Summertime is camping time! But anyone trying to combine a relaxed camping holiday with water sports, whether with a partner or the whole family, faces a major challenge: you need to find a good windsurfing spot with a campsite within walking distance. After all, once you’ve settled in at the campsite, you don’t usually just pop off again to check out the local spots based on an unreliable wind forecast.
There are thousands of spots and just as many campsites across Europe – yet places where you can park right by the water at a good windsurfing spot are quite rare. That’s why we’ve done our research, searched high and low, and found spots where you can simply leave your camper van and walk straight from the site to the water with your board under your arm.
This is just a selection, and perhaps you know of other spots that meet the ‘from bed to board’ criterion and are worth featuring. If so, please send us your tips to: redaktion@surf-magazin.de.
Lake Santa Croce
46.1196, 12.3524
The first Italian spot we’d like to recommend here is Lago di Santa Croce. Here, around 90 kilometres north of Venice, the atmosphere is much more relaxed than at Lake Garda. The range of alternative activities on offer extends from cycling, hiking and climbing to a day trip to Venice. You can hop straight onto the ‘Neo’ from your campervan at the Sarathei campsite (www.sarathei.it), which is open from early April to late September. Due to temperature differences, a thermal from the south often builds up in the late afternoon; this is amplified by the topography and, in spring and early summer, often blows at force 5 to 6 on the Beaufort scale, persisting until late afternoon. The water surface remains fairly smooth, though there are small chop waves suitable for jumping. You can reach the area with the best wind after a short crosswind run. The ‘Termico da Sud’ is at its strongest from spring through to early summer. But even in the height of summer, the southerly wind still picks up regularly, although it is significantly more moderate during very hot weather and warm nights – in such conditions, it’s best suited to foiling or very large freeride sails.
Lake Cavazzo
46.3259, 13.0640
Lake Cavazzo isn’t exactly a tourist hotspot, but perhaps that’s precisely what makes it so appealing. This small alpine lake is often used as a stop-off point, but it’s not uncommon for a brief visit to turn into a longer stay, as the lake is definitely worth a visit for water sports enthusiasts who camp. Unlike Lago di Santa Croce, it’s the morning mountain breeze here that draws surfers onto the water; the lake isn’t a spot for late risers. The wind picks up on clear nights – typical of sunny high-pressure systems – starting around five o’clock in the morning and usually lasting until about ten o’clock, typically at 12 to 20 knots. This mountain breeze can occur all year round, but the best wind frequency (> 50 per cent of days with gliding wind) is in spring and autumn. At the south-western end of the lake is the Lago 3 Comuni site (ww.lago3comuni.com), just a stone’s throw from the water’s edge. On the water, any tiredness quickly melts away as you take in the Alpine panorama, and when the wind dies down as the morning wears on, there’s plenty of time for la dolce vita, a hike – or a nap to prepare for the next morning.
Lake Garda/Torbole
45.8716, 10.8699
If there’s one thing you won’t find at Lake Garda in summer, it’s space! Whether it’s Malcesine, the pier or Conca d’Oro – parking spaces are as rare as winning the lottery, making moving from one place to another a real stress. One of the few places where you can relax as you move from your bed to your board is Torbole on the northern shore of the lake. There are four campsites available: Al Cor is very centrally located and just a short walk from the water (ww.camping-al-cor.it), Al Porto (www.campingalporto.it) and Europe (www.campingeuropatorbole.it). Here you stand under the trees, and it’s only 100 to 200 metres to the beach. The morning north wind blows straight out to sea here, of course, and is quite gusty; but as soon as the south wind picks up around midday, you’re right in the front row.
You can set off from the pebble beach, where the wind blows inwards and, depending on its strength, small choppy waves roll onto the shore. Whether it’s surf schools, shops or restaurants, everything is just a few minutes’ walk away. The Maroadi campsite (www.campingmaroadi.it) is a top tip, situated right next to the large Segnana surf school. If it’s fully booked, you can at least try your luck as a day visitor at the nearby Camper Stop Torbole. The wind season on Lake Garda starts at Easter; the strongest thermals occur on sunny days in spring and early summer, with winds of 15 to 20 knots being the norm.
Gargano
41.9199, 16.1080
The Italian heel is also a top tip for windsurfers who like to camp. The beaches north of Vieste are the places to be. Between May and September, a reliable thermal wind develops here: the Maestrale from the north-west. This wind sweeps along the coast, picks up strength and usually blows at 12 to 20 knots in the afternoons. You can get out on the water at Spiaggia Lunga, for example, where the sandy beach stretches for several kilometres and slopes gently into the sea. The rule of thumb is: the further to the left (to windward) you are, the smoother the water, as the small Isola La Chianca blocks the waves. Further to leeward, choppy conditions become more common, though the wind blows a little more consistently here. When the Scirocco (south-easterly) blows – though this mainly occurs in the off-season – the conditions are reversed: the eastern end of the bay is then better protected from waves, whilst the western part becomes rougher. Proper surf waves can also occur around Vieste, particularly when the Tramontana blows from the north to north-east. It’s not uncommon to see small sails rigged at such times. Depending on which part of the bay you choose, you’ll find a suitable campsite, just a stone’s throw from the water. In the eastern part, there’s Camping Oasi (www.oasivieste.it ), where there are also bungalows, playgrounds and swimming pools. Camping Oriente is situated a little more centrally – and is therefore suitable for all wind directions – (www.centrovacanzeoriente.it) and the Spiaggia Lunga campsite (www.spiaggialunga.it).
Sardinia/Porto Pollo
41.1955, 9.3188
Porto Pollo, in northern Sardinia, is a wind-sure classic, blessed with plenty of wind. The strait between Sardinia and Corsica amplifies both westerly and easterly winds. If you’d rather not park in the public car park near the breakwater, you can head to Isola dei Gabbiani (www.isoladeigabbiani.it) where, as well as shaded pitches for motorhomes and tents, there are also mobile homes right by the water. Once there, you can choose whether you’d prefer to head out onto the water on the windward side of the headland in small chop, or do your laps on the leeward side in calm waters. For this reason, Porto Pollo is an absolute must for beginners as well as experienced freeriders, foil surfers and freestylers. The best time to visit is from March to June and then again from September through to late autumn, when Sardinia offers mild temperatures and regular spells of the Mistral from the west; everything from light winds to gale-force conditions is possible. In the height of summer, periods of strong Mistral become less frequent; nevertheless, thanks to local gusts, there are often days with moderate gliding winds.
Sardinia/Sa Barra
39.0919 8.4415
Although relatively unknown, the south-west of Sardinia – or, to be more precise, the Sant’Antioco peninsula – is no less appealing to windsurfing enthusiasts. On its windward side, the peninsula forms a large, sheltered lagoon where everyone from beginners to slalom or freestyle pros can find something to suit them. Unlike in Porto Pollo, however, it is not the Mistral periods that account for the good wind statistics here, but a local north-westerly thermal that reliably kicks in from March to September. If 8 to 11 knots are forecast, 20 will materialise – that’s the rough rule of thumb. Because the Mistral and Scirocco (south-east) are also rideable, the region boasts up to 250 days of gliding wind per year, according to unofficial statistics. The best spot is Sa Barra, where former professional Luigi Maddedu runs a surf centre (www.sabarra.it) and where a small campsite for vans and medium-sized campervans has also sprung up right by the spot. The site is basic, but offers unbeatably short walks to the water.
Manuel Vogel
Editor surf