Praia de Santa Cruz: much more than surfing
The sport that made Valeriya Gogunskaya settled (accidentally) in the town of Povoa de Penafirme , close to the Santa Cruz Beach , it was surfing. After six years settled in Portugal, This skate lover affirms that everything goes smoothly in Lusitanian lands: since 2017, she has participated in the construction of a community of longboard dancing & freestyle.
This interview is part of "The World Made Local" , a global project of Conde Nast Traveler in the seven international editions, which gives voice to 100 people in 100 countries to find out why her own territory should be your next destination.
Tell us more about your longboarding...
I started longboarding in 2014 , When i was in the university in finland , and shortly after I moved to Portugal where my passion for longboarding it became stronger. Since 2017, I have been actively involved in building a longboard dancing & freestyle community here. We organize events, lessons and camps. My favorite place to skate when I want to train is the Alcantara docks in Lisbon.
How would you describe your place of residence?
I live in a small town called Povoa de Penafirme, in Praia de Santa Cruz near the famous Ericeira and Peniche surf centers. When I think of it as a settlement, it's small, tame and quiet, there's no wow effect on it. But if I were to speak of it as a natural enclave, our zone is raw, mighty and vast , with room to breathe and kilometers of coastline to tour.
If a friend came to visit you for the first time, what would you recommend that they do?
We are in the Silver Coast , which is incredibly rich in charming beaches and traditional fishing villages, so having a car and exploring them one by one can be fascinating. In Praia de Santa Cruz itself, it is an obligatory task to make a cliff top hike , meet the Porto Novo valley and book one surf class. For a unique view of the area, go to the local airfield and hop on aboard a vintage plane.
Valeriya Gogunskaya
And where would you take him to eat?
The Boca Santa restaurant is a must: you must try it there the most tender octopus (powder à lagareiro), grilled squid and fish soup , garlic bread and sangria, all in one terrace overlooking the ocean.
Down the stairs is the bar and restaurant Tanning, that, in addition to offering a elegant and tasty food , is at the gates of the ocean. On weekends you can enjoy a good DJ session at sunset . If you want a snack, as well as great desserts, visit the MAX coffee shop , in which I spend at least a fifth of my salary per month: their vegan burger is delicious.
If you are staying a bit longer and are interested in a more sustainable lifestyle, stop by Alcofabio : It is a bulk store with a cafe that offers a lot of cakes, nut butters, homemade cookies and juices.
Beyond your area, what are your favorite places in Portugal?
Last September, my friends and I we went to Setúbal and the Sierra de Arrábida to practice climbing and kayaking. To take a break from the ocean landscapes (although who gets tired of them?), the river beaches are a great option. My favorite experience was on the Zêzere river.
One of my most recent discoveries is in the north of Portugal, in Arouca , where I went to cross the longest suspension bridge in the world. We didn't know that we had to book tickets online in advance and we couldn't step on this giant of 516 meters in length , but we still enjoyed a walk of 8 kilometers along the river , overlooking the hills and waterfalls.