Cabedelo de Viana
Praia do Cabedelo, just across the river from Viana do Castelo, is widely billed as the windiest spot in Portugal and runs almost on a timetable: the Nortada thermal usually fills in around midday and pumps until sunset. Northwest is the money direction, and from late spring through to mid-autumn it delivers genuinely reliable 20-to-30-knot afternoons, peaking in July and August. The water is mixed, with a sheltered, calmer zone up by the pier and choppier, more onshore conditions further down the bay. The beach is broad and sandy with plenty of room to rig and launch, and the spot naturally splits into beginner, intermediate and advanced areas. Schools, rentals and a buzzing beach-bar scene mean it gets busy in peak summer, so expect company. There are no major fixed hazards, but the cold-ish Atlantic water and strong afternoon punch keep beginners on the protected side.