Legendary Surf Towns

Fuel up: At Pão da Nossa Vila I, a café on the east side of the village square, the servers may be stoic, but the stiff cappuccinos, delicious pastries, and seven types of queques, similar to muffins, are anything but (Praça da Republica 12, 011-351/261-865-958, pastries from $1).

Hang out: In the center of town, the cozy Neptuno Pub offers Super Bock beer and, occasionally, fado, traditional Portuguese music with soulful lyrics backed by acoustic guitar (Rua Mendes Leal 12).

SURF'S UP Welcome to the world's top chill towns. • Launch the slide show

Surf: Na Onda Surf School has been teaching mere mortals to surf since 2003. It offers private lessons as well as multiday packages (Rua Patrocinio Ribeiro 7, 011-351/917-822-851, ericeirasurf.com, two-hour lesson $30, packages from $88).

FRANCE
Hossegor
The combination of relaxed European living—think leisurely French lunches—and miles of beaches with waves for every level has lured surfers to this spot in southern France for 20 years. A word of warning: If you're looking for a little peace and quiet, don't schedule your trip for August, which is when the rest of Europe descends on the town.

Sleep: All of the bungalows and cottages at Camping du Lac have full kitchens and sleep four to six people. Open April to September (580 route des Lacs, 011-33/5-58-43-53-14, camping-du-lac.com, one-week minimum in July from $386, two-night minimum for the rest of the season from $134).

Fuel up: Surfers like to boost their energy levels with fresh fruit or vegetable juice from Le Café Sud (Les Terrasses de l'Océan, Capbreton, 011-33/5-58-43-42-64, lecafesud.com, juice from $5).

Hang out: Follow the crowd to Rock Food, a restaurant and bar right next to the beach. When the Quiksilver Pro surfing contest is in town every September, the festivities last well into the night (place des Landais, 011-33/5-58-43-43-27, rockfoodhossegor.com).

Surf: Surf Trip will teach you how to ride a longboard or shortboard, bodyboard, or bodysurf (011-33/5-58-41-91-06, 90-minute class $52).

ECUADOR
Montañita
A relative newcomer on the surf scene, this tiny South American village is what some of the more established surf towns were like 20 years ago. Many of the accommodations are hostels or just barely a step above, but the bohemian international crowd wouldn't have it any other way. After all, the camaraderie—and consistently good waves from November through April—are why people come here in the first place.

Sleep: About a block from the beach, the hostel Cabañas Pakaloro has 10 rooms and plans to open more before the end of the year. Each room boasts a private bath. Most have a balcony with a hammock, and there's a shared kitchen and courtyard (Guido Chiriboga Parra, 011-593/9-741-5413, pakaloro.com, from $8 per person).

Fuel up: Go to Hotel Restaurante La Casa Blanca for the omelets and fruit smoothies, and stay for the board games in the open-air setting (Guido Chiriboga Parra and Costanera, 011-593/9-318-3202, continental breakfast $1.75).

Hang out: The nightly happy hour at Tiki Limbo Restaurante tends to be the ignition point for beach bonfires and all-night fiestas (Guido Chiriboga Parra, 011-593/9-954-0607, montanita.com/tikilimbo).