During a never-ending lockdown, I made a list of countries that I really wanted to travel to or discover. Each of these destinations was labelled with the best time to travel for wind and waves and who I wanted to go on this adventure with.
Thanks to windsurfing, I've already seen a lot of the world and every single trip has shaped and enriched me. Exploring new countries, learning to organise yourself, making new friends and returning to your everyday life with memories that no one can take away from you - that's what makes travelling interesting for me. Every trip changes you, makes you a more open-minded person and sharpens your eye for the things that are really important in life!
Of course, the desired destination doesn't necessarily always have to be at the other end of the world, as many local spots also have their appeal. Also with regard to our CO2 footprint, this is certainly an issue that needs to be considered. How can we think about travelling by plane with a clear conscience? Isn't that selfish?
Everything is transient, and so freedoms can also change. Be it through political change, health, financial status or whatever. I think it can be very refreshing to set new impulses and discover new horizons from time to time. Of course, it's also about the right balance and way of travelling - but being permanently in my hometown of Saarbrücken is not an option.
When the infection situation in Europe seemed to ease in spring 2021 and countries slowly reopened their borders, I decided to pick up my wish list and seize the opportunity to set off for Portugal.
For some inexplicable reason, apart from short professional detours such as an event in Guincho or a photo shoot in the Algarve, I never really managed to take a closer look at the country and its endless potential for waves. I wanted to discover the coast together with my family and simply gather new inspiration and go on a voyage of discovery.
We are planning a road trip with a campervan along the coast. The "Nortada" thermal wind promises to be strong in the coming days, so we decide to set off for Lisbon and hire a campervan on site.
No sooner said than done, together with boardbags, Maxi Cosi, pushchair, corona tests for the whole family, we, Maluka (1), Keano (4) and my wife Marie, sit in Lisbon a few days later after a three-hour flight and take delivery of our campervan. It's a converted bus equipped with four folding beds and additional storage space for my surfing luggage.
Surf spots along the route
GUINCHO
The first stop on our journey is the former World Cup spot of Guincho, which is around 30 minutes outside of Lisbon. In a nearby village, we ask a farmer for permission to camp in his meadow. With a view of the sea, we find a meadow between two hills where we set up camp for the next few days. Better than any hotel room. Pure freedom.
In the following days, the wind rhythm is extremely family-friendly - in the morning there is usually a calm on the beach, perfect for a beach breakfast, at lunchtime there is a light breeze, just right for exploring the surrounding markets or playgrounds and in the afternoon the rather fresh north wind builds up with great reliability, blowing through the bay of Guincho until sunset. I usually sail my 3.7 metre sail well powered up. A powerful wind wave one to two metres high thunders onto the shallow sandbank. The wind blows sideshore over the green hills into the bay and can get quite gusty in the shore area. This sometimes makes getting out over the shore break a lottery. Further out, however, there are two to three metre high ramps from which you can easily beam into orbit.
After three hours a day at full throttle on the water, I return to our "luxury suite" exhausted. The children are usually asleep by then and after a good meal fresh from the camping cooker, we switch off the lights.
ERICEIRA
The Eldorado for surfers is actually known for its clean reef breaks and is therefore relatively crowded with surfers. However, when the "Nortada" gets going, you usually have the spot to yourself. Especially when it's almost too strong in Guincho, you can find usable waves with winds of 4.7 in Ericeira 50 minutes to the north. The town beach in Matadoura is quite rocky, but as soon as you pass the rocks in front of it, a clean wave breaks in front of a steep coast that allows three to four good turns. Here too, the best time for a session is around mid-afternoon, when the evening thermals are at their best.
Unexpectedly, Spanish ripper Nacho Rocha, a mate of Victor Fernandez with whom I have already shared several sessions around the globe, is also part of the party. He knows the spots in the neighbourhood and the best bars in the old town. It's a beautiful little town with a special flair of southern serenity and old seafaring tradition. It smells of fresh fish, coupled with the salty sea air. After a meal in a simple bar, we stagger back to our mobile hostels through the narrow streets, having had a few too many beers.
VIANA DO CASTELO
Viana do Castelo is located near the Spanish border in the north of Portugal. The forecast looks good for the next few days and so we accept the invitation from the Feelviana sports hotel, which emphasises water sports. Although we feel quite comfortable in our bus, we don't turn down the family room kindly offered to us by the hotel management. We splash around in the pool with the children, go on bike excursions into the old town and in the afternoon I hit the water as usual. The waves are small but nice and run into the bay at long intervals. As the waves rarely get higher than one and a half metres, wave beginners and freeriders in particular get their money's worth here. For us as a family, it's a nice change from the "Spartan" bus routine - which also has its advantages. After a two-day wellness programme, however, we are back on the road and follow the wind south.
VAN LIFE
I love travelling by coach, the maximum flexibility, where you can react spontaneously to wind and weather. That's why I prefer a simple bed on the bus to a posh hotel room. It's also clear that the infrastructure at most beach car parks is not designed for wild camping and the authorities are no fun in this respect. In Portugal in particular, there is generally a lack of sanitary facilities and large rubbish bins. Nevertheless, the advantages of a mobile home near a surf spot are unrivalled, as long as you stick to the rules that should be clear to you as a surfing guest in a foreign country. Respect is therefore written in capital letters. If you are also travelling with a family, it is important to know that there are places sheltered from the wind or a shady spot at the relevant locations and that the conditions for a good time for wife and children are in place. According to the motto "happy wife, happy life", it was therefore helpful to plan family time and an alternative programme in the morning hours. Even though it wasn't my own campervan, I was convinced by the concept of campers that you can comfortably rent for a certain period of time.
CONCLUSIONS:
As I type this (June 2021), Portugal is in lockdown again. I am grateful for the chance to discover new horizons with my family and to have spent a lot of time on the water. With a wind yield of 100 per cent, you certainly can't complain. Knowing where and when the best wave and wind conditions would prevail was not always easy to predict due to the thermal winds. And so I listened to the advice of a local windsurfer who told me to "come to the beach every day around 4 pm, then it should work." After two weeks in Portugal, I'm heading back to Germany with lots of good memories. Goodbye and hopefully see you next time.
Spot info
Flights:
Almost all European airlines fly to Lisbon, which is 30 minutes away from the first surf spots.
Car hire:
Being mobile is a must in order to be able to react to the wind. Car hire is available from the traditional hire companies at the airport. If you want to hire a car and accommodation in one, Indie Campers is a good value option. Prices vary greatly depending on the size and time you are travelling. For example, Flo's mobile costs around 100 euros per day in July. www.indiecampers.de
Climate and wind:
The air is quite fresh in the summer months due to the cold Nortada wind. A thick jumper is a must in the evening. The Atlantic rarely gets above 18 degrees, so it's good to have at least a shorty or even a 4/3 mm neo in your luggage.
The best time for windsurfing is from May to September. The main wind direction is north-northeast. The wind is primarily generated by a heat low over the Iberian Peninsula and an Azores high over the Atlantic. The wind usually builds up steadily over the course of the day and can reach gale force towards the afternoon, especially at spots such as Guincho.
Costs:
A trip to Portugal won't usually break your budget: For little money, you can find good accommodation, delicious food and even flights to Portugal are affordable, as is a hire car, which is available from 15 euros per day.
