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. The range of water states available to paddle is 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 fitness work 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 fast, refined peaks which increase in size as you move down the bay. Just a few hundred metres down the beach from the hotel the waves are very consistent with little swell needed to bring the sandbars into action. An indication of just how good the surf here is can be found right next to the hotel in the form of the Portugese Surfing Federation’s High Performance Surf Centre – which hosts teams from Portugal and around Europe to train as well as being the base for many national and international surf contests. If downwinders are your thing, then in summer a strong thermal wind blows side-shore from late morning most days there is clear skies and a north breeze forecast. If you think all this sounds too good to be true then put ‘Viana do Castelo surfing’ 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 watersports area in front of the hotel is well patrolled by lifeguards who have a rescue boat from May to September. I visited in July and we experienced the normal summer conditions of fun sized waves and easy paddling. It was surprisingly uncrowded and one solo evening session in fast and clean waist to shoulder peaks right in front of the hotel was a stand out memory from the trip. Early mornings were always quiet but really without too much effort we scored mellow sessions. There’s plenty of waves in the area to spread crowds out and the locals we met were all super friendly. SUP also really helps you score uncrowded waves here as you can find smaller peaks that prone surfers ignore. Personally I’ll happily take a reduction in wave size for reduction in crowd any day and the natural size of the bay helps to find your own space.
The main break in front of the hotel offers good beach break conditions with a fast left and longer right and in low swell conditions, down the beach about 500 metres is a break by some rocks which is the go-to spot in small swells. The enclosed harbour area inside the breakwater adjacent to the main break offers flat water and further up the river Lima, which flows out to the sea here, there is plenty of SUP cruising options through gorgeous waterways and the hotel offers guided SUP tours with drop off and pick up options available. The main beach area 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. The hotel’s SUP rental kit is stored at a large centre at the main entrance to the beach which also doubles as the hotel’s beach bar/café serving sandwiches, salads, soft drinks, wine, Somersby cider and beer at €1.50 / glass. 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.
