells and fetch drinking water, but this is 2023 and the current time. Telecommunications (remote operated), of course there is wifi.
The Sea Retreat is based in a house just a three-minute walk from the beach, with a mix of twin and double rooms. I wake up to roosters crowing and the night sky fills with stars. There’s a garden and barbecue, and a chef prepares healthy meals each night, from tofu noodles to Spanish tortillas.
In the height of summer, the waves here aren’t great for surfing, and El Palmar gets so crowded with vacationers that many locals leave the town and rent out their homes. According to Callum, January and February are the best months here – the weather is usually mild as opposed to scorching, the vegetation is lush and green and the waves are plentiful. According to data from surf forecasting app Magic Seaweed, El Palmar has 80% rideable waves in January (compared to 29% during my home holiday on the south coast of England). And while I’m still wearing a wetsuit, it’s not thick, which makes paddling much easier.
While some of the cafes and restaurants were closed during my stay, there were thirty-somethings living the good life in campervans, from teenagers on surfskates and wheelies on motocross bikes to older couples on bike tours and Germans of all ages. .
The outdoor wooden deck of Homies, our favorite coffee spot of the week, is always full of people smiling in the sunshine as if they can’t believe they’re cheating on winter like I am. Reasonable prices than country house.
The camping package includes one surf lesson a day for two hours with the marina and a guided sunset cruise, which is a real highlight. Surf gear can be borrowed at any time, so I do this a few times, because I was cold when I got out of the water and couldn’t move my arms.
We mostly surf at El Palmar: it’s a great progression for beginners looking for a beach break with long whitewater rides and advanced green unbroken waves. There is only one other couple on my trip – from Sardinia – but the guests are generally a mix of Spanish and English, with different abilities, and Marina is a calm and patient trainer for all levels. On the technical side, she helps beginners with their popups, and all of us with wave selection and timing. I’ve learned to position myself to catch the strongest part of the storm, but she’s also very helpful on the mental side. Surfing is a humbling sport, and when I’m pushed out of my comfort zone, the introspection can be overwhelming.
At two o’clock in the morning, the waves at El Palmar are very fast and strong, so we go to a nearby more sheltered spot with long surfers. (Marina and Callum ask me not to mention the area, so it doesn’t get crowded. This isn’t a problem at El Palmar, which has miles of space and lots of peaks to float to.)
For these days, I borrow a mid-length board made by a local shaper, and it rides like a dream. I’m sitting in a row – where the waves start to break – along sweeping paths and hills covered in umbrella-like pines, the African landscape visible in the distance. I don’t want these sessions to end.
One day we went for lunch at Pena El Atun, a relaxed seafood restaurant in nearby Barbate that specializes in tuna using the traditional Andalusian method. Almadraba – Using net traps. It was offered as part of the menu, including tuna sashimi, tacos, tomato stew, and the like, which I had never eaten before. Salmorjo, a thick and creamy version of gazpacho. The bill comes to just under €20 per head.
Back in the van, we pass another secret longboard spot, the start of a new bike path that will one day connect this part of the coast to Athens, and some graffiti against hotels using water in the resource-rich region. With increasing pressure.
Another day, we rent bikes and ride to the northwest tip of El Palmar beach, past sugar cane and Atlantic waves, a beautiful stone observation tower and land planned for a controversial new hotel and beach club.
Compared to much of coastal Spain, this part of the Costa de la Luz is underdeveloped, although this may not be sustainable. Marina and Callam believe there is a way to responsibly welcome visitors without harming El Palmar’s unique character and precious natural environment. In addition to accommodating up to eight adult guests at a time, visitors are encouraged to travel by train, and we do beach cleanups at sunset. .
Taking visitors off-season is another way to reduce the impact of tourism – and it’s easier in places where the weather is mild. And where the waves are good.
The trip is offered by The Sea Retreat, with six-night trips from £699pp, full board, Equipment and surf lessons (B&B option £95 per day). Short or long stay and self catering as well Available. The nearest station is San Fernando-Bahia Sur. From Seville line (from €17.95 return). Transfers from the site Price €30 give back
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