hey all heading to Portugal and Spain in Sept this year any tips on Sup locations would be great thanks
Select to expand quoteScotchman72 said..
hey all heading to Portugal and Spain in Sept this year any tips on Sup locations would be great thanks
Nazarre
actually heading just south of there Peniche thought there might be a few blokes on here that know some beaches over there love to see the swell at Nazarre during winter !
Hi Scotchman72
I'm Portuguese so I can give you some advice.
September is a great season for SUP here; the weather is great (wind is lighter than July/August) and the first good swells are just coming in.
There's a lot of options here.
I live in Porto (where I have my SUP business) and I consider this area the best SUP destination in Europe:
- Matosinhos beach is perfect for SUP Waves (size varies along the beach, so it's good for all leves), with sand bottoms, no rocks, rips or shorebreaks. There's also a few more powerful beachbreaks just north for smaller swells and world class waves in Espinho (a bit south)
- One of the best coasts for open ocean downwind. The coast is facing west and the wind (in the afternoon) and swell are generally N/NW
- Lots of flatwater locations: the Douro river divides the cities of Porto and Gaia and you can do a tour by SUP and enjoy the views from a World Heritage Location by UNESCO; you can also paddle in small Douro tributaries surrounded only by the Natures.
Porto is an awesome city, bursting with activity and great views. The city is cheap, easy to walk around and with great food and wine.
Other regions:
West Coast (Peniche, Nazar?, etc). - Peniche has a lot of different spots and since it's a peninsula you can always get good surf no matter how windy it is. It has large surf crowds and dozens of schools so it can get stressful at times. If you explore a bit out of Peniche you can find other spots with less crowd. Nazar? is a nice small village but even with smaller swells it's still a very heavy spot.
Ericeira: great fishing village with cool vibe a bit South from Peniche and North of Lisbon. Just like the North Shore of Oahu you can find half a dozen world class breaks in just a few kms. Better during Fall/Winter and in some spots the vibe from the locals towards SUP is unfriendly (when the good spots are firing it gets crowded and super-competitive).
West coast of Algarve: While the South coast of Algarve is just a big Summer resort with no waves and full of tourism, the West coast is still wild (it's a national park) and very consistent. The break do get crowded during Summer (locals and hords of visiting surfers) but they start to mellow in September. The vibe on the beach is great and you can find good spots to stay and excellent food.
Hope it helps!
Currently in Spain. Was in Nazare last week but it was mostly flat and windy. Hoping to get a SUP next week at San Sebastian
I had some good surf at Viano do castelo, perfect camp site next to the beach , great vibe in the water.
Spain , I just love San Vicente de la Barquera. perfect waves for Sup and if you want flat water in the bay
I can recommend in Portugal Mauka Lodge run by Tiago Silva. Located in Ericeira. He knows all the best SUP spots.
In northern Spain, Somo, Sunces and Noja are good spots for SUP surfing. These are close to Santander. The Mediterranean coast of Spain is unpredictable and depends on wind etc. North of Spain is better choice.
Select to expand quoteviatormundi said..
I can recommend in Portugal Mauka Lodge run by Tiago Silva. Located in Ericeira. He knows all the best SUP spots.
In northern Spain, Somo, Sunces and Noja are good spots for SUP surfing. These are close to Santander. The Mediterranean coast of Spain is unpredictable and depends on wind etc. North of Spain is better choice.
yep! i agree with viatormundi, tiago is great and knows his spots !
Select to expand quoteSupnorte said..
Hi Scotchman72
I'm Portuguese so I can give you some advice.
September is a great season for SUP here; the weather is great (wind is lighter than July/August) and the first good swells are just coming in.
There's a lot of options here.
I live in Porto (where I have my SUP business) and I consider this area the best SUP destination in Europe:
- Matosinhos beach is perfect for SUP Waves (size varies along the beach, so it's good for all leves), with sand bottoms, no rocks, rips or shorebreaks. There's also a few more powerful beachbreaks just north for smaller swells and world class waves in Espinho (a bit south)
- One of the best coasts for open ocean downwind. The coast is facing west and the wind (in the afternoon) and swell are generally N/NW
- Lots of flatwater locations: the Douro river divides the cities of Porto and Gaia and you can do a tour by SUP and enjoy the views from a World Heritage Location by UNESCO; you can also paddle in small Douro tributaries surrounded only by the Natures.
Porto is an awesome city, bursting with activity and great views. The city is cheap, easy to walk around and with great food and wine.
Other regions:
West Coast (Peniche, Nazar?, etc). - Peniche has a lot of different spots and since it's a peninsula you can always get good surf no matter how windy it is. It has large surf crowds and dozens of schools so it can get stressful at times. If you explore a bit out of Peniche you can find other spots with less crowd. Nazar? is a nice small village but even with smaller swells it's still a very heavy spot.
Ericeira: great fishing village with cool vibe a bit South from Peniche and North of Lisbon. Just like the North Shore of Oahu you can find half a dozen world class breaks in just a few kms. Better during Fall/Winter and in some spots the vibe from the locals towards SUP is unfriendly (when the good spots are firing it gets crowded and super-competitive).
West coast of Algarve: While the South coast of Algarve is just a big Summer resort with no waves and full of tourism, the West coast is still wild (it's a national park) and very consistent. The break do get crowded during Summer (locals and hords of visiting surfers) but they start to mellow in September. The vibe on the beach is great and you can find good spots to stay and excellent food.
Hope it helps!
hi Supnorte thanks heaps mate for the info it will be a great help we are travelling around a bit from Lagos up to Porto looking forward to checking out all the beaches and Beer !!
Select to expand quoteviatormundi said..
I can recommend in Portugal Mauka Lodge run by Tiago Silva. Located in Ericeira. He knows all the best SUP spots.
In northern Spain, Somo, Sunces and Noja are good spots for SUP surfing. These are close to Santander. The Mediterranean coast of Spain is unpredictable and depends on wind etc. North of Spain is better choice.
thanks mate :)
Select to expand quoteScotchman72 said..
hi Supnorte thanks heaps mate for the info it will be a great help we are travelling around a bit from Lagos up to Porto looking forward to checking out all the beaches and Beer !!
From Lagos to Porto you can go trhough the entire coast and check all the good spots. And there's plenty of SUPer Bock to drink!
