NATURAL ATTRACTIONS
The area’s natural attractions are obvious, the river Lima meanders to the sea through the verdant hills that fringe the coast. The sea air mixes with the essence of the rich greenery that surrounds for a healthy cocktail to inhale. But perhaps most attractive for a windsurfer is the wind. Thermal by nature, it arrives with clear skies and is accelerated by the local topography of the hill overlooking the beaches. For the thermal effect to work requires a north component to the forecast direction, clear skies and forecast temperatures of a very comfortable mid 20°C., with all that in place you can rest assured that the strength will be much greater than what forecasting services like windguru will predict. Locals claim it has the most consistent wind in Portugal and typical sail size is 4.7 but what really sets the area apart is just how long the wind blows; the wind can settle in as early as 10 or 11 am and blow until sunset. That means you can binge on multiple sessions during the day or relax knowing that it’s there for whenever you need it. The range of water states available is equally impressive. The large breakwaters that form the entrance to the port of Viana do Castelo mean that inside the harbour area is dead flat water for slalom or learning while just immediately outside and adjacent to the breakwaters, the water is again flat unless there is swell, which the breakwaters actually then do a good job of cleaning the waves up into refined peaks which increase in size as you move down the bay. The wind is side shore and if you think all this sounds too good to be true then put ‘Viana do Castelo windsurfing’ into YouTube and you will soon see its potential!
The natural ‘horseshoe’ shape of the bay means you can’t end up in too much trouble, but as an added safeguard the main windsurfing area is well patrolled by lifeguards. Indeed to ensure safety, José kindly funded a rescue boat for the lifeguards that operates in the main windsurfing season from May to September and offers free safety cover for customers of the hotel’s windsurfing centre. The predominant direction is starboard tack and in the course of the week that I visited in July we experienced the normal summer conditions of easy cross-shore sailing with flat water or some small waves. Local sailors will often sail further down the bay for bigger waves or less crowded conditions and whilst the number of sailors and kitesurfers in the main area was busy, the size of the beach meant it never felt crowded, rather an assuring number of like minded water users to enjoy the conditions with. Indeed the whole beach has a very relaxing vibe with families enjoying the sand and sea, nestling into the natural windbreaks of the dunes if the wind is too strong.
At the main entrance to the beach is the hotels’s hire kit centre and beach bar/café for a refreshing pre or post sail snack or drink. The walk from the hotel to the beach takes about 5 minutes and is a great way to start the day with a beach check by foot or my preferred option – renting one of the hotel’s ‘fat bikes’ with huge oversized tyres that make it possible to cycle on the sand. The paths to the beach are beautiful wooden boardwalks in keeping with the well managed dune systems and nature reserves they cross. Both José and the local council are very keen that the tourism they develop is sustainable and protects the beauty of the environment that is
the area’s drawcard.