ZEN SUP
5
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Full view
About
Stand Up Paddle is the fastest growing water sport in the world today. It´s easy and fun to learn and can be done by almost anyone, from 5-6 years of age upwards. ZEN SUP is based in the Central Algarve in Portugal and offers a fantastic way to enjoy the region´s waterways on your next holiday break or for local residents also. SUP offers freedom, fitness and fun on the water and from once you master some basics you can do it anywhere. There is no better time or place to learn than right here and right now in Portugal´s sunny Algarve.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
5.0
178 reviews
Excellent
176
Very good
1
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Sebastian L
Munich, Germany5 contributions
Sep 2020
What a fantastic experience we had doing the Benagil tour with Zen SUP.
Please, picture this is your mind: "You start the tour early enough in the morning to catch the beautiful sunrise at an empty Benagil beach; You then get a set of very clear instructions on how to paddle that will make you a pro (at least in your mind); You get into the water and as you get on your board, you get a better look at the sun coming up in the horizon and a look into Benagil cave and you feel that waking up that early was totally worth it; You then get inside the cave and wonder at its immensity and feel great about having the cave all for yourselves since at this time of day there are only bird in it; you take lots of amazing pictures that will make your Instagram friends envy you forever."
This was just the first of at least three caves you will visit in this tour! We also had the pleasure of being guided by John who also doubles as a photographer during the whole trip. I can tell you that I have done tours in many parts of the world and John is simply one of the best guides there are.
The are just some many things to love about the experience we had that I could go on forever. I will just finish by saying that the time, location and guide where just a miracle to come all together for us, the good news is that it can come together for you too when you book a tour with them.
Happy paddling!
Please, picture this is your mind: "You start the tour early enough in the morning to catch the beautiful sunrise at an empty Benagil beach; You then get a set of very clear instructions on how to paddle that will make you a pro (at least in your mind); You get into the water and as you get on your board, you get a better look at the sun coming up in the horizon and a look into Benagil cave and you feel that waking up that early was totally worth it; You then get inside the cave and wonder at its immensity and feel great about having the cave all for yourselves since at this time of day there are only bird in it; you take lots of amazing pictures that will make your Instagram friends envy you forever."
This was just the first of at least three caves you will visit in this tour! We also had the pleasure of being guided by John who also doubles as a photographer during the whole trip. I can tell you that I have done tours in many parts of the world and John is simply one of the best guides there are.
The are just some many things to love about the experience we had that I could go on forever. I will just finish by saying that the time, location and guide where just a miracle to come all together for us, the good news is that it can come together for you too when you book a tour with them.
Happy paddling!
Written September 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mashedpotat0
London, UK12 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
Had such a great time with Zen Sup!
Me & my partner hadn’t sup’d before so last minute booked a lesson whilst in the Algarve for a week. John & Heike are great teachers & guides & we were happily paddling around the Ria Formosa (which is also a stunning place to learn) in no time. We loved it so much we booked straight onto the Sunrise Bengali your the following morning, which was absolutely magical. Getting up at 4.45 was a struggle, but being there with the sun rising, alone on the beaches & caves before the hoards arrived was magical & every bit worth the early start. I really can’t recommend it enough. Thanks so much again John (and Heike) for a great few days & a great introduction to SUPing (as well as a very special addition to our trip). We’ll be back....
Me & my partner hadn’t sup’d before so last minute booked a lesson whilst in the Algarve for a week. John & Heike are great teachers & guides & we were happily paddling around the Ria Formosa (which is also a stunning place to learn) in no time. We loved it so much we booked straight onto the Sunrise Bengali your the following morning, which was absolutely magical. Getting up at 4.45 was a struggle, but being there with the sun rising, alone on the beaches & caves before the hoards arrived was magical & every bit worth the early start. I really can’t recommend it enough. Thanks so much again John (and Heike) for a great few days & a great introduction to SUPing (as well as a very special addition to our trip). We’ll be back....
Written August 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nellycrumb
Rochester, UK36 contributions
Aug 2020
This was our 2nd trip with John. This time we booked his sunrise trip to the Benegil caves. We are not particularly experienced paddle boarders but John made us feel very confident and we felt safe in his hands. The whole experience was amazing. We met with 3 others who were all extremely friendly. The caves were fascinating and was great to be away from the crowds. We would thoroughly recommend Zen SUP and can’t wait to return for another experience next year.
Written September 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Swirley
Somerset, UK3 contributions
Oct 2021 • Solo
A wonderful sunrise SUP experience. We beached in some spectacular caves, inaccessible by land, and enjoyed a delicious snack of homemade smoothie and biscuits en route. If you want to beat the crowds and see the scenery in the soft glow of sunrise, I would thoroughly recommend this trip. Thank you John for such an amazing experience - I will be back!
Written October 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Perso-Bilitis T
9 contributions
Jul 2021
From the beginning of our exchange on What's App to have more information, John has been very friendly and helpful. Once the class started, clear instructions on the beach were given to gain confidence once on water. My friend and I recommend this class because John knows how to teach step by step and increase the difficulty as we progress. The spot for the picnic was precious, all by ourselves at that time! The picnic or snacks were simple but delicious and fresh. We can't wait to review the fabulous pictures John has taken! Have fun during your own experience! 😎
Written August 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Johannes Wallat
Zurich, Switzerland17 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
We have booked the 2h tour for the day before but had to change due to the wind. Was no problem and we were in close contact finding the best opportunity for three semi experienced people. We started from an optimal place with four nice boards heading towards Cabanas, we were competently instructed and started confidently to our 2h tour. After a short break were they served fresh and cold melon drink we ended up at the destination. John finally drove us back to the start because we were to exhausted to get back by our own. Great people and great service for a absolutely good price, perfect adventure.
Written August 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Guten morgen Johannes,
Thank you so much for taking the time to review us here on TA, greatly appreciated.
It was wonderful meeting you, Christina and Max and I hope we will see you again sometime on future visits here.
Wishing you all the very best, a good home coming and take goo care.
Viele Glückwünsche,
John and Heike
Written August 16, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MissCox1988
80 contributions
Sep 2020 • Couples
Fantastic experience watching the sunrise exploring the Benagil caves. It was a lovely small group of us, John was a brilliant guide and took us to some spectacular scenery and through little caves. I would highly recommend this to anyone going to the Algarve and the early start is 100% worth it. Thank you for such a memorable morning.
Written September 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Phil
New York City, NY7 contributions
Aug 2021 • Couples
We did the sunrise tour of Benagil Caves. As others have mentioned, the early morning start allows for a much more serene experience before the onslaught of day tourists join later in the morning.
John was a flawless and experienced guide and I cannot recommend enough. He’s able to adjust to your experience level around paddle boarding, while having a group size of 2-6 allows for a truly bespoke experience. The trip was just the right length for the average traveler, seeing several different sites along the coast but not to the point of exhaustion or fatigue of full day trips.
Great experience with John and this tour will remain at the top of my recommendations list for Portugal activities!
John was a flawless and experienced guide and I cannot recommend enough. He’s able to adjust to your experience level around paddle boarding, while having a group size of 2-6 allows for a truly bespoke experience. The trip was just the right length for the average traveler, seeing several different sites along the coast but not to the point of exhaustion or fatigue of full day trips.
Great experience with John and this tour will remain at the top of my recommendations list for Portugal activities!
Written August 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lauren
New York City, NY1 contribution
Aug 2021 • Couples
Frequent travelers and not so easily impressed - my husband and I booked a sunrise paddle board experience with John and his company Zen SUP last minute while we were in Algarve.
It was an early start at 630 but ended up being one of our all time favorite travel experiences ! John supplied us with wet suits/life jackets/safety tips/basic SUP techniques and off we went literally into the sunrise exploring not just Benagil Cave but so many magnificent others! We were the first in these areas so our views were spectacular and not ruined by too many tourists looking for the perfect Instagram shot.
John - thank you so much for giving us our last perfect morning filled with unforgettable memories and phenomenal photos !
It was an early start at 630 but ended up being one of our all time favorite travel experiences ! John supplied us with wet suits/life jackets/safety tips/basic SUP techniques and off we went literally into the sunrise exploring not just Benagil Cave but so many magnificent others! We were the first in these areas so our views were spectacular and not ruined by too many tourists looking for the perfect Instagram shot.
John - thank you so much for giving us our last perfect morning filled with unforgettable memories and phenomenal photos !
Written August 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
leitov73
Brussels, Belgium33 contributions
Sep 2020 • Couples
We booked the sunrise tour on Ria Formosa. We were a small group of 4 people which was great. John was explaining the technique to improve our paddling. We made a small stop to watch the flamingos and the view while drinking fresh watermelon juice and some cereal bars he had brought for us. Then we continued our paddling until the spot where we watched some planes landing next to us while being on the river. Very quiet water (compared to the sea tours). Beautiful light, great atmosphere with John - we HIGHLY recommend to book sup tours with ZEN SUP when you are in Algarve! Thank you we will be back
Written September 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How do you book this and where exactly do you go?
Written July 6, 2018
Hi Karen,
the best is you call us on WhatsApp 00351 936 735 778 and we arrange day and time for a SUP lesson or tour. Of course you also can book through our website zen sup.
With best regards, Heike and John
Written July 7, 2018
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