EUROPE'S ATLANTIC COAST

17,000KM OF PURE ATLANTIC COAST.

What would the Advanture Magazine be without an epic vanlife summer road trip, with the goal to surf great waves down the Atlantic Coast of Europe? It’s summer, the waves are pumping, let the advanture begin!

Who remembers the feeling when you first got the keys to your campervan? After we heard about the trip Nina had with her sponsors Volkswagen, Chiemsee and Glidesoul, we have rapidly gone in search for some sticks of wax and our wetsuits. She became best friends with her van, from the moment she saw what she would be spending the summer in. A brand new, fully custom-branded VW T6 California, the dream surf wagon for the modern surf vanlifer.

The iconic lure from the 60s & 70s, driving around in a camper to find surf. And today, who wouldn't feel awesome driving around in a custom branded California!

“My van and I were best friends from the moment we met. I was overwhelmed by it! I started my journey after a hard period of working in an agency, with 12 hours per day. Just sitting and driving chilled me out so much, driving and listening to music with my friend Tina. I felt this van was designed to make everything cosy and comfortable. To sleep in the roof tent is just perfect, and also to take out the chairs and sit in front of the door, watching the sunset over an endless ocean.”

Nina and her VW California T6

Photo by Damir Bijedic

Nina got the taste for vanlife during the winter before, when she toured some of the east coast of Australia. She admits she really didn’t know a lot about using a van back then, but her experience helped to better prepare for her big trip in Europe. This is the case for a lot of travellers who reach as far as Australia and New Zealand, where they discover the allure of the open road, and appreciate that you only need a few personal items to get through the day. For one reason or another, us Europeans think we need to cross the world in search of wanderlust, when in fact, we have some of the most diverse and a huge variety of options right on our doorstep.

“I spoke to a lot of experienced travellers while I prepared for this trip, and one of the best tips I received was not to travel with suitcases, but with large re-usable type bags, which can be stuffed away when empty. Still, I took way too much stuff with me and I left stuff with all sorts of people along my way! I must have come home afterwards with only 30% of what I had packed.”

“THE ROOF TENT IS JUST PERFECT, AND ALSO TO TAKE OUT THE CHAIRS AND SIT IN FRONT OF THE DOOR, WATCHING THE SUNSET OVER AN ENDLESS OCEAN"

Our European Atlantic coast stretches close to 10,000km in length, and there is a huge amount of choice of surf breaks available. Everything from wide-open beaches to tiny rocky point breaks are peppered down the French, Spanish and Portuguese shoreline. We have a thriving surf community yearround, and the more popular locations start to burst with their fair share of visitors especially in the summer months. Locations that include the likes of Biarritz, Hossegor, La Zurriola and Sagres to name but a few.

Nina had not grown up as a surfer, but she always had the passion to learn something new frequently. Her trip was to go and tour the Wavestours Surfcamps, to improve her surfing, meet like-minded people and experience life on the road for the summer.

“I had the best moments on the road living free out of my camper“

The best way to check the surf in the morning? Right out of the van door!

“With surfing, I feel challenged day by day, and every session is different. Sometimes I am not getting any waves and sometimes it’s going super easy. That’s what I love about surfing. I need to adjust myself over and over again.

We were so excited to stop and surf as soon as we hit the coast at Biarritz, that we couldn’t wait any longer. We just wanted to have lunch there, but took out the boards and jumped into the water and it felt amazing. But our starting point was much further south. I have a very special connection to Portugal and wanted to surf there as soon as possible, which made us drive a little bit faster to reach São Juliæo in Ericeira as soon as possible.”

"This road trip was the time of my life."

When it comes to surfing in Portugal, it happens to be the country that offers the most variety to choose from in Europe. It’s also home to one of the worlds largest waves, and yes, there are people who surf those too. Nazaré is the spot to get to as soon as a big swell is reported, where spectators can sit on the cliff tops right next to the action, to watch some extremely brave men and women battle monster waves that reach up to 30m in height.

Over the three month trip, Nina had a few friends come out for various lengths of time and met some of her family in France. Alongside surfing, she was producing a lot of content on social media, documenting the trip for her sponsors and blogging about the Wavetours. A perfect combination of work and play, possible when you can move your home on wheels from location to location, picking the best conditions on offer.

One location, in particular, was a favourite of Nina’s. Santa Cruz, Portugal.

Watching sunsets from the back of a campervan in Portugal.

Photo by Damir Bijedic

“Santa Cruz (Torres Vedras) between Ericeira and Peniche, wow. This magical traditional Portuguese town is away from the mass tourism and offers 20km of coastline with the best surf spots and amazing views over the cliffs you could imagine. I liked the vibe there a lot. So much in fact, that I spent a whole year after the trip there now! Not only because of the town, but also because I met the man of my dreams there.”

On top of a busy schedule, Nina and her travel mates created a weekly ritual of deep cleaning the VW California, clearing it of sand and salty swimwear. If you need some tips on what to prepare before your big summer road trip this year, check out our article on page 34 with some eco-friendly options when it comes to keeping clean!

SOME OF THE OTHER BIG WAVE LOCATIONS INCLUDE FAR AWAY SPOTS SUCH AS MAVERICKS IN SAN FRANCISCO, TEAHUPOO IN TAHITI AND JAWS IN HAWAII.

“This road trip was the time of my life. I had the best moments on the road living free out of my camper." After I finished the road trip in September last year, I had a six-month contract at an advertising agency in Hamburg. But it was clear for me, as soon as I could, I would go back to Santa Cruz and try to make a living there. Soon after, I decided to join my boyfriend at his surf camp, Cliff Surfhouse, where I work on the marketing and of course surf when the waves are great!”

Be sure to drop Nina a message and stop by in Santa Cruz when you are in Portugal. The town has true Portuguese vibes, incredible food right out of the Atlantic Ocean, and offers some epic van camping spots. You’ll be able to find a place on top of the cliffs to enjoy breathtaking sunsets and check the surf from your sliding door first thing in the morning. AM

Follow Nina on Instagram @nina_ninsta

Nothing else comes close to beating the feeling of getting back to your van after a day in the water, ready for some good food and a cold drink out of the fridge.