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Country · Atlantic coast

Portugal

Destinations1
Holidays1
RegionAtlantic coast
Holiday types in Portugal

Pick your week in Portugal.

Portugal
Portugal · Atlantic coast
Active holidays in Portugal

Why Portugal.

Portugal is our Atlantic beach destination, the home of Feel Viana at Cabedelo on the wide, wind-swept sands of the northern coast. Portugal beach holidays here are a different beast to the Algarve down south: cooler, emptier, greener, and built around the reliable Nortada thermal that turns the beach into a playground for windsurfers, kitesurfers, wingsurfers and surfers every summer afternoon. If you want to spend a week outside, on the water and in the forest, this is our pick for Portugal.

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Why Portugal

What makes Portugal special.

  • 01Reliable Atlantic thermals
  • 02Kilometres of empty golden sand
  • 03Pine forests behind the beach
  • 04World-class windsurfing and kitesurfing
  • 05Atlantic surf from April to October
  • 06Eco-conscious wooden chalet resort
  • 07Family-friendly lagoon swimming
  • 08Porto and port wine an hour south
  • 09Fresh Atlantic seafood and vinho verde
  • 10Viana do Castelo historic old town

Our single Portuguese base is Feel Viana, at Cabedelo, where the river Lima meets the Atlantic. Viana do Castelo itself sits a couple of kilometres across the river, a handsome old trading town with cobbled streets, hilltop views from the Santa Luzia basilica, and grilled sardines cooked outdoors on summer evenings. The beach behind Feel Viana runs for kilometres of empty golden sand, and behind the beach is the pine forest that gives the resort its feel: wooden chalets tucked amongst umbrella pines, bike trails linking them up, and a very low-key approach to the whole thing.

The watersports story is why most people come. Cabedelo is one of the most reliable wind-driven beaches in Europe: the Nortada, a steady cross-to-onshore summer thermal, kicks in most afternoons from June to September and gives you world-class windsurfing, kitesurfing and wingsurfing conditions three or four days out of five. When the wind is off, there is Atlantic surf almost year-round for beginners and intermediates, stand-up paddleboarding on the lagoon, kayak tours up the Lima, and wakeboarding on the calm river side. The schools at Feel Viana are amongst the best in Europe and do proper beginner-to-advanced progressions.

Portuguese food is one of the joys of a holiday here, simple, fresh, and built around the ocean you just climbed out of. Expect whole grilled fish, sardines in season, clams with coriander and garlic (amêijoas à bulhão pato), caldo verde soup, salt cod prepared a hundred different ways, and pastel de nata for dessert. Drink the local vinho verde, a young, slightly sparkling white from the Minho region just inland, and make time for a port wine tasting in Vila Nova de Gaia, across the Douro from Porto, either as a day trip or a long weekend bolt-on at either end of your stay.

The climate is classic Atlantic summer: warm rather than hot, with temperatures in July and August sitting around 22 to 28 degrees, tempered by the afternoon sea breeze. Ocean temperatures are cool (17 to 20 degrees), which keeps the water lively and is why a shorty or 3:2 wetsuit is standard kit for anyone in the surf for more than half an hour. Our season runs late April to October, with June and September usually offering the best all-round combination of warmth, wind and uncrowded beaches.

Getting here is easy: a 2.5 hour direct flight from most UK regional airports into Porto, then a 45 minute transfer up the coast to Feel Viana. Portugal is on UK time in winter and one hour ahead in summer, so jet lag is not a thing. Viana do Castelo has been a trading port since the 16th century, when Portuguese ships ran north to the British Isles with salt cod and came back with English wool, and the handsome old town still has the wealth of that era baked into its buildings. Tie a long weekend in Porto to the front or back of your Cabedelo week and you have one of the best short breaks in Europe.

Where to go in Portugal

Pick a spot in portugal.

Every BeyondBeach destination in Portugal, pinned on a map so you can see how the line-up sits across the country.

Cabedelo
Viana do Castelo · 1 holiday
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Destinations in Portugal

Pick your portugal spot.

Each destination has its own character, its own activities, and its own best moments in the year. Here's the full line-up.

Cabedelo
1 holiday
Cabedelo · Viana do Castelo

Cabedelo

See Cabedelo

Call the team on 01548 288459 Mon-Fri 9am-6pm or Sat 9am-1pm, or send an enquiry from any holiday page. We talk you through availability, dates and extras, email a written quote, and you confirm with a deposit. No online cart , every booking has a human on our side of it.

Deposits are typically 25% of the holiday cost at time of booking, with the balance due around ten weeks before departure. Flights pay in full at booking. Your written quote spells out the exact figures and dates before you pay anything.

Flights are quoted alongside the holiday rather than bundled, so you only pay for the routing that works for you. We'll match flights to your preferred dates from your preferred UK airport, or if you'd rather book your own flights we can work around your schedule.

Yes. Our weeks run Saturday to Saturday by default but we can extend, combine two weeks back-to-back (flotilla followed by a beach-club week is a favourite), or add a pre- or post-holiday night somewhere. Mention it when you enquire and we will build the itinerary.

UK debit and credit card (no surcharge on debit), bank transfer, or Trust My Travel for protected payments. We do not accept cash. Card payments are processed by Stripe and never stored by us.

Yes, and we rarely charge for it if there is time before departure. Name changes, room upgrades, adding a child, swapping a cabin , tell us what you need. Some supplier charges (flight name changes, for example) are unavoidable but we'll quote those upfront.

Most BeyondBeach guests fly from Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham or Edinburgh. We work with British Airways, Jet2, easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air across our three countries. Regional options depend on season so ring the team for live availability.

Geneva to Val Thorens is around 3hr 45min, Meribel around 2hr 45min, Vaujany around 2hr 30min door-to-door when roads are clear. Saturday peak-season traffic adds 30 to 60 minutes. We arrange private or shared transfers on request.

Yes. The Eurostar Ski Train runs weekly from London St Pancras to Moûtiers, which is a 55-minute transfer to Meribel or Val Thorens. Eurostar + TGV via Paris to Grenoble covers Vaujany. Rail is slower but a lot more relaxing and greener.

Direct flights to Kefalonia (EFL) run May-October from most UK airports, typically 3hr 45min. Off-season or last-minute you can route via Athens or Preveza and our team handles the transfer up to your bay.

In-resort transfers (airport to beach club, or airport to chalet) are included on the vast majority of our holidays. Some flotilla and yacht charter arrivals self-transfer from the airport to the marina (a 20-minute taxi), and we always note which model applies in your written quote.

Yes, and families are a big part of what we do. Beach clubs have free kids watersports from age six, the Alpine Family Club runs a kids club from 6 months to 16 years, and ski school programmes teach in English from age three. Cots, high chairs and interconnecting rooms are available on request.

Absolutely. Singles Sailing is purpose-built for solo travellers (no single supplement , you'll share a cabin with another solo sailor). On beach club weeks, yoga and BlitzFitness are especially popular with solo bookers, and we waive the single supplement on most weeks outside July and August school holidays.

Yes. Intro to Sailing is designed for complete beginners , no experience needed. Every beach club has coached clinics included daily and RYA-qualified instruction at the watersports centre. Ski school teaches English from Day One green-runs up. We'll match you to the right level on arrival.

Yes. West Coast Flotilla and Yacht Charter are aimed squarely at sailors with miles under the keel. Val Thorens and the Three Valleys cover expert-level off-piste with a guide. We'll discuss your experience at the quote stage so the week matches your expectations.

No. Our clubs are all-inclusive but not all-you-can-eat , a lot of guests use one activity a day and spend the rest of the time reading by the pool. The programme is a menu, not a timetable. You decide what you do.

Yes. All our holidays are ATOL protected (ATOL 6306) and we also hold IPP insolvency insurance as an extra layer of protection. Your booking is financially secure from the moment you pay your deposit.

We strongly recommend travel insurance with cancellation cover, medical cover (including winter sports for ski holidays, and water sports for sailing), and baggage cover. Ring the team and we'll point you at comparison sites that suit your trip type.

Cancellation terms vary by holiday and by how close to departure you cancel. Your written quote spells out the specific policy for your trip at the point of booking , typically the deposit is non-refundable, with increasing charges as departure approaches. This is why we recommend travel insurance with cancellation cover from the day you book.

If we have to cancel for operational reasons (weather, airline failure, supplier issue) we'll offer a full refund, a transfer to a different week, or an alternative holiday at the same price, whichever you prefer.

Cabedelo is a protected Atlantic-coast beach on the Viana do Castelo estuary in north Portugal, 45 minutes north of Porto. Reliable onshore winds, a long sandy beach and a design-led hotel (Feel Viana) that combines a watersports centre with a restaurant, spa and pool. A quieter alternative to the Algarve.

Our Feel Viana season runs May to October. June to September offers the warmest sea and most consistent wind for windsurf / SUP / kite. May and late October are quieter and cooler , a good shout if you want the hotel with fewer guests.

Yes, and many guests do. Porto airport is 45 minutes from the hotel by road, and a pre- or post-holiday night in the city is easy to arrange. We've got a shortlist of city hotels we book into often , ask when you enquire.

Yes , the hotel is design-led, the food is excellent, and the Atlantic breeze is consistent enough for windsurf / SUP / kite. It's quieter and a shorter flight than our Greek destinations, which makes it a low-commitment way to try the BeyondBeach model.

July to September gives the warmest sea temperatures (19-22°C) and the most reliable onshore wind. May, June and October are cooler and windier , great for watersports but you'll want a wetsuit. The hotel has a pool that runs through the season.