Charter flights run direct from all major European hubs and are your best option. Scheduled flights do run but are often not direct and usually incur heavy excess baggage charges. I flew from my hometown of Bristol in the UK with Airtours for £315 return. (From London, it was £40 cheaper). My equipment, weighing in at 70kgs, cost £30 return. This is standard with most tour operators and I would suggest phoning the reservations department for the airline and book it on. Windsurfers get the best deal, as you pay the same price for a complete windsurfer as a surfboard. If you can pack two boards in one bag it passes as one board bag, so is a very economical way of taking your kit abroad.

Please note: You can’t rent any equipment in Madeira. There is also no windsurfing shop so take everything plus spares.

Using www.charterflights.co.uk

Current Quotes for 1-2wks (flight only) in September ’06 are:

• Bristol -> Funchal, Portugal -> £69 return
• Bournemouth -> Funchal, Portugal -> £89 return
• Birmingham -> Funchal, Portugal -> £119 return

Scheduled flights: British Airways fly from London hubs to Funchal, approx. £300 return. Air Portugal also go direct.

May-September (Summer)

Northerly to North-easterly trade winds blow, with very good reliability. During the month of August 75% of the days were force 5 and above. The island is like one giant mountain so wind doesn’t really flow over it at all rather it is squeezed around the outside and accelerated at these points so only certain beaches get the wind in a certain direction. A Force 4 north-easterly will usually produce a Force 7 at Canico (see below). The wind is very dependant on cloud cover. If it is cloudy then the wind is much lighter, and when the sun appears the wind fills in again (that quickly). This can be explained by very strong wind high up not reaching ground level without the aid of mixing with the heat from the sun.

October-April (Winter)

The wind is very similar to that in the UK during the winter season. Madeira is very lucky to be in the path of most of the North Atlantic storms which often don’t go down as far as the Canaries. But as the storms pass, the weather can change very rapidly. Waves can build from 4-8ft in a matter of hours and the wind may swing round 360 degrees over a 24 hour period. This is the best time for surfing and wave sailing, but conditions are very technical and only for the very experienced with lots of time to drive from beach to beach to find the spot that is working. The weather, in terms of air temp & sunshine, is still very pleasant in the winter so it’s not a bad time to come if you want some full on wave action without freezing your knackers off!

Water state

Wind driven swells are standard for the summer months with an average wave height of 2m. Any of the flat water venues were often so gusty that sailing was far from enjoyable and very frustrating. This is not a freestyle friendly venue.

Safety points:

» You need to come here with other windsurfers and provide safety cover for each other. If something does go wrong, there is a coastguard, well, a navy vessel and some local boats.

» If you are not sailing in big waves then choose a board that has enough volume to get you back to the beach where you launched. Windy conditions are often 50-100m from the shore due to the high cliffs.

Wind directions: No beach works in an onshore or offshore wind. The beaches that can actually be sailed in certain wind directions will always have cross-shore winds.

Canico

Beach faces: South-east
Best wind direction: North-east (summer trades), East, South-east.
Worst wind direction: Anything else.
Tide: Better at high tide for launching, since you can launch from the pier.
What’s on the bottom?: Large, slippery boulders/pebbles.
Any hazards?: The wind can die close to the shore especially if it’s more northerly.
The current/rip goes from left to right down the beach along with the wind but further out the current flows in the opposite direction.
Other water users: Swimmers, fishermen.
Suitability/levels: Competent windsurfer. Waves get bigger and bigger as you sail out, and when you jump the wind increases phenomenally at the apex of the jump.
Wipeout factor: 7/10. Launching and landing are pretty hard. You can easily paddle back if you ditch your rig but remember the wind & rip run the same way!

Funchal (The small, sandy beach nr harbour)

Beach faces: South.
Best wind direction: South-east.
Tide: Not that obvious.
What’s on the bottom?: Sand and pebbles.
Any hazards?: Shipping.
Other water users: Fishermen, ferries, yachts.
Suitability/levels: It can be really windy here and provide some exciting sailing in big swells. But on the whole it is more of a slalom, freeride venue in the flat/choppy water.
Wipeout factor: 5/10. It can be hard to get back to launch point as the wind becomes shiftier and lighter.

Achadas da Cruz

Beach faces: North-west.
Best wind direction: North-easterly (summer trades).
Worst wind direction: Anything that brings an offshore or onshore breeze.
What’s on the bottom?: Large pebbles, rocks and boulders!
Any hazards?: Wind dying on the inside.
Other water users: Surfers.
Suitability/levels: Competent windsurfer. Good wave riding, but often the wind is too light on the inside for jumping.
Wipeout factor: 6/10. The wind can get light on the inside making for some big beastings!

Other potential windsurf spots:

Canical: Launch from the beach next to the harbour. Only suitable for Formula or big board sailing as offshore winds are standard during the summer trades. It is very windy here and provides good access to sail around to the north side of the island, where the swell is massive. This is where we launched to train on the Olympic RSX kit.

Paul do Mar: Faces south-west, long pebble/stone beach, gets some of the biggest waves on the island. Good luck!

Cabo Giroa: Vidar Jenson sailed here a few times when he visited the island in the spring of 2006. He’s quite good though!

Windsurfing Event

Each year there is a race from Porto Santo to Madeira which is 3 hours by ferry. This is a pretty wild affair with the race being started by a Navy warship and launching from the back of the car ferry. It is currently only run for locals but plans are being made to make this race into an international event. It normally occurs in October and Boardseeker will let you know if this becomes an open event.

Non-existent!!! Don’t forget your harness – or you will have to join the Madeiran EBay fraternity.

Cheap accommodation can be hard to find. The hotels on tourist beaches (twin room + breakfast) are 70 euros per night. It may be a good idea to take the accommodation package offered by the tour operator back home as staying in a hotel without a deal is expensive. There is no accommodation near any of the beaches suitable for windsurfing, so it doesn’t matter where you stay on the island. To drive round the whole island takes only 4 hours. However, we never drove for more than 30 minutes each day to get to the beach of choice.

We didn’t find any B&B’s, as tourism on the island is mainly for the rich and super rich! There isn’t a youth hostel but there are two campsites on the island at Porto Moniz & Montado do Pereiro.

Campsites: www.madeira-camping.com

Hotels : Try this site www.madeiraguide.com. They also do car hire.

Or these guys: www.atlanticholidays.net

If you’ve just won the lottery, go here:www.reidspalace.com

Car Hire: Yes, you need to hire a car/van to get around. Go to www.holidayautos.co.uk. They have killer deals but book early. These guys do van hire:
www.e-sixt.com

Food is good here, and very cheap if you search for it. We always managed to eat for under 10 euros each, including drinks in Machico where we were staying. Avoid harbourside restaurants in Funchal: the prices are only suitable for people with yachts!

If you must, there is a McDonalds in Funchal (3.50 euros for a Big Mac meal – bargain- definitely the cheapest meal we had).

Lunch Tip: We bought tin-foil from the supermarket and made up sandwiches at breakfast in our hotel which saved a lot of money. However, steak sandwiches are well nice, filling, and available at all cafes for 3 euros!

Eating in: There are a few supermarkets (SA & Pingo Doce) and most have a hot food counter where you can get decent take-away meals like rice & stew, chicken and chips..etc.

There is no shortage of nightlife on Madeira , as it has a vibrant local population. It feels very safe at night and is a very pleasant temperature for romantic strolls along the beach!

This island thrives on Fiestas on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Another day to note is Tuesday, which is Ladies night in the capital. Religious holidays and Saints days are a big thing here, however, drinking is a huge part of the local culture after Mass! Fireworks go off all day and night, and everyone spends the evening in the public squares and along the beach.

Hiking is huge here as the island is so mountainous and most of the centre of the island is inaccessible by car. There are some famous waterfall walks and outstanding views.

Mountain biking is also popular and you can rent bikes at the tops of the main hills and just ride down. The city centre, Funchal, is beautiful and has some good shopping. It does get very hot here though. Kids spend the evenings jumping steps and public monuments so watch out for them.

Scuba diving is also very good here and readily available from most hotels and several dive centres.
Game fishing is a big pastime on the island but we didn’t see any advertisements for trips. It is probably best to talk to a local fisherman to see if he knows who will take you.

Top Surf Spots

Because Madeira is so renowned for surfing, I also packed my surfboard. You won’t be disappointed.

• Porto da Cruz: Two awesome spots here. Use the rip to get out but you won’t get back to the beach from the same point as the rip is so strong. Just come in where waves are breaking. Sandy bottom (for a bit!)
• Sao Vincente: Swell all year round + the only surf shop on the island that do rent surfboards. Also all surfers go to café over the road for cakes after a good session.
• Ribeira da Janela: Near the campsite, works with a North or North-easterly swell.
• Achadas da Cruz
• Jardim do Mar: This is where Billabong Odyssey was filmed. The waves can be huge in January/February. Go to magicseaweed.com for some cool photos & latest surf forecast
• Lugar de Baixa: Was one of best waves in world but then they built the marina. A smaller break is still accessible on the left when looking out to sea.

An awesome island for someone who loves surfing and is very proficient at windsurfing.

Name: Hugh Sims Williams.
Local beach in UK: Weston-Super-Mare.
How many years sailing: 12.
Occupation: Skandia Team GBR Windsurf Team & student at Bristol Uni.
Your equipment: Starboard Evo 83 and Tushingham Rocks.
Last windsurf move you cracked: Flat water forward.
Sponsors: Windsurfer’s World, O’Neill, Starboard &Tushingham.

Fly

Flights are available from major airports to Lisbon, which is only 25 kilometres away from Guincho. This option would mean that you have to hire a car and pay for baggage. We went in August when the flights were in the £300 region, but if you book well in advance, that price is halved. At other times of the year, flights to Faro in the south can be found for as little as £10. Faro is a long way from Guincho (4 hour drive) and is best suited to windsurfing around the Sagres area.

www.cheapflights.co.uk offer flights for as little as £60 for 7 nights after the 1 st of September.

Car & Ferry

I like a bit of adventure and since Guincho is within main land Europe, we decided to drive. However be warned, it is 1200 miles! But we spent £300 each for the three week trip to get there, stay there, eat and windsurf.

The Dover to Calais Ferry cost £115 with P&O for a LWB Ford Transit. We went on toll roads the whole way down for speed. The diesel is cheaper than the UK, but offset against the toll road prices the running costs are similar to home.

Another option is to get the Ferry to Bilbao in Northern Spain. However, this option is very pricey (£500) and means a lengthy sea trip with a ten hour drive at the end.

www.seafrance.com Tel: 08705 711 711

www.POferries.com: for Dover – Calais and Bilbao – Portsmouth, Tel 08705 20 20 20

To get to Praia do Baleal in Peniche, it’s more driving! Take the N114 off the IC1 from Cascais, and once you get to Peniche, Praia do Baleal is well signposted.

Transfer from airport

Quite surprisingly, the hotels or centres don’t pick up guests from the airport for the hour and a half journey to Sotavento. However there are plenty of airport taxis or you can rent a car which you will need during the week if you are staying anywhere but the Sol Gorriones Hotel.

Car rental

A two door car for the week works out at £99, a van £324 in August. (Better deals can be arranged in advance).

Remember to take roof straps, and if you are very well organised, then some kind of locking device.

www.holidayautos.co.uk

The Guincho wind is a thermal wind, working on the basis that the sea is so cold and the land becomes very hot combined with two pressure systems that usually meet over Guincho. However, we had all sorts of thermal based winds and according to the locals; the patterns were a bit unusual. Cloud over the land is a bad sign.

At Gunicho, March to August has wind fifty percent of the time, dropping a little in September and October. March and April are consistently the windiest months.

The Peniche wind is gradient, relying on a south westerly low pressure system just like the UK. If the conditions are not right for the Guincho sea breeze then check if there is a southwest gradient system working over Peniche. For good wave riding you only need 10 knots or so to get out the back.

www.windguru.cz is surprisingly accurate for the area.

Both Guincho and Peniche are quite full on wave locations and should not be underestimated.

Praia Do Guincho, Cascais

Beach faces: West
Best wind direction: North west is the thermal direction
Worst wind direction: All other directions stop the thermal effect
Tide: Goes out about 30metres, with strong currents
What’s on the bottom?: Sand
Any hazards: Two submerged rocks at mid and low tide, also the water is very cold compared to the air temperature
Other water users: Surfers, kitesurfers and swimmers
Suitability/levels: Adventurous intermediate to expert
Wipeout factor: High, be prepared for a swim! If you get separated then body surf in, your kit will get washed in before you.

Water State

Guincho picks up any swell out there in the Atlantic. If a large swell is running, then the waves are absolutely gargantuan, and it can be a real challenge to get out through the munching shore break at high tide. There are no big gaps between the waves, and with a strong side shore current, the best trick is to take a sail big enough for the inside, bear away and get up to speed as quickly as possible. Guincho does mellow at mid tide; however don’t forget about the submerged rocks. The conditions get tricky again at low tide. The waves become less spaced and a nasty wave over a sand bar starts breaking.

As far as wave riding goes, it is generally onshore, turning more cross shore as the afternoon wears on. A lot of the swells are big, so once you master getting the first frontside bottom turn in, you can carry on down the line within the shelter of the wave and line up for some nice sections. When windy enough, the jumping is very good!

Beach Access

The best way to get to the beach is to follow the coast road north around the bay and take a left, signposted to parking. It costs 4 euros a day to park (5 euros at the weekend), but this is where all the windsurfers congregate. There is a Café overlooking the beach that is really good. You can also camp there as long as you like, which is what we did. Unfortunately, it is a bit of a trek to the beach and you have to carry the kit down in a bundle. Keeps you fit!!

Praia Do Baleal, Peniche

Beach faces: North west
Best wind direction: South west
Worst wind direction: North west as bang onshore
Tide: Goes out about 50metres with strong currents at various places in the bay
What’s on the bottom?: Sand and seaweed
Any hazards?: There can be a lot of seaweed to plough through
Other water users: Surfers, kitesurfers and the odd swimmer
Suitability/levels: Adventurous intermediate to expert
Wipeout factor: High. If there is swell about then it is a peeling beach break that can be quite hollow and tricky to get over! The wave is a definite mast snapper. If the swell is small, it is fine.

Water state at Baleal

If there is a hint of the cross offshore, south west wind, then it is worth a wobble out making a floaty wave/freestyle wave board very useful. The swells are easy to spot and catch and once you get on a wave it is really smooth and peels nicely for several bottom turns before steepening and breaking. It’s a great place to get aerials. Getting out is tricky so read the sets and time your run out. The wave is better to the right of the bay, but in front of the café and car park can also be very good. Mid tide seemed to provide the best conditions.

Beach Access

Get there early to get a prime spot overlooking the beach. The northern end of the beach picks up the most swell, the southern being the most sheltered.

Guincho
At the south end of the beach there is some kit available for hire. Be sure to get there early if you want a parking spot by the side of the road. If it is windy the road quickly becomes submerged in sand.

Peniche
There is no instruction or kit hire. However there are several surfboard hire shops.

Guincho

Camping
There is one campsite right by the beach, charging 6 euros per night per person and van. It is cramped, unkempt and not great. We preferred to stay in the well kept Guincho car park, along with a lot of other travellers.

There is a much better campsite ten minutes walk from Guincho beach. There are plenty of facilities, including a tennis court, mini-market, post office and a decent snack bar. It can get very busy in the high season.

Estrada da Areia, Cascais Tel. 21 487 0450 Fax 21 487 2167 info@orbitur.pt

Hotels and self catering
Cascais is an affluent place with plenty of hotels and apartments available in the hills for about 600 euro per week for 3 people.

Muchaxo Inn (Estalagem Forte Muchaxo) overlooks Guincho beach. Prices from 30 euro per night.

Tel:   21 487 0221
Fax:  21 487 0444
Email: info@muchaxo.com
Website: www.muchaxo.com

Fortelza do Guincho is 5 Star accommodation overlooking the beach with prices from £100 per night per person.

Tel:             +351 21 487 0491
Fax: +351 21 487 0431
Email: reservations@guinchotel.pt
Website: www.guinchotel.pt/english/index.htm

Atlantic Gardens Hotel, Cascais. Twin room works out at £703 per week in peak season.

Praia do Baleal near Peniche

Camping
Opposite the car park there is a campsite with good facilities including a supermarket, phone and cash machine. However, it is very crowded and hard to get a pitch.

Email penichepraia@hotmail.com or visit www.roteiro-campsita.pt

If you have a van, then join the people staying at the beach car park of Lagide to the North. There are three really good bar/cafés here and a shower on the beach. What more do you need?!

Hotels & self catering
There are plenty of apartments that cater for holiday makers but they go at the same time as you want to go: the summer! Try the following websites.

www.tripadvisor.com
www.maisturismo.pt/emuchaxo
www.maisturismo.to/muchaxo
www.homelidays.com
www.cheaperthanhotels.com/Portugal/Cascais/

Both Gunicho and Praia do Baleal have several beach cafés that are well priced. Our favourite was the one at the Praia beach where for 5 euros you could tuck into a tortilla bocadillo (a bap consisting of omelette, cheese, bacon, fries and salad), wash it down with a can of 7-UP, and relax with a café con leche!

Cascais itself is full of eateries and restaurants that are reasonably priced. We recommend the famous Frango restaurant on the main road. Frango means chicken, and basically you wander in and order either half a chicken or a whole chicken, cover it in Piri Piri sauce, and then go and eat it over the road in the square.

Supermarket from Guincho: turn left out of the dust track to the car park and drive to Malviera. There is a really cheap supermarket and plenty of other shops.

In Cascais, the only decent supermarket is JUMBO, right in the town centre, and you can get everything there.

Peniche: there are a couple of supermarkets in the town of Peniche. Best to go early in the day as they get very crowded in the evening.

Guincho: Bar do Guincho gets very busy during the evenings hosting bands and discos. It is a late start and a late finish. If you are camping in the car park, then make sure to pitch at the other end for a quieter night.

Cascais: the town of Cascais has an assortment of clubs and bars. If you want to go to a club, wait until someone offers you a flyer on the beach, then ask for a VIP pass (this will happen most Friday and Saturdays). If you don’t, then you will get charged an extortionate amount of money to enter the club!

Surfing

Portugal has some fantastic surfing spots and the Stormriders Guide to Europe is the local bible. To the south of Peniche, the spots are Molho Leste, Supertubos (the name gives it away) and Consoacao. To the north there is Lagide and Ferral. Guincho is also good for surfing.

Go to www.penichesurfcamp.com for more info.

Mountain Biking

There is plenty of mountain biking and cycling around the area. If you can fit a bike into the van then it is well worth it. Go to www.portugalvirtual.pt for more info.

Shopping

Cascais, around the corner from Guincho, is a stunning town. There are shops there, so I guess it must be OK for shopping!

In three weeks we spent three days travelling, two surfing, two touring around for wind and the rest windsurfing. The wind can sometimes be a bit dubious and frustrating, so make sure you make the most of it because it might not be there the next day. We had some classic days which have left us with pretty good memories, and as a van trip, it was up there with the best

Names: Clyde Waite, James Cox, Ian Clingan and Ed Wright
Local beaches in UK: Clacton on Sea, Southbourne, the Gower Peninsula and Avon beach
How many years sailing: 15 yrs, 8 yrs, 3 yrs and 5 yrs
Last windsurf move you cracked: Clyde: one handed aerials, James: flaka, Ian: backside aerial, Ed: jumps!
What you’re working on now: Clyde; everything! James; chacho, Ian; forward loop, Ed; wave riding and loops.