“Learning to surf is like learning to walk; you take it step by step,” my instructor reassured me as I sat on the board, eyes towards the break, waiting for the next swell that would surely catapult me back into the water.

I traveled to the tiny coastal town of Hiriketiya, Sri Lanka, to spend a month learning to surf, a decade-long aspiration that I had been too risk-averse to attempt. And as I watched dozens of other beginners wobble their way onto a wave, I realized my goal wasn’t as original as I thought.

According to Grand View Research, surf tourism is a $65 billion industry set to increase by six percent by 2030. A large part of its growth can be attributed to introducing surfing to a wider audience through TV shows like HBO’s The 100 Foot Wave and Apple TV+’s Make or Break, as well as the addition of surfing to the Summer Olympics in 2021 and 2024.

Veteran surfers are also noticing a swell in newbies raring to ride some of the world’s best waves. “I’ve been traveling for surfing since I was 11, and over the past few years, I’ve noticed way more people in the lineup—especially in popular destinations,” says Brianna Cope, a professional surfer. “Surfing becoming an Olympic sport made it more mainstream, but I think social media has played a huge role too. Seeing beautiful waves and the surf lifestyle online really inspires people to travel and experience it for themselves.”

And in the age of digital detoxes, sleep retreats, and wellness out the wazoo, surfing provides travelers with a more active way to unwind. “Surfing stimulates so many senses. It’s seeing a wave form in front of you that has traveled from thousands of miles away, hearing the sound of those waves break, having your sinuses filled with salt water after a wipeout and feeling the power of the ocean,” says John Daniels, CEO and Founder of Learn to Rip Surf Lessons in Oceanside, California. “It’s a very therapeutic place and a spiritual place for some people. It’s a place to get away from the daily grind.”

Here are some of the best places around the world for surfers still perfecting their pop-up.

Ericeira, Portugal

Photo: Getty Images