Reading the Windguru forecast for Galicia.....

[bman18]

This afternoon we're off for a three week road trip to Galicia (and maybe the north of Portugal). Does anyone know if Windguru takes the thermal effect with NE wind into account in it's forecast for the region? I suppose not.....
Anyone experience reading the forecast accurately? For Sunday the forecast for San Xurxo is 14 to 17 knots with gusts up to 25 knots with no cloud cover. That's sailable for sure I suppose.

But tomorrow it's NNE with 14/15 knots with light cloud cover. Will that be sailable??? Any advice, including spot advice, is welcome.

[TallJames]

I was out that way a couple of years back and took windsurfing kit. It pissed it down with rain and I got some hideous lurgy which cut into my possible sailing time a lot.. We stayed about 1hr east of the good windsurfing wave spots and the forecast looked rubbish for wind on windguri all the way through so I didnt go. Anyway the point of that is I don't think Windguri factors it in is as someone i new did get some good sessions in at the same time.

The surf was cranking though. Had some great SUPing. We stayed just behind Playa San Roman near Vivero. Where there was a nice cafe at the beach, also seemed to be a acceptable car camping spot for surfers on there way west.

[Jamie.T]

Stayed at As Cabazas camping 20 years ago, great location near Ferrol city with 3 or 4 good beaches only a short drive away, spent 3 weeks there, possibly best holiday I've ever had. A bigger wave board is a must as there were several days when it was too light for the small volume boards we had back then, very jealous! !

[pedroenespana]

I always use eltiempo.es/viento for Spain and according to that you should get some wind on Sat.

I was there two years ago in June and there wasn't really any thermal top up. The forecast was more or less what you got. Off shore gusty wind in the bay at Xan Xurso but with good waves. Tricky conditions for me but it should be fine for you sailing as you do at Pals. As Jamie says, you need a big wave board which I didn't have. More on shore conditions round the headland to the north. Other good spots in Galicia were Corrubedo, Lanzada and Viana do Castello down in Portugal.

Let us know how you get on. Great part of the country and will definitely go back.

[Witchcraft]

I have been to Galicia quite a few times but have always had advice from locals where to go, often stuff that you could not tell from the forecast. I have given your contact to one of them, he can tell you where to go even if he is in Guincho at the moment.

[bman18]

So we just came back from 2 weeks in Galicia and almost one week in Viana do Castelo.

For free camping with the campervan this area is ideal. Most beaches have water/showers and toilets and you can park/sleep almost everywhere next to the beach.

We started in San Xurxo to the NW of the city of Ferrol and next to the surfspot of Doniños. It was the video below from last summer that made me want to go there to see if we could get lucky.



We weren't that lucky, but we got one really nice day. San Xurxo is a light wind spot with maybe a small thermal effect and as Pedro said, a bit gusty. I had damaged my big board so I was basically out of luck and became camera man, but the girls did ok on their 4.2m @ 55kg.
https://goo.gl/photos/oob7tQz9u1FqqWjx6
https://goo.gl/photos/vMVVGyAm4vng6JfJA

Next we visited Traba, which gives the biggest waves in NE wind. Not as orderly as SX and a nasty shore break at high tide, but if the waves almost disappear up north, here they keep the longest.



The "secret spot" was Cabo Vilán, just north of Camariñas. Here the NE wind is normally the strongest and last longer. And best thing was that we were mostly alone in the water.


As the waves and the wind died down in Galicia we dropped south to Viana do Castelo in Portugal. Here the thermal effect is very strong. If Windguru gives 10 knots NNW and clear skies, you can double that for the afternoon. Viana is more crowded, both on and of the water. From previous visits we knew that it can be totally flat and/or terrible weather, but this time we got 3 days of wind and waves and one surf/sup day to finish it all of.


A lot of the windsurfers we met in Galicia also went a lot to Fuerte, whereas the people we meet in Caños de Meca, Almerimar or at our home spot on the Costa Brava in general gravitate towards Pozo or El Medano. And I think that that explains the conditions in Galicia the best. Cleaner waves, less wind and less often windy compared to other summer spots on the peninsula, but the quality can be outstanding. But bring a surf/sup board as well.