Gran Canaria/Fuerteventura/Tarifa

SWE106 · Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 264 Location: San Mateo

Cant get a much better description then from Madspaniard. I just want to add that I have been to all places u are interested in and this was my experience:

TARIFA: Super strong winds, I went there for 14days and was overpowered 3.3-2.7 almost everyday. The lifestyle is (was? I went there 10yrs ago) super relaxed. This is the very end of the european continent, with mystical africa on the horizon. The place has a ton of atmosphere : PARTY, PARTY, PARY and a ton of wind.

CRAN CANARIA: Pozo is a just a little shit hole which is been upgraded by the EU with millions of euro's When I was there, ~5-7yrs ago, there was nothing but a local bar in somebodies garage, the cutre and northsails pads and a local bakery. Of course that all adds to the atmoshere! Their aint no beach, just big rolling boulders due to the shorebreak that crush ur feet if ur not carefull. No place for ur girlfriend or family to bath, sun or play. Super windy too, nothing to get excited about if it is 4.7winds. You want <4.0 for this place to work. It is all windswell, so the harder it blows the bigger the waves. With >4.7 it is horrible bump and jump. Winds are dead-onshore, and I mean DEAD! Good for insane jumping, but horrible for wave riding, unless u wanna perfect ur backwind cutties. Try VARGAS for more side-side-onm like waddell or moscow point, just 5 miles upwind of pozo: reefbreak, side-shore and completely empty, because all the tourist dont go further than their nose. Bjorn dunckerbeks rental is more south, stupid enough, there is not much wind their... The real tourist centers are more to the south, if you like to get ripped off that's the place to be.

TENERIFE: El cabezo is the place to be, with 3 main spots: the main wave spot, with a tiny launch, good side-on waves. The pier with side-shore winds and ok waves and the flatwater spot in town. El cabezo is a cute town, when I was there (7 yrs ago). Lots of good places to eat, nice beaches for the babes and kids! Most often ur on a 4.2 or 4.7. Less windy than pozo, more reasonable winds then pozo, as it is a little more south.

LANZAROTE: Costa teguise is the place to be. Less visited, but best waves of all the canaries. The island is the most northern and has less wind compared to Tenerife and Pozo. But it also picks up all the waves., The north shore invites to frequent masthigh 5.3-4.7 days! Insane. Due to a stupid hotel, the windline is further out and u need to slug in. The harbormouth can give some nice wave riding too!

Rember that each island is unique. Lanzarote has no natural trees and is all rock. The last vulcanic eruption was a little over 100yrs ago and the vulcano is still active, though dorment. The landscape is from mars or some, but again no, zip, nada trees. Teneriffe is the biggest island with a dry climate in the south and rain forest in the north, kinda like the hawaii islands i guess. It has plenty to do, see and explore. Teneriffe is home to europe's highest mountain (vulcano actually), which can be visited. Cran Canaria is just one big cirlce, with a vulcano in the middle. It has a small desert actually too. The rest is just uphill towards the top.

I like teneriffe the best, as the windsurfing is good, with decent winds (not too insane like pozo and not as light as lanza). Side-on wae riding and/or flatwater, u can have it all. The town is more developed than pozo, and less exploited than costa teguise. Also the island has more to offer.

Best season, for all places is summer: june-august. And yes, that is also europe's vacation season so expect to shell-out. But it's worth it!

madspaniard · Joined: 23 May 2005 Posts: 380

Tenerife Dec 19, 2007 North Shore

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvkuXtkpYgI&eurl=http://www.totalwind.net/foro/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=21264

nealpar · Joined: 25 Oct 1998 Posts: 624

Thank you guys soooo much for all this info. Very much appreciated. I definitely got a "sense" for which place would be the most worthwhile to visit, at least for a first-timer to the Canaries. It is obvious that one needs several vacations or one reallllllllly long one to see all the different places over there.

jwajack · Joined: 26 Apr 1994 Posts: 157 Location: San Pedro, CA

My wife and I went on our honeymoon in July, 2002. The wind was okay one or two days out of seven, but the sailing wasn't that exciting (even compared to Cabrillo). We stayed at the Hurricane hotel, which was fine, except for the fact that the horse stables were adjacent to the kitchen, which was what we blamed for both of us getting intestinal problems. Also, having just come from three weeks in the south of France (beaching and biking), the food was a real let down. Ultimately we still had fun, and it is cool to see Africa just across the Strait and to visit the town, but if you're just picking one place to go at that time of year, I'd look for someplace else. The Canaries sound great from the descriptions above.

jp5 · Joined: 19 May 1998 Posts: 3394 Location: OnUr6

Maybe I'm just getting old but it kinda sounds like a lot of money to travel to places that are just ok...no trees, volcanic (Mars) landscape, dead onshore winds. When I am at Leo, the wind is averaging 18kts, and I look up at those green hills I think why go anywhere else? It's half an hour from home and $5 in gas. With the occasional south swell it seems to be as good as anywhere. But then again I've never been anywhere else except for a couple times a year I will venture out and go to Lake Lopez. There is a little winery next to the lake road that is nice to stop by after sailing. For a few extra bucks you can stay at the Sycamore Mineral springs near Avila Beach. Each room has a private hot tub that is wonderful to soak in after a day of sailing.

madmax7 · Joined: 07 Mar 1997 Posts: 561 Location: So Calif

Damn JP, I like your thinking .... that's why I like living in California.

Max.

swchandler · Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588

Got to admit that I like the stoke too. Living in Santa Barbara (just a little bit up the coast) for almost 34 years really kind of spoils you. The south coast of California (definitely including the pristine Malibu coast) is a pretty trick location overall. Not always the best surf or windsurf location at all times during the year, but the seasonable opportunities can be top flight. I find that I really don't have to venture too far to get some serious stuff on occasion. It keeps me styling in the long run, and I know that I'm not alone. It's almost like a secret universe.

madspaniard · Joined: 23 May 2005 Posts: 380

jp5 · Joined: 19 May 1998 Posts: 3394 Location: OnUr6

I grew up in Santa Barbara, Montecito to be exact. I surfed Hammonds reef, El Cap and the sandspit. A buddy of mine owns property at Tajigus (sp?) and we used to surf there and ride dirt bikes. I also lived on the mesa and attended Santa Barbara City college. When a big north swell would hit Leadbetter I'd cut class and go surf. I made occasional trips to Jalama to surf - nobody knew what windsurfing was back then. The entire coastline from da Bu to SF is freakin awesome, Cambria, San Simion..awesome. But, when Leo is "on" and the water is turquoise blue I can't think of any place I'd rather be. I'm also less than two hours away from Wrightwood. I could snowboard in the morning and windsurf in the afternoon if I had the energy for it (and wind). Sorry, why go anywhere else when your own backyard is bitchen.

nealpar · Joined: 25 Oct 1998 Posts: 624

California is awesome and I love living here.

However, the desire to see a place like Gran Canaria comes from the love of traveling and seeing new places and new faces! It's a desire that can't be quenched by a Leo summer south swell, or doing Maui for the 13th time, even if those places are awesome.

People are simply very different when it comes to their comfort levels or their definition of adventure. Plus, the older one gets, the less likely one tends to push him/herself to experience the "unknown". So do it while you can or want to...is what I say.