WHAT MAKES JUNE SO SPECIAL FOR ME
In my previous text about surfing in May, I described why the start of spring in Gelfa is so special for me. May is really great for surfing in northern Portugal, but June is in no way inferior!
In my opinion, nowhere is the change of seasons more noticeable than by the sea. The change from spring to early summer begins in Gelfa sometime at the end of May, sometimes not until the beginning of June – the morning air no longer has that cold breeze, during the day you slowly start to hide from the sun and at some point during this period there is usually another really big swell. Summer is slowly arriving, nature is changing: the small wooden walkway that leads from our camp to the beach is slowly becoming overgrown with bushes and the little green gecko that has been living in the cracked part of the walkway directly in front of the camp for years is suddenly appearing more often during the day and lying in the sun.
The north wind, which comes more regularly at some point in midsummer, is still a rarity in June – which means it can get really warm during the day. You don’t need any protection from the wind on the beach, you can lie around all day on our four-poster beds in the camp and look out to sea, play spikeball and beach volleyball, table tennis….’s just a shame that you don’t enjoy using the sauna quite as much now. You have to come at the beginning of May or the end of October for that 😉
The water temperature is similar to May, the wetsuit remains the most important piece of clothing, but in June the sun is usually already strong enough in the morning that you can sit on the beach after surfing and watch the waves. And, very subjectively: I think June is the month when I’ve seen the dolphins most often, as they always come by our bay 😊
LEARN TO SURF IN JUNE ON THE COSTA VERDE
The perfect month for beginners and advanced users
June is a great month for me to learn to surf on the Costa Verde, the wave conditions are ideal for beginners as well as intermediates and advanced surfers. The really big winter swells are no longer to be expected in June, but we still have super consistent and sometimes big wave conditions. Thanks to the crescent shape of our bay in Gelfa, we always have the opportunity to find a suitable spot and teach in maximum shoulder-high conditions. As a rule: at the southern end of the bay, i.e. in front of the camp, it is usually a bit bigger – a few meters north along the beach it quickly gets smaller. So you can decide each time what you feel like doing.
For me, this is a big advantage over the classic summer months: you almost always have the choice between a smaller and a larger wave.
And, most importantly for me: the lineup in our bay is not particularly crowded in June, there’s a very informal atmosphere – you know the faces, the spot in front of our camp is almost exclusively surfed by us at this time of year.
YOGA AND SURFING
The perfect combination
At our camp, yoga always takes place outside and from mid-May, or early June at the latest, the small wooden platform by the sea is completely taken over by us. Here you have the opportunity to do yoga right by the water, to be outside and ideally to find yourself a little more. In addition to the daily open yoga classes that we offer throughout the year, we also host various yoga retreats in June – our teachers come from various studios throughout Germany and offer retreats on many different topics. From calm yin yoga and meditation to dynamic vinyasa yoga, there is something for everyone.
Yoga and surfing complement each other really well, regardless of whether you focus on yoga or surfing – for me personally, surfing is the main focus and also the reason why we opened the camp here in Gelfa many years ago. But whenever I manage to get myself up and go to yoga, I always feel like I’ve done something good for myself afterwards.
NORTH PORTUGAL
In June
The surf is fantastic in June, yoga complements the whole thing perfectly and our two chefs will make sure that you have everything you need and are well looked after (this is the case all year round, by the way). But even if you’re not in the water or on the mat, there’s plenty to discover in northern Portugal in June – if you manage to tear yourself away from our various chill-out and sunbathing areas in the camp garden. Nature really wakes up, everything starts to blossom and the hikes in the hinterland up to the Sierra d’Arga are really worthwhile. You can even spot wild horses here and there are lots of waterfalls nearby!
The first festivals take place in the surrounding towns and cities, and in Caminha, the border town with Spain, the nightlife slowly begins. And of course, the São João festival in Porto is waiting to be explored at the end of June – rubber mallet and sky lanterns included.
THE GOODTIMES SURF CAMP
In June
The evenings are getting longer now, the temperatures sometimes even last into the evening – it’s a given that we’ll be eating dinner outside in June. The sunset now slowly moves directly in front of the camp, you don’t even have to get up from the table to watch the sun fall into the sea.
And the next morning the whole thing starts all over again – get up, coffee in hand, a few steps to the beach. When the wave is up, you’ll be changed in no time and sitting in the lineup.
