moving to portugal - a good idea for lots of kiteing?

[hawaiikiter]

hola

unfortuneately i dont speak portugese but im planning on moving there so i will learn then. but from what i´ve heard the portugese people are extremely friendly and speak english well so hopefully you can give me some useful info here.

i have my own business(writing computer programs) for various compans and so i can live where i want and i im very free in my work.

i live in sweden currently but i want to move out of their because of the cold and bad wind and since Portugal is in the EU(right?) VISAs and such is not a problem.

my winters i will spend in the alps skiing so im mostly gonna stay in portugal from may-nov so how is portugal from May to November for kiting and classic wave-surfing?

i´d like info on spots, windstatistics, temperatures and waves.

also where is the best place to live. is lissabon a good city to live in and is it good for kiteing close to it?

my ideal of good kiteing is 16-25 knots and big waves or flatwater, chop is ok too.

i also want to urf waves the classic way, where are the cleanest and biggest breaks? close to any good kitespots?


Guincho seems quite good according too windguru. is Guincho a spot or a town? how big is the nearest town? nice place to live?


all of portugal seems a little cold though. sure mild the rest of the year but the summer is no 30 degrees Celsius exactly

[taabsr]

I can't speack for lisbon but u will get some post for it.
I'm from oporto and here u have great waves and flat water.
For the times u say u will be here the wind is perfect. 10-20 knots usually.

Here u can also surf and all spots are close by.
U have great night life too.
If u come to porto either to live or on ocasional kite trip contact me and i will try to show u a good time here.

all my contacts are on my web page at http://www.x-klam.com
or email me at tiago@x-klam.com

and by the way Merry christmas and a HAppy New year

[hawaiikiter]

hi

thanks for the answer.

how big is oporto?

is guincho to much wind for kiteing?

is guincho just a spot or is there a town nearby(that is fun to live in)?

do the portugese people speak good english?

do you have a lo of good kiters(im heavily into photography)?

best regards

[taabsr]

Oporto is the 2 biggest city called porto.
http://69.41.243.122/download.php?id=586 (this is a video from viana mande in the summer, vianna is very close to porto)
if u go to http://www.x-klam.com u can see lot's of pics from porto in cabedelo and some of the spots nearby.

Guincho is near lisbon and i never kited there but i know it's also very good but also gusty.

the portuguese speak good english.

Check http://www.apkite.pt for pictures of the 1º nacional kitesurfing championship.

Cheers and i hope it helps.

[lutchi]

Ok about Lisbon.

Lisbon is the capital and like all capitals it's a big city for living.
I don't recomend you to stay in Guincho area cause in the near by you don't have any other beach to kite, and like taabsr said Guincho in the it's quind a gusty.

If you stay in the south margin of Tejo you will find much more cheaper houses to rent, you escape from the stress of passing trough 25 de Abril bridge (it's simple a nigthmare) and you have beaches from almost all the winds in Costa da Caparica 15 20 Km from Lisbon (Waves) or in Lagoa de Albufeira (a lagoon) all this with North winds (after april this is the consistent wind) if some south wind comes you go to Troia 100 Km from Lisbon (South) (Flat Water) or to Peniche also about 100 Km to North (Waves).

I think if you came to Portugal you will have a lot of sites to choose


Pedro you can give a report from South of Portugal.


I hope you come to Portugal and enjoy our weather and wind.

Just post a message if you come to Lisbon and I will show you some spots.
Carlos Carvalheira

[JohnnyC]

Hello,

Well I live and work in Setubal 40 km south of Lisbon and 20 minutes on the highway distance to Lisbon. Setubal is the 4rd or 5th biggest city but hasn't a big life cost like Lisbon. Lisbon is total gridlock and polution !

Guincho is good on the summer, 30 minutes from Lisbon. Guincho is a beach and the nearest place to live is Cascais. Guincho is dangerous for Kitesurfing, because its a small beach with big rocks on the middle and sides. If for some reason you go downwind more than you should ... well bye bye kite ! And near Guincho there aren't choices, or its working or its not !

Setubal has some nice spots for Kiting just a few minutes away.
- Paradise Bay 5 Minutes (Secret but I will tell you if you come and live in Setubal) (S, SW, SE)
- The Mine 10 minutes (Also secret, above applies) (E, SE, NE, S, SW)
- Caparica , Nova Vaga (30 mintues) - Nova Vaga is the only portuguese Kitebeach ! Its beautifull in the spring/summer ! (NW, W, SW, N)
- Troia (You catch the Ferry (15min)) and you're on Troia a beautifull peninsula ! (W, SW, S, NE)
- Figueirinha (Beach on Serra da Arrabida) (E)

(Wind direction in quality order), waves on Caparica only or south along Troia and further south on Costa Vicentina.

(Setubal MAP)
http://www.mapblast.com/(x3lcuo55dqzbto ... c+Portugal

If you go south of Setubal for "Costa Vicentina" 1hour way you get pretty good surfing spots. Like this !
http://www.hamala.pt/album/album06/aaa

Pictures on (The Mine, Paradise Bay, Troia, Figueirinha)
http://www.hamala.pt/album/kitesurf

Pictures on Nova Vaga
http://www.apkite.pt/galeria/novavaga

Picture on Troia from Setubal
http://www.di.fc.ul.pt/~casim/images/passeio2.jpg

If you need any further info mail me at johnnyc@hamala.pt

See ya,
Joao Correia

[CC]

Setubal has some nice spots for Kiting just a few minutes away.
- Paradise Bay 5 Minutes (Secret but I will tell you if you come and live in Setubal) (S, SW, SE)
- The Mine 10 minutes (Also secret, above applies) (E, SE, NE, S, SW)

With SE just follow the smell and stop at the place were it really stinks! I agree with João, it's a very nice bay for Kitesurfing but don't look at the environment! It's like "Paradise" !

[WerDi]

and when you are joining the Portugues Kite Association (APKITE) I tell you the REAL spots!!!

http://www.apkite.pt

Werner