About

5.0

Excellent

96 reviews

#1 of 6 hostels in Ovar

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GreenLeaders Gold level

The Golden Waves Surf Lodge is located in Furadouro, a virgin beach paradise at one of Portugal’s most secret travel destinations, 30 kilometers south of Porto. It offers weekly yoga retreats and surf courses guided by international instructors, massages, stand up paddling, bike rental, accommodation with breakfast and Portuguese lifestyle. The luxury Villa has a clean line design inside and outside. All furniture are created from recycled wood. It features an outdoor pool, child-safe garden, fitness center, tennis court, football court and equipped kitchen for self-catering. Suitable for single travelers, couples or families. The Lodge in North Portugal is surrounded by cultural treasures. Part of worldwide sustainable hotels.

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Property amenities

Free parking

Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)

Pool

Fitness Centre with Gym / Workout Room

Free breakfast

Bicycles available

Tennis court

Airport transportation

Wifi

Outdoor pool

Bar / lounge

BBQ facilities

Baggage storage

Concierge

Non-smoking hotel

Room features

Fireplace

Housekeeping

Room service

Room types

Non-smoking rooms

Suites

Family rooms

Location

44Car recommended

Grade: 44 out of 100

29Restaurantswithin 0.75 miles

3Attractionswithin 0.75 miles

Rua Cidade de Elizabeth 253 Furadouro Ovar, Ovar 3880-296 Portugal

Name/address in local language

Getting there

Porto Airport26 miSee all flights

Viseu Airport42 miSee all flights

Car HireSee all Ovar car hire

See all nearby hotels

Nearby restaurants

See all nearby restaurants

Nearby attractions

11 minSpeciality & Gift Shops

Piscatória

1 review

14 minSpeciality & Gift Shops

See all nearby attractions

96Reviews3Q+A9Room tips

Reviews
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Kira S wrote a review Oct 2023

1 contribution

This is what travelling is

This place representa the heart of solo travelling. I came and half an hour later I felt at home and included. The guest group was really friendly and including. The atmosphere is calm and relaxed. The place looks really nice and clean. The surf guiding was fine although not the best I have had. But we surfed all that we wanted and stayed at the beach until everyone was outsurfed and happy. The calm evening yoga was just what I needed after surf.

Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Travelled solo

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Lea O wrote a review Oct 2023

1 contribution

Perfect Surf/Yoga Vacation

I had a great time at Golden Waves! The yoga and the surfing were excellent, the breakfast delicious and the people lovely - a perfect place for a solo adventure! Thanks, guys for the amazing time, looking forward to my next stay.

Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled solo

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Travel40009379530 wrote a review Aug 2023

2 contributions1 helpful vote

Not a zen yoga retreat

This retreat is not a retreat for yogi's who are looking for a "real" yoga retreat. Althought the organization promotes themselves as a yoga retreat, it is not. This is a surf retreat where there happens to be yoga. The yoga is clearly meant for surfers. Active yoga in the morning, cool down yoga in the evening. The evening classes were delayed almost every day because the surfers stayed out till late. If you're looking for peace and quite, this is not the place. Because almost everyone is there to surf, it is very loud in the houses (in the evening). If you don't have a car, you're screwed. Apart from the beach, there is nothing to do in Furadouru. One day we wanted to go to the nearby town, Ovar. We wanted to take the free bikes offered by Golden Waves. Too bad they don't maintain the bike. 3 bikes. Every bike had only one working brake. Everything was rusted. 2 of the 3 bikes had a flat tire. When we told something about this to someone of the staff, he simply replied. Oh, yeaaaaah, I should get those fixed. Place your bike under a shelter, it saves you a lot of work to maintain them :) By the end of the week we wanted a massage. We had to book it with the local physiotherapist. Anna, the masseuse, did a great job. Too bad you get your massage in the physio practice. You're separated from people being treated with just a curtain. So no peace and quite during your massage. Conversations the whole time. When I pointed out this is absurd, they promised me to be more quite. But you can not treat people and be quite. So, €50 to waste. To end on a positive note, the room was clean (we had a private room with bathroom). The breakfast was okay. There was a lot of choice (not so much brown or whole wheat bread though). The first 2 days the yoga classes where not for advanced yogi's. On the third day Isabel was back and the yoga was much better and challenging. Isabel really is a good teacher! So if you are not just looking for a zen yoga retreat and are open to surf, I guess you can like this retreat. If you aren't looking for a zen yoga retreat and are open to surfing, I guess you can like this place. I can not say anything about the quality of the surf lessons.…

Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Kim M wrote a review Jul 2023

1 contribution

I only wish I had stayed longer!

I stayed at Golden Waves for 4 nights as a female solo traveller. I had the best time! The yoga classes were the best I've ever been to, the instructor was so knowledgeable and calming and I left every class feeling grounded and recharged. The morning classes energised you for the day and the evening classes were so relaxing, we even did chakra work and different forms of meditation - the teacher even used sound healing during savasana. The staff are all so friendly and helpful, they all had such positive energy. I went for a yoga retreat and did try a surf session while I was there, the surf instructors are very passionate about surfing and excellent teachers (although the Portugal waves were a little too much for me!) The hostel is set up well for socialising - I am quite introverted but never felt out of place or lonely, if I felt like a chat I just headed over to the main hostel in the evening and everyone was so friendly. I also felt very safe staying here, as a woman traveling alone this is so important. The little town of Furodouro is a hidden gem, such a relaxed atmosphere and the locals are so lovely. There are lots of excellent restaurants for fresh seafood and everything is very close together and on the seafront. Overall I went on this trip to relax and recharge and I was not disappointed, I left feeling so content! Highly recommend staying here, you won't regret it.…

Date of stay: July 2023

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Trip type: Travelled solo

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Merje R wrote a review Apr 2023

1 contribution1 helpful vote

Best retreat for solo travellers

I was hesitant to book the retreat for a long time and eventually only booked it for yoga, cause I wasn't sure about trying to surf for the first time, but little did I know that in the end I'd book extra surfing lessons and also extend my stay! It is a perfect retreat for solo travellers, because you'll meet so many likeminded amazing people there! They were all so welcoming, friendly and had fascinating lives to share. We went for dinners and lunches together and cooked a big barbecue together before leaving. On top of that of course the yoga lessons were great, it was a mix of asana and meditation, which was perfect to start the day and perfect after surfing. It was also very different from what I've tried before, the teachers explain more, add affirmations and om meditation etc. It was really relaxing and at the end usually people took their time instead of running out of the class, which shows a lot. And also surfing was just the best time you'll ever have! It's all about enjoying the waves and having a good time while learning a lot and having the support of the trainers. At first I was scared to book a surf lesson, so I just joined the surfers to simply go to the beach, but after I saw how much fun they were having and how great the beach was, I knew I had to try it. And so I did, I even caught my first full wave! Ahh and the location.. Definitely go biking and check out the white sand beaches and dunes near by for sunset! Also at the houses you have a lot of room no matter whether you're in private suite or shared bedroom, plus there are terraces, pool, the yoga studio & breakfast hall are close by and completely new. I was also very much impressed by the breakfast, you'll really find everything you'd need to have a proper full breakfast to enjoy the day. As you can see I don't have enough words to explain how amazing the retreat was.. I left with my soul happy and my heart full, so thank you so much for that! And I'm already planning to go back!…

Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Travelled solo

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Leanne Lynch wrote a review Nov 2022

County Clare, Ireland1 contribution

Fabulous!

My husband and I had a wonderful time at Golden Wave Surf Lodge. For us, the highlight was meeting such interesting people from around the world and our beautiful yoga sessions every morning and evening. Isabel was our yoga instructor while we were there. Her classes were glorious! If you're lucky enough to be staying at the lodge, don't hesitate on signing up for yoga with Isabel! Her love and light shine through in every class. She communicates her deep wisdom and knowledge of yoga and the connects the mind and body in the most beautiful way. She has a rich understanding of not only yoga postures but of yoga philosophy, mantras and chanting. My husband and I loved each of our classes. Yin yoga in the evening was incredibly powerful. The peace and calm Isabel helped to cultivate in these sessions filled our hearts with joy. I'm so grateful to Isabel for the memories she helped create and for introducing me to aspects of yoga I hadn't explored before. I was also 24 weeks pregnant while I was there and she readily provided options for me to modify different postures. An absolute star! Thank you Isabel 💗 My husband also surfed on a couple of days and enjoyed the experience!…

Date of stay: August 2022

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Lauren J wrote a review Oct 2022

1 contribution1 helpful vote

Amazing yoga and surf retreat!

Amazing yoga and surf retreat! We had a quick two day stay here, and it was definitely worth it. The accommodation was modern and clean and everyone who works there is extremely friendly and fun. The yoga and surf classes were run really well, and they cater for people with different experience levels. I think it’s a really good price for everything that is included. I will definitely be going back at some point in the future.

Date of stay: October 2022

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Trip type: Travelled with friends

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Gad B wrote a review Oct 2022

Tel Aviv, Israel8 contributions2 helpful votes

Amazing experience!

We (2 families, 9 people overall) spent 7 nights at Golden Waves, taking surf classes every day. The experience was amazing, the ambience at the Lodge is great, we had a wonderful time surfing and meeting cool, new friends. The rooms are comfortable and clean (they don't do house cleaning in the rooms during the week), breakfast is very good though identical every day. The monitors are very friendly, but don't expect tons of individual instruction. We surfed every morning, had on-location lunch with sandwiches that we brought, then chilled on the beach and in the evening either went out to eat (very cheap) or made dinner on location. The ambience at the lodge is young and vibrant. Communication with the organizers beforehand was very smooth and they answered all our questions quickly and organized taxis from Porto to the lodge. The only negative experience is that we booked 2 double rooms, and one room with 6 beds for a family of 5. Nobody told us the the "family" room was 3 bunk beds, so the parents had to sleep on separate beds.…

Date of stay: August 2022

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Jakub Duchon wrote a review Aug 2022

Horsens, Denmark3 contributions

Can't recommend enough!

This was special! From the lodge, instructors, "receptionists" and guests, everything was spot on. The camp is beginner friendly and the instructors will take good care of you. I'm definitely coming back soon :)

Date of stay: August 2022

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Rakel Sif wrote a review Aug 2022

Grindavik, Iceland1 contribution

The best time ever, good vibes and smiles all the time🤙🏼❤️

Had the best time! first time surfing but Rodriqo and Petro where so good teching surfing! amazing staff, amazing vibes!🙏🏼🙏🏼 Clean rooms nice bathroom and showers! Will come again. Made memorize for life and good friends🤙🏼🧘🏼‍♀️ Thank you Golden waves for an awsome week!

Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Travelled solo

Room Tip: Everything perfect!

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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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