The classics. Pick one.

Beginner break.

León, Nicaragua · moderate

Neoprene starter day.

Pichilemu, Chile · easy

Black sand.

Auckland, New Zealand · moderate

Consistent beach break.

Nosara, Costa Rica · easy

Consistent beach break.

Santa Teresa, Costa Rica · easy

Long walls.

Torquay, Australia · easy

Up-point warmups, Impossibles tubes. Full bay walk surf.

Jeffreys Bay, South Africa · hard

Calm evening peelers under black cliffs, family beach vibe.

Lagos, Portugal · easy

Gentle bay starters.

Puerto Ayora, Ecuador · easy

Quieter break.

Croyde, England · easy

Welsh reef-beach mix, lifeguards, caravan nostalgia.

Porthcawl, Wales · moderate

Beginner break.

Porthcawl, Wales · easy

Three-mile beach.

Llangennith, Wales · moderate

World Surfing Reserve point, long rights, cliff church. Europe's Malibu.

Ericeira, Portugal · moderate

Subway to barrels. Rentals at 67th street, best on a clean swell.

New York, USA · moderate

Where Philippine surfing began, river mouth, Apocalypse Now story.

Baler, Philippines · moderate

Almkanal standing wave.

Salzburg, Austria · hard

Mellow break.

Hossegor, France · easy

Beginner beach break.

Sayulita, Mexico · easy

Foamie first waves.

Scheveningen, Netherlands · easy

Mellow point, lighthouse, penguin rescue nearby. Family surf.

Cape St Francis, South Africa · easy

First and last light, Gwenver reefs. Wild west Cornwall.

Sennen Cove, England · moderate

Beginner waves.

Essaouira, Morocco · easy

Beach break.

Bilbao, Spain · easy

Gentle inside reform.

Sorake, Indonesia · easy

Mellow right.

General Luna, Philippines · easy

Town beach break, sea pool swim, Crooklets walk. Day out.

Bude, England · easy

First waves on the Surf Coast.

Melbourne, Australia · moderate

Evening glass.

Sennen Cove, England · moderate

Beach barrels.

Galicia, Spain · moderate

Beyond the whitewash: catch an unbroken wave and ride it sideways. Takes a week of trying.

Biarritz, France · moderate

World-class left off Kuda Huraa.

Malé, Maldives · hard

Beginner break below the refinery.

Los Angeles, USA · moderate

City beach basics.

Lima, Peru · easy

Learn where South Africa learned, colorful huts, warm-ish water.

Cape Town, South Africa · easy

First Point before the crowds.

Malibu, USA · easy

The reef at low tide.

Encinitas, USA · moderate

Cliff stairs, kelp beds, yoga before paddle. Encinitas soul.

Encinitas, USA · moderate

Wetsuit-clad beginners.

Sylt, Germany · easy

Beginner waves.

Tamarindo, Costa Rica · easy

Boat-accessed beach break.

Lagos, Nigeria · moderate

Ireland's premier reef, shortboard church. Respect the locals.

Bundoran, Ireland · expert

Cold perfection, castle ruins, northern lights season. 6mm always.

Thurso, Scotland · expert

Sand-bottom point, whale sharks passing. Surf-safari combo.

Tofo, Mozambique · moderate

Learn at Cox Bay.

Ucluelet, Canada · easy

Santa Cruz beachbreak.

Puerto Ayora, Ecuador · moderate

Learn to surf.

Newquay, England · easy

Trail or skate down, cobblestone peaks, contest history. Respect.

Encinitas, USA · hard

Beach break variety, dunes, Trad music town. Surf-town Ireland.

Bundoran, Ireland · moderate

Beach break.

Bundoran, Ireland · easy

Surf under midnight sun, rorbu stays, Arctic paradox. Wetsuit 6mm.

Unstad, Norway · hard

Party town peaks, night surf full moon. Manila weekend escape.

Urbiztondo, Philippines · moderate

San Juan starter waves.

Urbiztondo, Philippines · easy

Arctic beach.

Hoddevik, Norway · moderate

Canoes, dukes statue, gentle rollers. Everyone learns here.

Haleiwa, USA · easy

Island beach break, sansibar lunch, North Sea wind. German surf.

Sylt, Germany · moderate

North Sea beachbreak.

Sylt, Germany · moderate

Side-shore wind.

Klitmøller, Denmark · moderate

Flat water.

Dahab, Egypt · easy

Two kilometers of learnable peaks, txakoli after. Basque surf HQ.

Zarautz, Spain · easy