Native Surfhouse

As someone who travels a lot with a dog I fully expected to turn up at Da Silva and be asked to camp out. I was super happy when I found out this beautiful and laid back beach house was pet friendly. It started things off on the perfect foot. This place seems to capture that awesome vibe of being a chilled out friend’s house. I felt completely at ease from the second I stepped in through the gate. The house is really pretty; the mosaic tiles, bright rugs and ceramics remind you that you are in Portugal, whereas there is a ton of modern comforts like Wi-Fi, an express bus to Lisbon on your doorstep, and comfy beds in bright clean dorms to make you feel like you are definitely getting your money’s worth. I love to surf so having access to all the best surf spots was my main reason for choosing Da Silva, also the surf school is awesome, the instructors really brought out my confidence on the waves, and their equipment was in great condition. Being a budget traveler I really appreciate having a kitchen to cook up my meals. Breakfast was included and it was good; oranges in Portugal are AMAZING and having coffee in the hammock chair in the garden was the best way to start the day. Also I found other travelers to be very like-minded and everyone seemed up for feasting together, especially around the barbeque and campfire which seemed to be a regular occurrence at the end of the surfing day. On days when I didn’t feel like surfing, me and my dog just rambled around the beaches, or sat in the garden sipping beers and working online. I took the bus to Lisbon once or twice just for a bit of city culture, but really I was just happy to chill and surf and swim in the lagoon and practice skateboarding. I think Da Silva was the perfect size; small enough to make up a community and big enough not to feel like you are tiptoeing around someone’s private home. I felt like I found a scene that I thought was lost in Europe; one where everyone laughs and chills and shares, and simply let’s everyone be. I spent two weeks here, and would go back in a heartbeat. See you next year guys!