| Probability of Kite in the next days | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 days | 7 days | 16 days |
| 12% | 5% | 15% |
Lagoa de Obidos on the central west coast of Portugal remains somewhat of a hidden gem, despite being just 30 km from the well-known wave hotspot Peniche. Due to ...
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Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean, Lagoon
Water type: Shallow, Flat, Small wave, Medium wave, Big wave
Water hazards: None
Water quality: Clean
Infos: Big waves at the ocean. And flat inside the lagoon. Big shallow areas.
Beach type & size: Sand - Big
Infos: Big sandy beach. Lots of space.
Identified hazards: None
Beachgoer: None
Weather specificities: Cold in winter, hot in summer.
Wind type: Thermal
Wind specificities: You will get wind 50% over the year. North is sideshore on the ocean side.
Best months: May, June, July, August, September
Access description: by Car - Get to Caldas da Rainha and then Foz do Arelho.
Specific rules: Time
Extra: In summer only at sea. No kite inside the lagoon.
Nightlife: Great nightlife! A disco and many bars!
Accommodations: Rooms, Food, Parking
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Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Small wave, Medium wave
Water hazards: Rocks
Water quality: Clean
Infos: Excellent waves. Look out for rocks in the water.
Beach type & size: Sand - Big
Infos: Sandy beach, lots of space. Rocks to the north.
Identified hazards: Rocks
Beachgoer: None
Weather specificities: In the summer air 25-30C. In the winter a wetsuit is necessary. The summer starts in June and you have 3 excellent months.
Wind specificities: No info yet.
Access description: by Car - Just north of Viana do Castello on N13 until you get to Afife.
Accommodations: Parking
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Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean, River Mouth
Water type: Shallow, Flat, Chop, Small wave, Medium wave
Water hazards: Wave breaker
Water quality: Clean
Infos: 1/2m difference to high tide, perfectly flat or waves. Medium size waves with a lot of good beach break points. 1-2m waves with NW winds. Small wave breakers to the South. Best waves during full moon.
Beach type & size: Sand - Medium
Infos: Open beach with small dunes. No rocks. Very safe beach. Triangular beach.
Weather specificities: Season from March to September, 15-26C air temps. Off-season possible. 12-20C water, (winter 5/4mm, summer 3/2mm ).
Wind type: Thermal, Frontal
Wind specificities: Due to the shape of the tip, almost all directions work. Best direction: North.
Best months: May, June, July, August
Access description: by Car - From Porto (Oporto) airport take the free way by car to Viana do Castelo / spain route. At 30 km will find the exit to Esposende. Drive to the north of the town and get to the water north of the Rio Cavado.
Specific rules: None
Nightlife: Wild night life in summer and at near places as Povoa de Varzim.
Accommodations: Rooms, Camping, Shower, Toilet, Food, Parking
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Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Small wave, Medium wave
Water hazards: Swimmers
Water quality: Clean
Infos: Atlantic sea, tidal. Real waves. From perfect sets to choppy disordered. Never flat. 5m to 50cm.
Beach type & size: Sand - Big
Infos: Very nice looking beach. A bay from Peniche to Baleal. Perfect white sand. Rocks on each side of the 2km bay. Lots of space during all the year. Entries at Peniche and at Baleal (most used one). Nice and hard sand for mountainboard, no rocks. Plenty of space to land/launch the kites. Enough room to self lauch even at high tide.
Identified hazards: None
Beachgoer: None
Weather specificities: Cold Atlantic water. Wetsuit needed, 3/2 to 4/3 full length. Water from 15-25C. Good in the summer from May to October.
Wind type: Frontal
Wind specificities: Wind is good from West to Northeast. Best with NW and in the winter. Can be very strong from SW and W during winter and from North during the summer. Normally from 12-25 knots in the good season. It is a bay so it covers almost all winds. Not as windy as the Lisbon area beaches.
Best months: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November
Access description: by Car, Bus - A1 from Lisbon to Porto. Exit at the Peniche direction. When at Peniche follow in the Baleal direction close to the sea. Everything from Peniche to Baleal on your left side it the riding spot. Quiet a walk from parking if you go to the center of the bay. Closer parking at the West side of the bay.
Specific rules: Zones, Time
Extra: During July and August no kitesurfing in the specific swimming zones.
Nightlife: Good restaurants, bars and clubs nearby in 10 minutes walking distance.
Accommodations: Rooms, Camping, School, Shop, Repair, Rental, Rescue, Shower, Toilet, Food, Parking
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Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert
Type: Lagoon
Water type: Shallow, Flat
Water hazards: Shells
Water quality: Clean
Infos: Flat water all over the place. Shells and pebbles in the water, but not much.
Beach type & size: Sand - Big
Infos: Nice sand, maybe a bit too thick, good not to get attached to the kite when folding. Very open space to launch and land the kites.
Identified hazards: None
Beachgoer: None
Weather specificities: Temperatures from 18-30C from May to September. Wetsuit usually necessary, since the water is a bit cold. Off-season is possible.
Wind type: Thermal, Frontal
Wind specificities: Wind varies from 10-30 knots in the good season. Usually very stable NW wind from 15-20 knots. Good with NW wind, typical summer wind in Portugal, ridable everyday from May to September. Off-season not as consistent.
Best months: May, June, July, August, September
Access description: by Boat - From Porto (Oporto) airport take the free way IC1 by car to Viana do Castelo / spain route. At 30 km will find the exit to Esposende. Drive to the north of the town and get to the north of the Rio Cavado. Launch from the river side. Or get over to the peninsula with a boat.
Specific rules: None
Nightlife: Wild night life in summer and at near places as Povoa de Varzim.
Accommodations: School
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Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Small wave, Medium wave
Water hazards: Mole
Water quality: Clean
Infos: Beautiful waves.
Beach type & size: Sand - Medium
Infos: Big, sandy beach. Rocks to the south.
Identified hazards: Rocks
Beachgoer: None
Weather specificities: In the summer air 25-30C. In the winter a wetsuit is necessary. The summer starts in June and you have 3 excellent months.
Wind specificities: Sideshore NNE and SSW.
Access description: by Car - Just north of Viana do Castello on N13 until you get to Villa Praia de Ancora.
Accommodations: Parking
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Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Flat, Chop, Small wave, Medium wave
Water hazards: Mole
Water quality: Clean
Infos: Flat near the pier at the north end of the beach. Right handers waves outside the pier. 2-4 feet side, onshore, easy wave. Best waves during full moon.
Beach type & size: Sand - Big
Infos: Big bay with 2 piers. Sandy beach with no obstacles. Very safe, lots of space.
Identified hazards: None
Beachgoer: July, August, September
Weather specificities: Water 13-18C. Air 15-28C. Wetsuit needed: summer 2/1mm, winter 4/3mm. Season from May to September. Surfing off-season is possible.
Wind type: Thermal
Wind specificities: Summer all days, winds from 12-35 knots. Usual direction is NW, it is also the best direction.
Best months: April, May, June, July, August, September
Access description: by Car, Bus, Train - Oporto airport IC1 road 50 km to Viana do Castelo.
Specific rules: None
Accommodations: Rooms, Camping, School, Shop, Repair, Rental, Shower, Toilet, Food, Parking
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Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean, River
Water type: Shallow, Chop, Small wave
Water hazards: Mole
Water quality: Dirty
Infos: It's a river beach in River Tejo (between Lisbon and Almada). The water is a bit dirty as well as the sand. Soft tide. Waves from 0-1m usually from the left.
Beach type & size: Sand - Medium
Infos: The beach itself looks nice although it's sand is a bit dirty. Good clean sand area to launch and land.
Identified hazards: None
Beachgoer: None
Weather specificities: During winter wetsuit necessary, air 10-20C, water 5-10C, during summer (from June to September's end) shorts are enough, air 25-35C, water 10-20C.
Wind specificities: Usually blows harder than other spots on the shore (about 3 km/h). During summer blows constant, in the winter it can be stable or gusty but surfable.
Best months: June, July, August
Access description: by Car - Arrived at Lisbon Airport head to the other side of the river over Bridge 25 de Abril (from there you can see some silos on the left side there near the spot), pass the bridge and leave the highway in the first exit, to Costa Caparica (IC-20) until the end of it, stay at right lane and turn right heading to Trafaria (lots of round ways), in the last roundway turn right and the first left. At the end of dirt road, between some wood houses, is the spot.
Accommodations: Parking
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Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Small wave, Medium wave
Water hazards: Swimmers
Water quality: Clean
Infos: The beach is good for beginners in surfing. 400m from here there is a good spot for advanced surfers with bigger waves.
Beach type & size: Sand - Big
Infos: Big sandy beach with lots of space.
Identified hazards: None
Beachgoer: None
Weather specificities: Normal wetsuit throughout the year.
Wind type: Frontal
Wind specificities: Best winds in spring and autumn.
Best months: February, March, April, May, June, September, October, November
Access description: by Car, Bus - Buses from Lisbon to Peniche run every 1.5 h, traveling time 1h 15min. By car, take the A8 and then the IP6 to Peniche.
Specific rules: Zones, Time
Extra: In July and August kitesurfing is not allowed in the swimming zones.
Nightlife: There are various restaurants, bars and clubs for entertainment in walking distance.
Accommodations: Rooms, Camping, School, Shop, Repair, Rental, Rescue, Toilet, Food, Parking
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Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Shallow, Small wave, Medium wave
Water hazards: None
Water quality: Clean
Infos: The waves are not too big when the wind is best, but it can reach up to 3-4 meters in a good swell. It depends on the tide, there is a big amplitude in tide change. It is quite shallow on low tide and the wave break far from shore and the opposite happens with high tide. In winter, big waves. In summer 1-1.5 m sometimes 2m (not often) good swell from West. Surfing off-season at your risk, because there is no rescue and the waves are big.
Beach type & size: Sand - Big
Infos: Awesome beach, soft sand without any kind of rock, shells or pebbles, a lot of space so all the crowd can ride safely. Big sand dunes to get to the sea front and about 50 meters of sand from the dunes to the water front.
Identified hazards: None
Beachgoer: June, July, August
Weather specificities: Summer: air around 28-36C, water around 20C, no wetsuit or shorty. Winter: air from 5-15C, water about 15C, 3mm wetsuit. Summer goes from the beginning of March to the end of September.
Wind type: Thermal
Wind specificities: As any coastline the wind are present almost every day. But the nice North wind that in Portugal, we named 'Nortada', blows mostly in summer from early afternoon to the evening, however we can ride all year with winds from the North to West, and mostly in winter the South wind. Summer NW from 10-25 knots, more often 18-20 knots. The predominant wind in summer comes from N/NW.
Best months: May, June, July, August, September
Access description: by Car, Bus, Train - From the Lisbon airport there are a lot of options: by Bus Express to Costa da Caparica where you'll find a 'minitrain' that go along the coast to 'Fonte da Telha' and has a stop in 'Nova Vaga-Kitebeach'. Look for signs pointing South (Eixo N-S) or the Bridge (Ponte 25 de Abril) cross the bridge over the Tejo river and take the first exit to the right (direction Costa da Caparica) go straight to the end of the highway and turn left at the lights. Go straight ahead along the beaches and get out of town going south. When you see no more houses and the road starts going up the hill turn right into a dirt road that continues along the beach. Praia da Nova Vaga is the second last beach along this road (you'll see the kites).
Specific rules: Zones
Extra: It is the official kitebeach. Don't kitesurf on other beaches! Lifeguards will take you off the water.
Accommodations: School, Shop, Rescue, Shower, Toilet, Food, Parking
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Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Small wave, Medium wave
Water hazards: Currents, Reefs, Rocks, Stones, Shells
Water quality: Clean
Infos: You can find some good waves. Lots of shore break at high tide.
Beach type & size: Sand - Medium
Infos: Very nice beach.
Identified hazards: Rocks, Shells
Access description: by Car -
Extra: Respect the local surfers.
Nightlife: Nice restaurants around.
Accommodations: Food, Parking
View spot
Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Small wave, Medium wave
Water hazards: Currents
Water quality: Clean
Beach type & size: Sand - Big
Identified hazards: None
Wind type: Thermal
Best months: May, June, July, August, September
Access description: by Car -
Accommodations: Rooms, Parking
View spot
Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Small wave, Medium wave
Water hazards: Rocks
Water quality: Clean
Infos: The beach is well exposed to the NW swell, most time we get nice waves (1-2 meters). Waves are great for surfing and kitesurfing with North wind (side), gets a bit messy with strong NW but still with good formation thanks to a flat sand bottom. Mid-low/high tide is the best, waves break in the outside and you get perfect planning ground between the sets. At high tide the beach break is a bit strong and you need some commitment to get going. If too windy, waves and hard chop. Waves: they average around 1.0m and 1.5m on more calm days, they don't close on average and they come ordered.
Beach type & size: Sand - Medium
Infos: Guincho is fabulous. It looks a bit scary when seen from the sea because of the rocky surroundings. This is good because people respect it and there are very little accidents. Rocks in each side and at the center of the beach. The beach is very deep and wide and there is lots of free space at the beach because beach crowd goes away from the strong wind. One exit at each end. There aren't much shells, no concrete and no grass. You have enough space to launch your kite with safety. There are no special entries, you just drive there along the road, stop your car on the side way, and walk to the beach!
Identified hazards: Rocks
Weather specificities: Mild and temperate climate, with short winters and long hot summers with a maximum temperature of approximately 28C. Air and water tend to be cold. Specially the water. Wetsuit is mandatory. Season is from April to October. Best season is from June to August. Air 13-28C, water 11-17C.
Wind type: Thermal
Wind specificities: The wind can blow from 15-40 km/h or more. It's a very known spot to windsurf, almost every year there's are a world or European contest of windsurf/funboard. July and August are the best months for kiteboarding, but the wind begins to blow in May and goes on until October. In the West coast the wind usually blows N-NW, in Guincho this wind always gets stronger by a local thermal effect caused by the mountains at North, the big sandy beach and a cold water current at the shore amplifies the cocktail. The local effect can blow up to 35 kts and no wind 5 km from the beach. Mostly 15-25 kts (up to 40 in summer). Best directions: N, NW and W. Usual wind direction: sideshore. Best direction: onshore. If there is sun, you will have wind at Guincho. Even if nothing blowing on the rest of Portugal. If by some reason the wind is not blowing like hell, bring or rent a surfboard, the waves will be there.
Best months: May, June, July, August, September, October
Access description: by Car - Airport Lisbon. Once you get to Lisbon, catch the subway to Cais do Sodre. Once you're there catch the train to Cascais and then bus or Taxi. From Lisbon Airport, take the A5 Motorway to Cascais, leave at the last exit (end), turn left and right at the first roundabout. About 30 km from Lisbon, should take 15 minutes on a rented car. Cascais is a small village with all the facilities, night-life, etc. and is 5 minutes from Guincho.
Specific rules: None
Extra: International rules of common sense should apply, in summer launch at the middle (north or south of rocks) and avoid by all means accidents which might put the spot in trouble for kitesurfing, it is a well known windsurfing spot and no problems with authorities, however kitesurfing still is in probation. No fees or registration needed, just talk with locals for info. We also share the place with a big surfing line-up, they use the spot for ages, lets respect them and avoid stupid arguments, therefore go to the northern side of the beach.
Nightlife: Lots of night life in Cascais, but you should have a go in Lisbon, massive action in summer good vibes with friendly atmosphere. Ask the locals at the beach, people are friendly.
Accommodations: Rooms, Shop, Rescue, Toilet, Food, Parking
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Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Shallow, Medium wave, Big wave
Water hazards: Swimmers, Animals, Currents
Water quality: Crystal clear
Infos: Wave size, naturally depends on weather conditions (1-6m, average is 2m). The beach is very long, and there is a section where surfers tend to ride. Watch out for jelly fish episodes (rare), which with the local restaurant where the lifeguard hangs out first, no sharks, etc. otherwise. The only thing to watch out for is the rocks at north end, but if you go that far you've also passed the designated swimming area. Watch out for currents.
Beach type & size: Sand - Big
Infos: Just sand dunes and watch out for the odd beach sign. During low tide you can walk in fairly far.
Identified hazards: Other
Beachgoer: July, August
Wind type: Trade
Wind specificities: Best from May to October. This is a great wind area, it is common to see delta wings flying in the cliff area.
Best months: May, June, July, August, September, October
Access description: by Car, Bus - Yes, you can see your car parked in the parking lot. Don't leave anything in the car or it will be broken into. Catch highway A8 from Lisboa towards Torres Vedras (exit at Torres Vedras). This is a toll highway. Follow the signs towards Termas do Vimeiro, then Hotel Golf Mar. The beach is south of the hotel, the golf course and the horse riding.
Specific rules: Zones
Extra: Stay out of the designated swimming areas. Respect the locals, it's their beach. Do not litter, use the supplied garbage cans.
Nightlife: Lots of wildlife/nightlife, restaurants, places to stay in Santa Cruz (2 km away). We love to party all night in Santa Cruz. The women are hot!!
Accommodations: Shower, Toilet, Food, Parking
View spot
Level: Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Small wave, Medium wave
Water hazards: Rocks
Water quality: Clean
Infos: Excellent waves.
Beach type & size: Sand - Small
Infos: The beach is only 120m long and has rocks on each side.
Identified hazards: Rocks
Beachgoer: None
Weather specificities: Season from March to September, 15-26C air temps. Off-season possible. 12-20C water, (winter 5/4mm, summer 3/2mm).
Wind specificities: No info yet.
Access description: by Car - From Lisbon A8 north and exit to Mafra on N116. Follow signs to Ericeira and then drive north towards Ribamar to find Ribeira.
Specific rules: None
Extra: Limited space and rocks, for kitesurf experts only.
Accommodations: Parking
View spot
Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Small wave, Medium wave
Water hazards: Rocks
Water quality: Clean
Beach type & size: Sand - Tidal
Identified hazards: Rocks, Concrete
Beachgoer: May, June, July, August, September
Wind type: Thermal
Best months: May, June, July, August, September
Access description: by Car -
Accommodations: Rooms, Parking
View spot
Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Chop, Small wave, Medium wave
Water hazards: Mole
Water quality: Clean
Infos: All tides. Choppy water. Small Waves. Nice waves with South wind.
Beach type & size: Sand - Medium
Infos: Urban beach. Lots of space.
Identified hazards: Rocks
Beachgoer: June, July, August
Weather specificities: Air 12-25C, water 11-17C. A wetsuit is required all the time.
Wind specificities: Not very often good winds but if it has 10-20 knots. Usual direction is NW and SW, best directions are W, S and SW.
Access description: by Car - Airport SA Carneiro Oporto IC24 road direction Porto road via rapida to Matosinhos.
Accommodations: Shop, Rescue, Shower, Toilet, Food, Parking
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