End of the Atlantic Stretch

We’ve been trying to juggle having enough time to enjoy all the places we’ve stopped at en-route with moving along at quite a pace to take advantage of a favourable weather window. The northerly winds, which have tended to pick up in the afternoon, have given us quite a few good sailing days.

That has often meant arriving into a harbour late in the day and leaving early the next morning to get the miles done. Choices of places to stay can be limited as there’s quite a few long stretches with no harbours or safe sheltered anchorages. 

So we might not see the best of places or experience what a typical visitor might on our short visits but here’s a quick roundup from my dairy of the best places, in no particular preference order, we’ve stopped at.

A Coruña

A busy city with a small fort on the entrance, and a lovely waterfront where cruise ships and open water swimmers co-exist in close proximity. There’s a beach with an 11km long Maritime Promenade on one side, the harbour on the other side and in between the old town and a lovely selection of shops, cafes and restaurants. 

Muxía

Due to stormy weather we stayed 4 days here and managed to explore most of this small town, with a population of just over 4000, on foot. A tasteful tourist destination at the end of one of the Camino Pilgrimage walks. 

Baiona

A lively town with an impressive castle where you could walk around the ramparts or, for a longer but more leisurely walk, around the lower sea walls, we did both. Lots of shops, bars and busy restaurants, two beaches and a real mix of nationalities. 

Nazaré

A popular tourist town, famous for its world record surf waves, with lovely long sandy beaches and promenades, lots of shops, bars and restaurants. A funicular railway runs in the peak season taking spectators up to the cliffs to watch the surfing. A town proud of its fishing heritage and has a Dried Fish Museum as well as an impressive Surf Museum in the fort.

Peniche 

Another busy fishing harbour with some world class surfing beaches. The town used to be an island and is protected by robust 16th century Vauban-style fortress walls. 

Sines 

Yet another busy fishing harbour (bit of a theme here!) with a large outer commercial dock which provides an industrial backdrop to this quaint town. Birthplace of  navigator Vasco da Gama, the town has a castle, built high on a hill in 1424, to protect the city from pirates and enemy ships.

We have one long stretch, of about 60 miles (12 hours) to do heading south down the Atlantic facing coast before we turn east and start exploring the towns on the Algarve in Portugal and then re-enter Spain. We should, in theory, have fewer long days out at sea and more opportunity to explore the harbours we moor up in.