The Way of the Waves
Hello! Welcome.
You won’t find the classic, sun-chasing, surfers’ journey through France, Spain and Portugal marked on any map. Yet almost every surfer travels its invisible line at some point. It’s a rite of passage, dictated by tide and swell, punctuated by croissants, Portuguese pastries, whomping waves and an ever changing littoral landscape.
In the summer of 2024 Lizzy and I (Martin Dorey) set off to cycle from Tavistock in Devon to Sagres in Portugal with surfboards in tow. It was an epic ride of 3400km and took us three months. Before I left, and during the journey, I interviewed surfers of all generations who had done the trip before so they could guide me.
When we got back I began work on writing up the journey. The result is a book that I am very proud of. It will be published by Bloomsbury Sport on September 11th 2025.
It was a surf trip with a difference: a slow, low carbon odyssey through Western Europe’s littoral landscapes on which we rediscovered a little of its surfing history, and the people who made it famous.
35 years of exploring Europe
I have been surfing in Europe, on and off, for over 35 years. After recovering from a serious knee injury I decided I should take some time out to cycle to Portugal. The book, The Way of the Waves, is the story of the journey.
Thousands of miles by bike
Lizzy has cycled across Europe, in Norway and in Argentina, crossing the Andes, twice, by bike. CYcling to Portugal enabled her to combine two of her passions: bikes and surfing - on an amazing adventure to follow the Way of the Waves.