The Esposende Nortada Kite Fest is a new three-day kitesurf and music festival on the Atlantic coast of Northern Portugal, running from 7 to 9 August 2026. It is free to watch, and one of its races starts on Praia do Rodanho, the beach just below Yuna near Viana do Castelo. For anyone who loves wind, water and a good atmosphere by the sea, it is worth knowing about. Here is what the festival is, what happens over the three days, and why it lands so close to home for us.
What is the Esposende Nortada Kite Fest?
It is the first edition of a festival built around the wind that gives this coast its character, the Nortada. Over three days, national and international riders compete along the shore, while the town fills with music and activities by the river. The festival runs between the mouth of the Cávado river and the Parque Radical in Esposende, about half an hour south of us. Entry for the public is free. It forms one stop on the Nortada Ocean Rides 2026 circuit, a series of wind-sports events that travels the Portuguese coast through the year.
What happens over the three days?
There are two sides to it, on the water and on the sand. On the water, riders compete across several kite disciplines, including Kiteboard, Kitewave, Kitefoil and Wingfoil. The programme is split into formats, among them a Downwind race and a Race course for the Kiteboard classes. Entering the competition needs registration, but watching from the beach costs nothing. On the sand, the festival opens out to everyone. Expect DJ sets in the late afternoon, a concert from Souls of Fire on the Saturday night, and activities along the river through the weekend. It is as much a coastal celebration as a competition.
Why the race starts on our beach
Here is the part that made us smile. The Downwind race starts at Praia do Rodanho in Viana do Castelo and runs south along the Atlantic to the mouth of the Cávado. Rodanho is a short walk from Yuna. It is where our guests go to ride waves, and where the wind comes in a little more onshore than at the sheltered northern end of Cabedelo. So if you are staying with us that weekend, you can watch the riders set off from a beach you already know, or, if you ride, line up and be part of it.
What is the Nortada?
The festival takes its name from the wind, and for good reason. The Nortada is the thermal north wind that builds along this coast through the afternoon in summer. As the land heats up, it pulls cooler air in off the Atlantic, and the result is the steady, reliable wind that has made Cabedelo and Rodanho such a draw for kitesurfers.
Nortada, the organiser behind the circuit, sees the wind as part of the region’s identity rather than just a set of conditions. Spend a summer afternoon on the beach here and you understand why. You can read more about how it works in our guide to the best time to kitesurf at Cabedelo, and about the spot itself on our Praia do Cabedelo page.
A festival that travels the coast
The Esposende event is one stop of many. In 2026 the Nortada Ocean Rides circuit also visits Viana do Castelo, Peniche, Sines, Vila Nova de Milfontes and Ericeira. The idea behind it is to bring wind sports closer to the coastal communities that host them, and to show off the coastline while doing it. For us, that means the season now has a rhythm of events worth following, with one of them right on our doorstep.
How to make a weekend of it
If you want to see the festival, the easiest plan is to base yourself near Viana do Castelo and drive the short stretch south to Esposende when you fancy it. Mornings here are usually calm, so there is time for coffee, a surf or a walk before the wind and the music get going in the afternoon.
We built Yuna a few minutes from Cabedelo, on a hillside with a view over the Atlantic. Yuna One has a private saltwater pool and sleeps up to six, and Yuna Two has a private garden and an outdoor Gardentub. Both make an easy base for a weekend on the water. You can book either one directly with us
