Jho'La Surf Camp — Hotel in Lagos

Jho’la is in the middle of Luz Village, about 15 minutes by car, west of Lagos. ||We arrived in the middle of a hot Sunday afternoon, having journeyed by train from Lisbon to Lagos and then by Uber to Jho’la. Dropped off in a neighborhood of large homes stacked along the hills of Luz, it only took a moment for us to find the blue door with the Jho’la sign. Another guest let us in and showed us to our room. We set our bags down and wandered around the house, meeting the other guests, a lovely family from Paris, a brother and sister from the Netherlands, two friends from Germany, a Portuguese surfer. A few minutes later, Francisco, our host, arrived to show us the ways of Jho’la: fruit was free, shared bathroom etiquette, how to work the espresso machine, where the beer was. And, he said, dinner was at 8. ||For our 5-night stay, we were to be fed three dinners, five breakfasts, and a box lunch for each day of surfing. Dinner on Sunday night was grilled and delicious, with plenty of options for vegetarians and carnivores alike, and carafes of wine. At 8, as promised, the dinner table on the patio was set and the guests were gathering around. Smiles and introductions were aplenty, and we were warmly welcomed by all. Hours later, we said our “good nights”. ||Breakfast was served at 8:30 and by 9:15, those of us who had signed up for surf lessons were outside, waiting for the surf van. Driving through the Portuguese countryside, our driver and surf instructor took us to the beautiful Praia da Bordeira. |Our four days of surfing gave us enough time to surf at two beaches, Praia da Bordeira and Praia da Rocha. Praia Da Bordeira was the beach for pure scenic beauty, with amazing seaside cliffs and a giant expanse of clean sand. Praia da Rocha was an urban beach, replete with beachside condos, cafes, and places to rent surfboards, scooters, skateboards, bikes, etc. We had two excellent surf instructors, one for Praia da Bordeira and the second for Praia da Rocha. An outstanding trait of both instructors was the happiness they shared whenever anyone in our small class of six surfers caught a wave. Their exuberant shouts of encouragement, interspersed with one-on-one coaching, kept us going for the three-to-four-hour surf class. Our instructors made sure we took breaks and during those breaks, each instructor demonstrated surf technique or wave mechanics using sand and rocks, it was effective. I cannot emphasize enough how pleased we were with the quality of the surf instruction and the results, everyone learned to surf and improved their surf technique.||We had a great time. ...

Jho'la surfcamp is like coming home to friends. Francisco is inviting you into a different experience. His warm, chill and open charakter makes you feel welcome right away. It's not only crashing for the night but experiencing authentic homecooked portuguese meals. You can tell that he really enjoys to host. After dinner you are gonna sit on a terrace drink a couple glases of wine and have delightful conversations about surfing, marine life, food and all different kinds of topics. Francisco is an excellent cook and you are gonna have to learn to sit down and just get hosted apart from the cooking class where he is gonna guide you how to prepare for example cataplana. After surfing lessons you will have time to go on a stroll on the praia del luz or just grab a beer and hang out in one of the hammocks in the back of the house. The rest of the team in Jho'La surfcamp is all making sure that you get the best experience, the surf instructors are gonna teach very precise on how to catch a wave and spot you while you are doing it. They always have tips for you how to ride a wave and watch out for your savety. Diana the yoga teacher is gonna welcome you in stretchy and juicy yoga sessions, she is a real sweet heart and really helps you recover your body from the surf lessons. All in one, I will be back and I can highly recommend the surfcamp to other people who are looking for a special place and like to be in a very personal...

Jho’la Surf Camp is one of the most hospitable, eco-conscious, and chill places we had ever stayed.Upon arrival, Francisco helped us feel right at home. He explained the whole house to us and showed us our room, as well as some things to do around town. The daily schedules were organized but not hectic, as we booked the surf and stay package. 8:30 breakfast, pickup around 9-10 depending on surf destination (surf lessons provided by Future Surf School 5/5 stars from us), and return back to the camp late afternoon for a well deserved beer in the hammocks, yoga, or walking around the village. Francisco makes a pack lunch normally consisting of a tasty sandwich and piece of fruit for those taking the surf classes, which helps to keep your day running smooth. Dinner usually started around 8:30. You don’t want to miss dinner at Jho’la! Francisco cooks almost every night. The two nights he wasn’t available he gave us recommendations for restaurants in town. Each dinner seemed to be a special recipe cooked with some of the finest olive oil in Portugal. After dinner was usually spent sipping Portuguese wine on the terrace trading stories with him, the other guests, and Anne and Joseph. Overall great experience. Jho’la Surf Camp is a truly special place in the Algarve. HUGE thanks to Francisco for the hospitality and making us feel welcome. We can’t wait to return!-...