II ATLANTIC VIBRATIONS

“During ’hot’ Days in the summer, the sea might go up to 18 C; when intenDing to riDe Viana Do Costelo, you better haVe your warm wetsuit in the quiVer! “

atlantiC V ibrations

THE NORTH (destination-airport: Porto; but of course can be reached by road from Lisbon as well, approx. 300km)

Viana do Castelo: From Porto approx. 55 km of journey on the highway. A very big beach with super clean sand, no dangers. Works with wind from N to SW but the best wind is NW. Consistent north wind in summer, i.e. till the beginning of September. After that the fun is usually over. During normal days average kitesize 9m2-14m2. This spot is rather for advancerd kitesurfers due to the rocks in the water. You can chose between flatwater-fun and good wave action (1-3m). The water here can be rather cool, especially on days with strong wind, as a reference: water during ’hot’ days in the summer might go up to 18 º C, i.e. when intending riding Viana do Costelo, you better have your warm wetsuit in the quiver! Kitecenter web pages: www.vianalocals.com Esposende: From Porto or Viana easy to find, just follow the signs on the IC1. Wide open beach, safe to land and launch with some smaller sanddunes. Due to its triangular shape Esposende works with wind from almost all directions, best being: N. Considerable tidal-difference (1/2m) in water level thus super flat at low, nice midsized beachbreak at higher tide. There is also a kiteable rivermouth! f

An easy on the central coast

Portugal: that land of daring seafarers and discoverers. It lies out in the extreme southwest of Atlantic Europe on the west coast of the Iberian peninsula, offers countless possibilities to kitesurf. Despite its relatively diminutive proportions (a piddley 561 km by 218 km, ha!), Portugal fascinates with diverse scenery - rock coasts, sandy beaches, lakes, rivers, mountains, hills, levels, islands ... – and the 823 km of Atlantic coastline...

There’s a multifaceted choice from shallow flatwater havens to fat wave-action, and everything in between: lagoon kitesurfing, rivermouths, chilled cruising in breathtaking scenery, just wake up and take your pick.... I had the pleasure of exploring the of this amazing country by car for four weeks. Here is a selection of spots running from the North to the Algarve region in the South. A true ’windgaranty’ that you may find in Brazil, cannot be given in Portugal. As a general rule of thumb, the following works pretty well: summer (May till beginning of September) is the best time, but there are some spots that work better in spring and autumn. Ait temperature up North is usually more chilly than further down South, so is the water. It’s definitely recommended to bring a wetsuit all year, in the summer most of the time a thinner one (4/3, 3/2, Algarve: shortie) will be sufficient, the rest of the year you better take the ‘fatty’ along! (And I don’t mean the other half!)

GettinG itchy feet And the urGe to jAck it in for A couple of months? of course you are, we all are. But hold off on that indo

ticket for now, portugal may just be your budget friendly way...and you can take your motor/other half. Gabi steindl reports.

Words: GABriele steindl Photos: pedro silvA, GABriele steindl

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II ATLANTIC VIBRATIONS

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CENTRAL PORTUGAL (destination-airport: Lisbon)

Foz do Arelho: Approx. 130 km from Lisbon, on the A8 in the direction of TORES VEDRAS, exit ‘FOZ DE ARELHO ‘. From here simply just follow your nose, straight ahead until you see the water. Inlet lagoon with shallow, waist-deep area, ideal for beginners and freestylers. The wind varies in direction (from SW to N) and strength, on average 10m2 - 16m2. A lot of space, no dangerous currents. In the summer kitesurfing is prohibited when it is getting busy with swimmers.IKO Kitecenter on site: www.escoladeveladalagoa.comPraia de Peniche de Cima (Praia do Cerro):Seemingly endless beach, southerly side (closest to Peniche village) is a kitesurf centre and that’s where the wind enters best from either direction (N, NE, W, NW). Best time is in spring and autumn, with waves up to 2m. Further up the beach (towards the next village Baleal) it is increasingly surfers-area (not described here as the wind can get tricky due to the peninsula Baleal) with up to 100 surfers in the line-up on a good day. Peniche is Portugal’s second best surfing-neighbourhood (beside Ericeira), thus one can figure wind-statistics here are not the greatest. Best time: spring and winter, bringingsolid swell. If you pass by here, you should definitely do a little excursion to ‘Óbidos’ one of the nicest and most atmospheric small towns in the country with a wonderfully preserved castle: white-limed, flowers-decorated small houses, cobblestone-paved lanes surrounded by a fully intact and walk-on city wall.Santa Cruz: Approx. 40km to the North of Lisbon, venue of the ‘Santa Cruz Ocean Spirit’, the international festival in wave sports (kitesurf, surfing, bodyboard, kayaksurf etc.). Santa Cruz covers an extended stretch of sand that is divided up into various beaches named after the respective cafes. For kitesurfing, try popular Praia do Mirante. However, the best spot along this stretch depends upon wind- and swell direction. Predominantly NW wind with nice waves. Best season, same as for Guincho. Most of the time the spots of Santa Cruz work only when Guincho is ‘going off’ (25++ knots). Careful with the rocks on land and in the water! Guincho:From Lisbon on the highway to Cascais, drive another 5 km (singposted) to the beach. Very wide, long sandy beach between high rocks, i.e. a lot of space to launch. Except for the rocks at either side of the beach and at the centre in the water (well visible), no dangers. In the summer the beach can get supercrowded with bathers, only during light wind days though, as soon as the wind picks up, the crowd leaves. Ideal wind direction is N NW W. A kind of ’foehn wind’ comes down from the neighbouring hills of Sintra, that makes this strip the most reliable in terms of wind. Normally when it is windy here, it is pretty strong (5m2 – 9m2). Usually starting in the early afternoon, it continuously increases in strength, in the evening often 30 knots + and very gusty with big holes. The beach is well exposed to the NW swell (usually 1-2m) but can easily top that on ‘big days’. Waves can get a bit messy with strong NW and are best at mid-tide. At high tide there is a serious beachbreak, thus entering the water can be tricky and one should be well powered up in order to avoid being immediatley ‘spat out again’. Further outside the wind is a couple of knots stronger than along the beachline. Attention: dangerous undercurrent. Not for beginners!!Waters and air temperature are always a little cooler here than in the vicinity (air 13-28°C, water 11-19°C), best time is from May to September. There is a big surf community which has been riding this spot for ages, please respect them in the line-up as well as the windsurfers who stick to the most northern side of the beach. Local kiteschool that teaches on more suitable spots for beginners: www.gustykite.com

Nova Vaga: 20min from Lisbon, the only official kite beach in Portugal. Works with winds from SW to N, thus kitesurfing pretty much all-year round. In summer predomintantly: N, NW; winter: S. Big, sandy beach, super safe to launch and land, no rocks. Kitecam, kitestores & school (in the summer). Usually small waves (less than 1m) but can get up to 2.5m (those days, Guincho often is up to 4m!). Windwise everything is possible: 9m2-16m2. Rather warm water (around 20 ºC), thus it is often possible to leave the wetsuit in the car!

Lagoa de Albufeira: 30mins from Lisbon. Perfect flatwater lagoon, separated from the sea by a 50m sand bank (depending on tide, sometimes direct access to the ocean). During the summer months rather busy with kiteschools and swimmers. Oceanside: small waves with onshore wind. Best time: summer with NW, 10-22 knots, more often 18/20 knots. Winter: from E, NE, N, NW, W - not as good as in summer.

“the big free parking areas by the beaCh (often eVen with wireless internet hotspots! ) are full of traVellers anD surfers from all oVer the worlD. the atmoshpere is super Cozy”

THE SOUTH / ALGARVE (destination-airport: Faro; but of course can be reached by road from Lisbon as well, approx. 250km)

Carrapateira: Beautiful beach with amazing scenery, huge sanddunes and lots of space. Resembles Guincho a bit with rocks on the left side. According to season normally really powerful waves (0,5 – 3m), working with all tidelevels and handling any direction of swell. Wind all year (7m2 – 14m2). Best season from March to October. Normally very stable wind. Summer: NW thus onshore, winter: NE-NW, i.e. can be offshore at times.Alvor: 75 km from Faro airport, venue of the PKRA Worldcup. Lagoon (rivermouth): choppy with some shallow areas, perfect for beginners (watch out for the few rocks!). Best season: summer with NW, NNW, then it is the perfect flatwaterplayground with offshore wind. It only works when sunny (!!). The wind normaly starts around lunch (12m2) and picks up later in the day (25 knots+). Super nice freestyle spot for all levels. Space to launch depends upon the tide and can be very limited at high tide in the lagoon. Kitesurfing is prohibited in the swimmers zone in the ocean east of the life guard hut in the summer.Faro Barrinha: A bit like Alvor, with a lagoon and the sea, with side off winds, and sometimes with 2-3m waves. Nice beach with lots of space. No rocks, usually when the wind is too strong in Tarifa (50/60 knots) you can find a chilled 20 knots here. Works with almost every direction as one can choose between the lagoon or the sea.Altura: Close to the border of Spain. Works best with SW. Huge beach, no dangers in a 20km radius. Choppy water without the typical Atlantic swell! During the summer windy almost every day (9m2 – 16m2). Winter (Oct-April): top spot with 15-25 knots from the East, coming from Gibraltar that only works in the south of Portugal. Side/side-onshore from either side (E, SE, SW, WSW). f

on the boulevard of breaking dreams

Gabi smacks some nova vaga swell

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Portugal fascinated me as an incredibly beautiful, multifarious country and I certainly would like to return in the near future. It is best explored by bus or camper van, since as opposed to neighbouring Spain or France, stopping and staying overnight in the vehicle is permitted everywhere! Many of the big parking areas (often even with wireless internet hotspots!) at the popular surfing spots are full of buses with a unique and super cozy atmosphere amongst surfers and travellers from all around the world.

Concerning the prices (supermarkets, restaurants etc.) Portugal is a bit cheaper than Central Europe (except for gasoline!) as well as France and Spain. The Portuguese are welcoming and hospitable. Portuguese language skills are certainly an advantage but one can ’survive’ without.

Useful / facts + info

How to get thereThree international airports: Lisbon, Porto, and Faro, served by several airlines. The Portuguese TAP Portugal offer most connections. The flight Frankfurt-Lisbon takes about three hours. Charter companies are often cheaper than scheduled flights. Check Easy Jet for Faro flights.

Rental cars & trafficRenting a car is a bit more expensive on average than in neighbouring Spain. The road system is well developed. The most important motorways are chargeable. Caution: European accident statistics rate Portugal’s roads amongst the most unsafe particularly during rush hour in the cities.

Food & drink:The Portuguese kitchen is rich in seafood and tasty rice dishes, however, the rather simple, rich dishes which often are prepared with a lot of olive oil, never quite reached international fame. Deserts and sweets are legendary, though, so is all the differnet kinds of white, rustique bread and buns sold in any of the countless bakeries or coffee houses.Marisqueiras are specialized in seafood, Churrasqueiras offer grilled meat (mostly chicken) and grilled fish, Cervejarias are in general big, simple restaurants in which mainly beer is consumed. Wines of Portugal are among in the world. Two wine specialities are the sparkling- Vinho Verde and the Port.

Have fun!Yours Gabi www.kitegabi.com. ;

II ATLANTIC VIBRATIONS

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Back rolling off a lil‘ wedgey one

no shortage of swell here

A local, chillaxing