Happy Easter

A road trip to Leucate and the Costa Brava – with a detour to Lac de Monteynard. Anne was back on the road and shares her experiences from her trip in April 2026.

I had actually planned to go hiking in the Alps, but the weather forecast for my destination was so bad that I had to change my plans at the last minute. So it was water sports again – not the worst alternative. But was that really a good idea? For days, the Tramontana had been blowing so fiercely over the Mediterranean that the conditions were pretty much unsurfable.


On the day I arrived in Leucate, it was still so windy that there wasn’t a single windsurfer to be seen on the water. Luckily, the wind wasn’t supposed to be quite as strong the next day. Even so, with my 3.7-meter sail, I still found myself “out of control” at times, but I had a lot of fun during my first windsurfing session of the year at Le Goulet.

The next day, I had to get up early, because the wind was supposed to die down completely around noon. In the morning, I flew over the muddy brown water with my 3.5-meter wing, and just like that, I had my second good session under my belt.

After that, I headed to the Aquarius campground in the Bay of Roses for a proper shower. Fittingly, a few white caps appeared on the water that afternoon.

I didn't want to miss out on that, so I quickly headed back out onto the water that day for a second wing session. But the wind died down faster than I expected, and I couldn't manage more than a brief flight.

The search for stronger winds took me to Palamós, further south, the next day. Along this stretch of coast – and further south – the southwesterly wind known as the Garbi was expected to pick up in the early afternoon.

So there was still enough time beforehand to explore the coastal hiking trail. Unfortunately, my assumption that the town wouldn’t be too busy during siesta time didn’t pan out.

I had read that there are two spots in Palamós. One is right in the middle of town, so I drove my van through the narrow streets to the promenade, but couldn’t find a suitable parking spot. Since the two wing foilers I saw there were just bobbing around, I decided to park a little outside of town and take a stroll through the little town.

But the forecast wind wouldn’t let me rest. There seemed to be some activity on the water at the southern end of the bay – I had to check it out. And sure enough, further south there were 10–15 wing foilers out on the water, but even there, finding a spot to park near the action without breaking the rules was out of the question.

After the fourth try, I gave up looking for a parking spot – especially since it was getting late. Most of the wing foilers were just coming in from the water anyway. Bottom line: there are these two spots in Palamós, but what you have to do to get a parking spot there... I have no idea.

A glance at the Windy app sent me to L'Estartit the next day, one of my favorite places. As is often the case, parking tickets were being handed out to all vehicles over 2.20 meters in height in the beach parking lot.

I was chilling in a marked parking spot by the roadside, killing time in the cute little towns and at the beach, until the wind finally picked up around 4:00 p.m. Since the rescue station was busy, I decided not to head over to the southern spot and had the small, shimmering green-and-blue swell all to myself.

The wind forecast had me heading north again the next day. This time, the spot Les Dosses in Leucate was on my list. Located south of Le Goulet on the Etang de Leucate, this spot doesn’t have a motorhome parking area right on the water, but there are plenty of parking spaces available over Easter, even for larger vans.

The beach there was pretty crowded. The wind was supposed to pick up around 2:00 p.m., and after I’d done a few light-wind laps with my downwind board, there was finally enough wind for windsurfing. With the water looking much clearer than at Le Goulet, I really had a blast during a freestyle session.

So far, I’ve been super lucky – great weather and amazing surf sessions – but now the big question has come up: Where can I find the next wind?

The forecast for my area called for calm conditions, so I decided to check out a new spot on the way back. After enjoying two lovely sightseeing stops in Gordes and Roussillon – both villages are among the most beautiful in France – I continued through Provence to Lac de Monteynard.

Will there be thermals here at this time of year? There was only one surfer’s van in the parking lot, which made me a little suspicious. But never mind that for now, because before the thermals – if they come at all—kick in around noon, there was still time for a hike to the Ebron suspension bridge.

Back at the van, the thermals kicked in, but there wasn’t a surfer in sight. Since I don’t like going out on the water alone, I was a bit stunned – I was standing on one of the windiest lakes in Europe and wasn’t supposed to be able to take advantage of the wind?

The French guy with the surfer van then suggested I try the parking lot a little further north. And sure enough, the first wing foiler was already out on the water there, and others were setting up. What a stroke of luck – it meant I still got to enjoy a session on this lake with its stunning colors and snow-capped mountains as a backdrop.

Unfortunately, the promising wind forecast for the coming days had vanished into thin air. The weather was even supposed to take a turn for the worse, with snow forecast for the weekend. The question was: should I stay at Lac de Monteynard, where there was little chance of wind, or head to my home spot, Auesee, for one last guaranteed session?

I chose the latter and ended my wonderful Easter road trip – with all its endlessly beautiful colors – at my beloved home spot, which was looking a bit gray-blue that day.

May 4, 2026 © WING DAILY  |  text: Anne Stevens  |  photos/graphics: Anne Stevens  |  translation: DE