10 best surf cities in the world

Year-round breaks, board-bag friendly, and locals who tolerate visiting paddlers.

Ranked by climate, cost of living, language access, safety, and lifestyle fit. Personalize this →

#1
Phuket, Thailand
100
match
Thai resort island. Beaches, dive boats, sunset rooftops, and an ever-growing nomad village.
#2
Da Nang, Vietnam
100
match
Beach city with a mountain monastery overlooking it. Quiet, cheap, and rising fast among nomads.
#3
Canggu, Indonesia
100
match
Surf-and-laptop coastal village turned digital nomad capital of Bali.
#4
Goa, India
100
match
Indian beach state. Portuguese churches, palm-shaded shacks, and a long nomad season.
#5
Los Angeles, United States
100
match
Sprawl, sunshine, and the global capital of cinema. A car-dependent paradise — if you have a car.
#6
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
100
match
Caribbean coast nomad hub. Cenotes, reefs, ruins, and 5th Avenue's endless taco strip.
#7
San Diego, United States
100
match
Americas finest weather. Beaches, biotech, Mexican border twenty minutes south, perfect mild year-round.
#8
Sayulita, Mexico
100
match
Pacific surf village turned bohemian magnet. Cobblestone streets, beginner waves, mezcal sunsets.
#9
Cape Town, South Africa
100
match
Where a flat-topped mountain drops into two oceans. Few cities marry nature and city this well.
#10
Zanzibar, Tanzania
100
match
Spice island in the Indian Ocean. Stone Town's twisted alleys, reefs offshore, slow days.

Phuket, Thailand