100 AUGUST 2019PORTUGAL
Have windSUP, will travel!L
ooking for an easy, uncomplicated
windsurf trip somewhere close to home?
A weekend of genuine discovery and
pure fun on the water? For me, escaping
for a weekend to a close to home hidden paradise
meant driving to the most southwesterly point
of Portugal and mainland Europe - Sagres, a
place where the land ends and the ocean starts.
This rugged and forbidding coast has long been
considered sacred ground. The Romans called it
‘Promontorium Sacrum’ (‘Holy Promontory’),
and is the Latin origin of its name ‘Sagres’ (from
Sacrum). For them, this was the ‘Edge of the
World’, a supernatural vortex where the setting
sun was dramatically submerged by the immense,
unknown ocean. Sagres, home to wide open
beaches, nooks and crannies, beaten paths and not-
so-beaten paths, where the winds are consistent all
year round and cater for all abilities: this is where
I was heading. From my home in Lisbon it was
only a 3 hour drive. I was travelling light as for me
the beauty of windsurfing lies not only in high-
performance gear, but also in the simplicity of an
inflatable board and a Dacron one-batten sail. So,
equipped with my beloved Starboard Touring
12’6” inflatable and super simplistic Starboard
compact sail, I hit the road, direction south!THE SAGRES AREA
Located on the southwest tip of Europe, Sagres is
one of the few spots on the Portuguese coast where
you can still find wild places and remote beaches.
Sagres is like no other destination in southern
Portugal. It is a region for the adventurous, with
empty beaches, amazing landscapes and friendly
people. Overlooking some of the Algarve’s most
dramatic scenery, the small, elongated town of
Sagres has an end-of-the-world feel, with its sea-
carved cliffs rising high above the ocean and wind-
whipped fortresses that tie it to Portugal’s rich
nautical past. It was from here that the Portuguese
started their voyages of discovery of the seven
oceans. Even now this place carries an undeniable
allure that connects visitors with its glorious past.WHEN TO GO
When to visit Sagres partly depends on what you’re
after, and what sports are you most interested in
as it is a year-round destination. The benefit of
having a windSUP board in Sagres is you can keep
your options open and either go sailing or take
advantage of the great paddling spots on offer too.
Rainy days are a rarity around Sagres so you can
count on warm weather and lots of sun, even when
the rest of Europe is freezing. In the summer, from
May to August, you will find incredibly reliable
north winds, but still plenty of ‘surfable’ beach
breaks if you prefer surfing over windsurfing. But
be warned, in July and August, you’ll need to
make your accommodation reservations early or
you’ll be sleeping on the beach! In winter, on the
contrary, you will find yourself mostly alone in the
water, but with incredible waves!CONDITIONS
Sagres is one of the most consistent spots for
windsurfing in Portugal. The summer ‘Nortada’
north wind blows strongest and most reliably in
this part of the Algarve and it’s only a short drive
to the south or west coasts. That means with
the summer ‘Nortada winds’ you can choose to
go for a flat water session on the south coast or
a wave session on the west coast. In Sagres you
can surf almost any swell and go windsurfing – or
windSUP’ing - on almost any given day. If there’s
a small swell from the north or west, you can
venture to the west coast for some windSUPing in
small waves and when big swells come from those
same directions, you can find more sheltered spots
on the south coast.
Sagres gets especially good for windsurfing
during the summer because the ‘Nortada’ winds
hit Portugal on a regular basis and the thermic
effect created by the nearby headland of Cabo de
São Vicente adds quite a few knots to the Sagres
area. So you can expect to sail almost every day in
summer. And if you’re up for some surfing, you
will definitely have plenty of time in the water.Franz cruising in the crystal clear
waters of Praia do Beliche, on
the west coast of Sagres.