The western Algarvet town of Sagres is getting a new three-day surf festival this autumn, with the first Sagres Sessions promising everything from competitions and adaptive surfing to live music, workshops, yoga and a local market.
Running from October 30 to November 1, the event is being organised by Algarve Surf Clube with the ambition of strengthening the Algarve’s place on Portugal’s surfing calendar – and eventually attracting an international audience.
“The Algarve region has been away from the national and international surfing stage in recent years,” said club president Sérgio Brandão. “It is time to bring major events back to the Algarve and show the unique potential of this coast for all wave sports.”
Brandão said Sagres Sessions aims to become “the leading surf event for the entire region”, with plans to grow internationally over the medium term alongside Vila do Bispo Council and the regional tourism board Turismo do Algarve.
Surf for everyone
Activities begin at Praia da Mareta with adaptive and solidarity surfing sessions organised in partnership with FisioRider and the ParaSurfing section of Portimão Surf Club.
The sessions are intended to give people with disabilities or those facing social vulnerability the chance to experience surfing, while beach clean-ups will also be held with participants.
The programme then moves beyond the waves.
On Friday, the Pavilhão Multiusos Clésio Ricardo will host the premiere of Uma História do Surf… do Havaí para Portugal (“A History of Surfing… from Hawaii to Portugal”), a theatre production by Chiara Vighetto tracing surfing from its Polynesian roots to its development in Portugal, with particular attention paid to the Algarve’s early surf community.
The venue will also host a photography and art exhibition featuring local artists, while Mandala Sagres will run free yoga, wellness and workshop sessions throughout the event.
Music, food and local products
Live music will play a major role in the festival, with free concerts in the centre of Sagres on Friday and Saturday.
The line-up includes LANA GASPARØTTI, musicians from Portimão’s School of Rock, a jam session and local DJs.
The same outdoor area will host a market featuring regional brands and products, alongside food trucks and a bar.
Algarve surfers go head-to-head
Competition comes in the form of the Algarve Cup powered by Visit Algarve, an inter-club contest bringing together some of the region’s leading surfers.
Titles will be contested in Under-12, Under-16 and Open categories, for both men and women, while a special trophy will go to the Algarve club achieving the best overall score.
Most Sagres Sessions activities are free to attend, although places are limited for several events and advance registration is compulsory through the festival website.
Participation in the Algarve Cup costs €15 for surfers who are not members of Algarve Surf Clube.
The festival is supported by Vila do Bispo Council, Turismo de Portugal and Turismo do Algarve through the Portugal Events funding programme, as well as several private partners and the Portuguese Surfing Federation.