The Costa Vincentina is classified as a national park and covers the south west tip of Portugal. This stunning coastline is known to be one of the best areas for surfing in Europe and encompasses numerous beaches with excellent conditions for learning the sport, making it one of the best and most consistent areas in the world for surf.

Commercial ventures that surround surfing, such as travel operators and schools, began in 1992, coinciding with the first surf instructors course administered by the Portuguese Surf Federation (Federação Portuguesa de Surf).

Around the year 2000, the area had a boom in the number of surf schools, surf travel operators and business relating to surfing, attracted by the good weather, the favourable natural conditions of the area and the possibility of financial gain. As some of these schools belonged to local surfers who knew the area before this increase, the idea came to form an "Algarve Surf Association" ("Associação de Escolas de Surf da Costa Vicentina"), as a way of protecting clients from low quality unregulated schools that were emerging, and to improve the quality, safety and unity of the regulated schools for the clients. To these ends "Associação de Escolas de Surf da Costa Vicentina" was created in 2001, with its defining principal of "Quality not Quantity!"

During various meetings attended by the members of the association, it was recognised unanimously that the maximum capacity the area can support is 10 surf schools and 4 surf clubs to ensure the safe learning of the students.

All of us have travelled to countries such as France, and especially the UK, where overcrowding has got out of control, this further encourages us to protect this special area from a similar fate. Communication between the members of the association is a must.

The Association has carried out various cleaning campaigns on local beaches, before the peak bathing season. In the future we hope to be able to get involved in the education of younger generations and promote events that will appeal to everyone.