Surfing in the north of Portugal

Insights, Portugal Costa Verde, Surfen
To the surf camp

Surfing in the north of Portugal

Michael Kirchner·10. November 2023·0 comments

Surfing and climate in northern Portugal

SURFING IN THE NORTH OF PORTUGAL: SAFE WAVES, DIFFERENT FACES AND SURF EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES

Our surf camp is open from May to November.
There are almost always waves on the northern Portuguese coast and in May, June and October in particular, one or two good swells will also bring us bigger waves. The probability of good conditions is consistently high when surfing in the north of Portugal, and compared to France or Spain, we definitely have the edge during our seasonal periods.

Thanks to our versatile bay directly in front of our surf camp with different sandbanks and orientations, we have options for all surf courses even with larger swells and the possibility to choose a larger or smaller wave for surfing as required.

Surfing in the north of Portugal - Surfers on the dune looking out to sea

In May & June and October, the temperatures in northern Portugal are already relatively high, but at night it can be a little cooler than you are used to in France, for example. It’s worth putting on a sweater or thin jacket from time to time. In July & September, it is warm in the middle of summer.

PRAIA DA GELFA – OUR BAY

VERSATILE SHAFT MAGNET

Our bay in front of the camp is north-west facing and the curvature makes for many different spots that work well at different times and conditions. The waves in the southern part of the bay are particularly suitable for smaller days. The northern side of the bay is protected by a breakwater and offers a great alternative on big days. The middle of the bay often breaks a little stronger, so advanced surfers are sure to get their money’s worth here. There is always a wave in this bay and everyone will find their favorite spot here.

Goodtimes surf camp in the north of Portugal, surfers on the beach with surfboards

SURFING IN THE NORTH OF PORTUGAL – MORE SPOTS ON COSTA VERDE

DIVERSE SELECTION OF SURF SPOTS FOR ALL CONDITIONS

The north of Portugal naturally offers many more surfing spots. Cabedelo – the sports beach of Viana Do Castelo – is a surf spot for big days. The large pier in the harbor ensures that the waves are well sorted and gently breaking, and are always much smaller than here in the bay directly in front of the surf camp. The spot offers a good alternative if the waves on our doorstep get too big.

Surfing in the north of Portugal, surfers at the takeoff in front of the Goodtimes surf camp

Our neighboring bays Afife and Moledo are sometimes better and sometimes worse than our spot, depending on the wave direction and wind. If you would like to have a look around, we will be happy to help you with tips on other spots. As our bay offers many different waves, we usually stay in Gelfa with our courses.

SURF EQUIPMENT AT GOODTIMES SURFCAMP

THE RIGHT SURFBOARD FOR EVERY LEVEL AT THE TEST CENTER

For our surf courses, we use softboards for beginners. If you are interested, we have hardboards that are suitable for switching to advanced surf equipment. We will be happy to take an extra surfboard for you during the courses so that you can change from time to time.

For advanced surfers, we have a test center with numerous surfboards from shortboards to longboards and everything in between. So you can experiment and have the right board for every wave size.

On the Costa Verde, the water of the Atlantic is unfortunately not warm enough to surf in board shorts. That’s why we also have wetsuits at our surf camp that you can use outside of the surf courses. Our wetsuits are 4 mm thick and more than sufficient for an extensive session.

All our equipment is always available to you, even outside the courses.

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Michael Kirchner

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Diets and intolerances

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We know how important it is to feel good on vacation - and that includes individually tailored catering. Our experienced chefs can easily serve you purely vegetarian or vegan food throughout the week and individual intolerances such as coeliac disease, lactose or fructose intolerances are also taken into account. Meals are not simply changed, but cooked separately. It is best to let us know when you make your booking so that we can plan accordingly.

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