We've been to AWS eleven times now, and our twelfth stay is already booked. We've been to a few other camps, but we stopped looking. We're mainly there for surfing, but we've tried all the water sports on offer and have always been extremely satisfied.
We (mid-40s and early 50s) usually visit AWS in May and September/October. For our surfing level (waves up to 1.5m high, choosing and starting waves ourselves, riding sideways), we believe the Algarve is the best area for our trip. Last year, we drove the entire Atlantic coast from Bordeaux to the Algarve and checked out the usual surf spots.
Besides the conditions, a watersports camp is, of course, about the instructors and the camp itself.
The surf instructors are all excellent, and each one has other qualities that make them stand out. Noemi with her positive charisma and empathy, Bjรถrn with his instinct for the right wave for the right person, Jorma, who impressively demonstrates the interesting maneuvers you can do on and with a foamie, Alex and Andras with their calm and super-professional demeanor and an eye for every little mistake โ and the tips to fix it, Ansan and Emil, with whom you can chat on the beach about anything and everything, and of course, surfing, and of course Angel, whose surf planning sometimes surprises us but ultimately hits the nail on the head. The fact that we've stagnated somewhat in our surfing careers isn't the fault of the instructors. Many of the more athletic guests make it into the green waves within a week on their first surfing holiday.
I can't say much about the current kite and windsurfing instructors โ apart from AJ, whose super open and friendly manner alone has us thinking about taking kite lessons again. The lagoon where the kite lessons take place is (partially) shallow water, making it very beginner-friendly. After two hours on one vacation and two more six months later, I was able to ride at least 30 meters thanks to the instructors I had at the time.
I can definitely recommend wing lessons with Orlando. With just a little wing control experience from Germany, he got me to semi-controlled foiling for the first time after two lessons.
Water sports, however, are only part of the vacation. The reason we keep coming back is largely the camp itself and the team. It starts in the office. The "Mermaids" do their best to make everything possible, realistically and organizationally. Our good vacation mood immediately improves when we see Katie and/or Celina again at check-in. The rest of the office team is in no way inferior to them in terms of friendliness and helpfulness. The first challenge of the day, however, is always the astonishingly diverse breakfast offerings. In the evening, everyone looks forward to what Jan and Adam have prepared โ even the vegetarians and vegans.
We usually book one of the apartments and are extremely satisfied with their condition and cleanliness โ if something isn't right, the office usually sorts it out very quickly. It's a camp, after all, not a 5-star hotel.
At a camp, the other guests naturally also play a crucial role. Most are in their mid-twenties to mid-thirties โ curiously, the windsurfers tend to be a bit older than the surfers on average. However, there are also always young families or guests our age and older. Ultimately, age hardly matters, as everyone shares a common interest in the sea and water sports.
Finally, a tip for kitesurfers, wing foilers, and windsurfers: In April/May and September/October, there are always days with too little wind. But there's no chance of getting bored, as the camp has a wake park, Oscar offers electro-motocross as an option, or you can simply try surfing.