ÓBIDOS AND ITS SURROUNDINGS, A WORLD BEYOND KITESURFING.

The wonderful Óbidos Lagoon in Portugal has many things to offer, spearheaded, of course, by our Kitesurf School. Our school right next to this awe-inspiring mass of water, where we practice and teach kitesurfing to all kinds of people from varying degrees of experience. If you want to know more details about our main attraction and our school in general, visit our home page. In this incredible location you can explore kitesurfing with consistent winds between April and October. While the winds are more intermittent during the winter, it still delivers good days and all year round our experience also provides flat waters and an expert and friendly team, making it a perfect place to learn or just have fun as a veteran rider.

Do you ever travel with friends or family that don’t want to kitesurf? We got you covered, either in that case or in the unfortunate eventuality of the weather being slightly off to get on the board. Allow us to introduce the variety of activities at a location in Portugal that will surely leave anyone breathless by the end of their stay.

If the ones interested are still lovers of sports in general, we can guide them to a few different options. First, you can take a bike with us and travel through our mountain biking trails from which you conclude that Óbidos’ beauty stems from many different sources. Ranging from its countryside to its rustic bridges connecting the shores of lakes and lagoons. With such views you will have the most astonishing healthy bike ride of your life. With brand new mountain bikes and a team of our own assigned to guide daily tours from ten to fifteen kilometers up to fifty kilometers in length, you can have the time of your life even though remaining dry. All of it starting at the beautiful lagoon.

We also can guide our patrons to other sport activities that we don’t actually teach or provide, given our main focus is kitesurfing. For one, we have strong partnerships with the two best surf schools in Peniche. As mentioned before, we’re not allowed to teach surf, since we’re not surf instructors, we teach kitesurf. The partnerships are the offer of surf lessons, partnered with the two best surf schools in Peniche. To get there, our visitors can get picked up if they so desire. The other alternative is to go there themselves, exploring the area and saving some money. One of the schools which we have a partnership with, has a hostel called Peniche Surf Embassy, to where we send our clients if they want a more social kind of experience rather than a private room at the quiet lagoon area. The latter is not the best option for, let’s say, teenagers who want to party. That’s why, we at Kite Control, ask you questions when you book to advise you and make sure everyone has the best experience tailored to them. These schools are in an area that provides a great experience to amateurs. The area in general has spots for the most advanced athletes, to complete beginners. Right near the lagoon there are a few beaches great to surf at if you’re already experienced. Beaches like, Praia do Rio Cortiço, Praia do Rei, Pico da Mota, Almagreira… all of them between the lagoon and the baleal of Peniche. The focus spots are at the big bay between the baleal and Peniche where our aforementioned partner surf schools are located.

If surfing is not you’re thing, or if you simply want to do something else, we can also guide you towards paragliding bringing you to a local school, where you can fly in tandem, or if you’re experience already you can take your wing and fly around the lagoon and also a little bit further north in Praia da Gralha near S. Martinho do Porto and Nazaré.

If you’re wanting to replace the adrenaline with a bit of calmness, there are some nice walks to do around the lagoon, on the cliff which has an eucalyptus forest. The admiration you can nurture for this area doesn’t stop at its natural beauty. The Óbidos Castle with its architecture can stun any pair of eyes that behold it. The actual city of Óbidos offers a perfect mix between the traditional small Portuguese town with its cuisine and lifestyle, and the energy pumped atmosphere derived from all the watersports available at a small distance.

If you want to explore a little bit further out this golden nest called Óbidos, you can take a trip to a handful of places. The first of which being the small “peninsula” of Baleal which is rather cute due to its size and organic allure. What attracts tourists to the town of Peniche are the Berlengas “Archipelago”, the São João Baptista Fort and the beaches that also bring more and more people, Portuguese and foreigners, in search of emotions and strong waves provided by the amazing sea. But Peniche is not just sea. The city has a lot to offer, from monuments to museums to its gastronomy, whether it's fish dishes or typical sweets.

Next comes Caldas da Rainha, with many attractions of its own like Parque D. Carlos I, a romantic garden that embraces the former thermal hospital, constructed during the reign of King John V. This was a place of physical recovery, where thermal hospital patients could stroll and benefit from the park's soothing effect.

There’s also S. Martinho do Porto, Nazaré and Fátima. If you’re a water sports enthusiast, you’ve certainly heard of Nazaré. It’s where Garrett McNamara joined the Guinness World Records after riding a 78 ft (23.8 m) wave at Praia do Norte, located in Nazaré, Portugal. Record which he later broked, only to get beaten by Rodrigo Koxa, who surfed a 24,38 meter wave. But one thing stood the same, the location being Nazaré. As for Fátima, due to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima in Cova da Iria, the city has become one of the most important international destinations of religious tourism, receiving about six million people a year.

Last but not least, you have quick access to Lisbon. Portugal’s capital. Where you can start your day by having coffee at Pastéis de Belém, for the most typical Belém pastries in the world. There are several sites to visit and most of them are at walking distance. Do not miss Belém Tower, the Jeronimos Monastery and the Monument to the Discoveries. From there, walk along the Tagus River and you will find the MAAT - Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology. This is a building of contemporary architecture that is worth seeing up close. Then cross the suspended walkway to the National Coach Museum. The options are limitless. We advise you to refer to a full guide in order to take the most out of this fantastic city.

So, as you can see, there is quite a long list of the most diverse and miscellaneous activities you can carry out in and around Óbidos. There’s a lot you, your family and friends can do something other than the attending the playground for watersports and outdoor activities that Óbidos’ Lagoon is.

We wish you a good trip, here at Kite Control!