The beauty of surfing – or, rather, one of many – is travel.
Once you start surfing, you will be infected by an incessant travel bug, which compels you to hunt waves, explore new lands, and experience new cultures.
And not all surf destinations are alike. Good waves don’t discriminate. Sure, some of the best are in far-off, remote locales; but a lot of them are next to major metropolises. Take your pick: Roughing it in the jungle, or clubbing your brains out after surfing all day.
Regardless of location type, there are some places in the world where both quality of waves, and quality of life are especially high. And while the question of “world’s best surf towns” is obviously subjective, YouTuber Dan Harmon decided to tackle it.
“This is a pretty arbitrary list,” says Harmon, “because what constitutes a good surf town? This is going to depend on your personal opinion on whether you like more of a city vibe, or you like somewhere more nice and chilled out.”
Either way, here’s a few of the places that are highly livable, and surfable.
Coolangatta, Queensland, Australia
“Coolangatta is arguably the world’s most famous surf town. It’s a town that’s produced countless world champions, it’s got such a high level of surfing in the town it’s ridiculous. There’s so many good waves there.” [Snapper, Duranbah, Kirra, etc.]
San Clemente, California
“If there was anywhere to rival Coolangatta for the surfing capital of the world, it would be San Clemente. I guess it’s the American version of the Gold Coast. Around the coast there’s so many good waves. There’s so many good surfers that come out of that zone.”
Hossegor, France
“This is the European answer to Coolangatta and San Clemente. Between the months of September and October, it’s probably the best place to be a surfer.”
Canggu, Bali
“Canggu is everyone’s favorite surf town. It’s not necessarily just a surf town; it’s a really popular digital nomad hotspot; it’s a popular party town. While it’s definitely pretty crazy, the waves are also very fun.”
Did your favorite surf town make the list? Watch the whole video above.
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