The Journey

The Way of the Waves is a project to document a journey by bike from Bude in Cornwall to Sagres in Portugal via all of Europe’s famous (and not so famous) surf breaks.

The Challenge

We have 90 days to cycle from Bude to Sagres (and get home again). We will be cycling un supported with our tents, sleeping bags, mats and cooking equipment as well as surfboards, wetsuits and bellyboards that we’ll drag behind on trailers. It will be a mental and physical challenge as we make our way down the Velodyssee down the west coast of France, follow the Camino Norte across northern Spain, navigate Galicia and then follow the Eurovelo Cycle Route 1 through Portugal. We’ll have to learn to live with nothing but the essentials, shopping almost daily and pitching camp each day. We hope to wild camp a little but will be reliant on charging the bikes, even though we will be taking spare batteries that will give us about 150km range. Hopefully we’ll also get to surf and swim as much as possible, enjoy the changing landscapes and meet people along the way.

When we reach Faro we will pick up our van (brought to us by Tim and Jo) and drive our kit back to Santander.

“Bloody hell, that’s a long way.”

— a friend

The Nitty gritty - over 3000km in 90 days

  • Roscoff to Nantes along the nantes-brest Canal.

  • Follow the Velodyssee south to Landes.

  • Lacanau, Boscarosse, Hossegor

  • The Basque Country, Biarritz and San Sebastian

  • Mundaka, Zarautz, Santander.

  • Playa Meron and Oyambre

  • Galicia and Pantin, Finisterre and the Costa De Muerte.

  • North Portugal and Peniche, Ericeira and Nazare.

  • Costa Caprica and Sines.

  • Arrifana, Sagres and the National Park.

  • Faro, then home in the van from Santander.

Think of all the amazing spots on this route! Lacanau, Hourtin, Biarritz, San Sebastian, Santander, Bilbao, Mundaka, Zarautz, Pantin, A Coruna, Gijon, Porto, Nazare, Lisbon….