Chicks on waves

Location: Algarve, Portugal

With a home away from home vibe, a group of open-minded souls sharing the passion for the ocean in a beautiful villa, Chicks on Waves will have you pinching yourself.

There are different packages available depending on whether you want to focus more on the yoga, the surf, or enjoy a mixture of both. Organised by surfer girls for girls, the small groups and personal coaching by certified surf instructors makes for maximum progress in the water, plus daily rooftop yoga sessions, stunning ocean views and healthy meals for all-round wellbeing.

Stay in a newly renovated boutique style villa ‘One Life Lodge’ with 6 luxury private ensuite rooms, breathtaking views over the ocean and a large pool with plenty of sun loungers to relax. With more than 300 days of sunshine per year, the Algarve is a great place to visit the whole year through.

We spoke to founder and owner Katrien Kegels to find out more…

Is this for any surfer level?
All surfers of any age and level can join the retreat. We surf mainly beach breaks with the beginners and a second teacher takes the more experienced surfers to local point/reef breaks.

Apart from surfing, what other activities can guests enjoy?
There’s daily yoga sessions on our roof top terrace, you can explore all the beaches, book a SUP tour, hit the really nice hiking track out the front of the house or we have really good mountain bikes to explore the area. Plus Lagos is a really beautiful city and only 15 minutes away.

What’s the best thing about One Life Lodge?
That you don’t need to think about anything…everything is arranged for you which means you can totally relax. The lodge is an amazing Boutique Villa with a beautiful pool, ocean view, relaxing vibe and a sparkling team of surfer girls. The food is also delicious and healthy – from smoothies, freshly baked warm bread, chia puddings and banana bread to healthy filling salads on the beach and the Tuesday BBQ.

What kind of girls do you normally have on your retreats?
We have girls from all over the world, from US, Australia and Europe. These tend to be super happy girls who are openminded and want to learn something new (the surfing), love to be active but also enjoy time to relax as well. We get lots of solo travellers.