Espinho / Oporto / Portugal

Situated around 15 kms south of the city of Porto on Portugal's north west coast lies the beach at Espinho. It is a great spot for surfers and kite surfers of intermediate and expert abilities. It is not advisable for novices to practice here because there are wave breakers/groynes all along this coast and during high tide they can be submerged. It is possible to surf all year around here and the best times are from May through to September.

The beach is of medium size but is fairly wide. It is made up of sand and apart from the wave breakers/groynes there are no other obstacles. To get here you will need to drive 15 kms south of Porto following the signs for Espinho, here you will see the signs for the beach where you can park.

The predominant wind direction here is north, and during the summer months these northerly breezes bring with them some really nice thermals. South winds also work well here, but they are not as frequent. The water quality is clean and conditions are wavy pretty much all the time. When the wind is right you can pick up some nice waves of over 3 meters in height. The water temperature remains somewhere between 13 degrees in the winter and 19 degrees in the summer, so you may want to suit up accordingly.

There is plenty of parking here and there is also accommodation close by as well as a variety of eating places. For all your other requirements, including some excellent nightlife, then take the 15 km drive back to the city of Porto.

Keep a close look out for the wave breakers/groynes particularly at high tide when they are underwater. Also watch out for swimmers and bathers in and around the water during the busy summer season.