26 Surfing Reserves.
How many have you visited?

Pipeline breaks over a shallow reef just 3-5 feet below the surface, and wipeouts here can be fatal. It has killed more surfers than any other wave.

Why go: Watch from the beach as the world's best surfers ride Pipeline's barrels. You don't need to surf to enjoy it.

Malibu's "perfect wave" helped start modern California surf culture in the 1950s. Gidget and the Beach Boys made it famous worldwide.

Why go: Paddle out at First Point, where Mickey Dora and other early surfers shaped California surf culture, or watch from the beach.

The Superbank, a man-made sandbar, can produce waves that run for up to 2 kilometers when conditions line up. The Gold Coast has 57km of coastline with surf year-round.

Why go: Surf the Superbank and other breaks from Snapper Rocks to Burleigh Heads. There are waves for every skill level.

Ericeira became Europe's first World Surfing Reserve, protecting seven top-quality waves along one stretch of coast. The fishing village keeps its Portuguese character.

Why go: Surf seven different breaks within a few kilometers, then eat fresh seafood in a village where fishermen and surfers share the harbor.

Santa Cruz is the first place on the US mainland where people surfed, in 1885. It's also home to Steamer Lane, one of California's best-known surf spots.

Why go: Watch surfers ride Steamer Lane from the cliffs above and visit the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum. Then get a burrito in town.

Manly is a 30-minute ferry ride from the Sydney Opera House, so you can surf good waves without leaving a major city.

Why go: Take the ferry across Sydney Harbour and paddle out at Queenscliff, one of Australia's easiest city surf breaks to reach.

Fishermen here still ride waves on caballitos de totora, handwoven reed boats from a 3,000-year-old tradition. They may be the world's first surfcraft.

Why go: Watch fishermen ride reed boats through the surf as their ancestors did, and eat fresh ceviche on the pier.

This Basque fishing village has big-wave surfing at Parlementia, where waves reach more than 25 feet. French surfers started coming here for its strong winter swells.

Why go: Watch experts surf Parlementia's big waves in winter and surf easier beach breaks in summer. Explore a Basque culture that mixes French and Spanish influences.