Surf spots in West Algarve, where to go.
The big advantage of the western part of the Algarve is that you have both a south and a west coast with many different orientated surf beaches to choose from. You will find a good wave almost all year round if you understand the basics of surf forecast and have some local knowledge about the surf beaches in the area. To help you gain this local knowledge, we are happy to share our experience with the main surfing beaches in the Lagos area.
Meia Praia (Lagos)
Description: Vasty beach 5 minutes drive from Lagos center. The gently sloped sandy bottom makes it a good surfing beach for beginners and intermediate surfers. Because of the south east orientation of the beach it is best placed for even small waves coming from that direction. When the wind falls or turns north (it happens often in the evenings during south east swells) it‘s ideal for clean small waves. It needs a small S swell or a huge NW swell to start working.
Type of wave: beach break with shifting peaks
Typical wave height: 0,5 – 1,5 m
Bottom: sand
Tide: works best at mid tide, does not work at high tide when the waves are small
Level surfer: beginner / intermediate
Crowd: moderate
Parking: at the beach
Porto de Mos
Description: Beach 5 minutes drive from Lagos center. Good surf beach for beginners and intermediate surfers. Beginners will be better of in the beach break, intermediate surfers usually prefer the right hand wave over the reef (on the west side of the beach). Because of the gentle slope of the reef, it is a popular place for longboarders looking for a long running mellow wave. It needs a S swell or a big NW swell to work.
Type of wave: beach break with shifting peaks and right hand wave over reef
Typical wave height: 0,5 – 1,5 m
Bottom: sand, reef
Tide: works best at mid tide, does not work at high tide when the waves are small
Level surfer: beginner/intermediate on the beach, intermediate on the reef
Crowd: moderate in spring and winter, packed in summer and autumn when the waves are working on the reef.
Parking: at the beach
Praia da Luz
Description: Popular tourist beach in the village of Praia da Luz. It offers a mix of beginner waves in the sandy beach break and some punchy waves for intermediate surfers over the sand covered reef. It needs a S swell or a big NW swell to work. On a huge NW swell you might be lucky to see the challenging pointbreak work on the west side of the beach. (experts only)
Type of wave: beach break with shifting peaks (point break on huge NW swell)
Typical wave height: 0,5 – 1,5 m
Bottom: sand, sand covered reef
Tide: works best at mid tide, does not work at high tide when the waves are small
Level surfer: beginner / intermediate (experts on the pointbreak)
Crowd: moderate
Parking: in the village of Praia da Luz
Cabanas
Description: Surf beach between Burgau and Salema. Good surfing beach for intermediate/good surfers. One of the better places in the area that offers protection from the south east-winds which are usually accompanied with building SE swells. Offers punchy waves and even small tubes if the SE and NW swell are mixed nicely together. It needs a S swell or a big NW swell to work.
Type of wave: beach break with shifting peaks
Typical wave height: 0,5 – 1,5 m
Bottom: sand
Tide: works best at mid tide, does not work at high tide
Level surfer: intermediate / good
Crowd: moderate
Parking: small parking at the beach
Zavial
Description: Most famous beach on the south coast. First beach on the south that receives waves from growing NW swells. On the smaller days good beach for intermediate surfers. On the bigger days only good/expert surfers. The bigger waves are powerfull and hollow. It can be 5 minutes flat whereafter a set can clean up the line up. If boards are broken in the area, it often happened in Zavial. The backwash from the cliffs on the west can create that typical righthand Zavial barrel. It needs a S swell or a decent NW swell to work.
Type of wave: beach break with shifting peaks, righthand barrel on the bigger days
Typical wave height: 0,5 – 2 m
Bottom: Mostly sand
Tide: works best at mid tide
Level surfer: intermediate / good / expert
Crowd: because it is a small beach, usually crowded
Parking: small parking at the beach and alongside the road to the beach
Mareta (Sagres)
Description: Beach in the center of Sagres looking south east. Because of the south east orientation it is always smaller when the big NW swells create waves on the south coast. Because of the sand bottom and smaller waves good for beginner / intermediate surfers.
Type of wave: beach break with shifting peaks
Typical wave height: 0,5 – 1 m
Bottom: sand
Tide: works best at mid tide
Level surfer: beginner / intermediate
Crowd: moderate, busy in summer
Parking: parking at the beach and in Sagres
Tonel (Sagres)
Description: Surfing beach looking west. Geographically still south coast but due to its west orientation, the waves are more similar to those on the west coast. So bigger and more powerfull than the average south coast waves. Be aware of the rocks in the middle of the beach which will be invisible at high tide.
Type of wave: beach break with shifting peaks
Typical wave height: 0,5 – 2 m
Bottom: mostly sand
Tide: works best at mid tide, often backwash at high tide
Level surfer: intermediate / good
Crowd: moderate, busy in summer
Parking: parking alongside the road to the beach and on the big parking of the Fortaleza
Beliche (Sagres)
Description: Most westerly beach on the south coast. Sheltered by high cliffs to the east that also delivers the backwash to create the left hand barrel, only suited for good/expert surfers. On bigger days very steep take-off on that east peak favoured by body boarders. Further west the waves are less affected by the backwash and are therefore more suited for intermediate surfers. It needs a big S or NW swell to work.
Type of wave: beach break with shifting peaks, lefthand barrel on the bigger days
Typical wave height: 0,5 – 1,5 m
Bottom: Mostly sand
Tide: works best at mid tide
Level surfer: intermediate / good / expert
Crowd: moderate
Parking: small parking on top of the cliff close to the beach
Castelejo
Description: Surfing beach looking north west. Provides mostly small to medium waves during spring/summer and medium to big waves in autumn/winter. Be aware of the rocks to the southerly part of the beach which will be invisible at high tide. A sandbank usually sits in line of these rocks that can provide a nice lefthander during bigger swells. Due to the exposure to all the north west swells, there is always a wave on the west coast.
Type of wave: beach break with shifting peaks
Typical wave height: 0,5 – 2,5 m
Bottom: mostly sand
Tide: works best at mid tide
Level surfer: beginner / intermediate / good / expert depending on the wavesize
Crowd: moderate, busy in summer
Parking: parking at the beach which can be full in summer
Cordoama
Description: Surfing beach just north of Castelejo. Provides mostly small to medium waves during spring/summer and medium to big waves in autumn/winter. In front of the carpark the beach is rock free but further north you have to take the rocks into account for getting in and out of the water. Due to the exposure to all the north west swells, there is always a wave on the west coast.
Type of wave: beach break with shifting peaks
Typical wave height: 0,5 – 2,5 m
Bottom: mostly sand
Tide: works best at mid tide
Level surfer: beginner / intermediate / good / expert depending on the wavesize
Crowd: moderate, busy in summer
Parking: parking at the beach which can be full in summer
Amado
Description: Surfing beach that gives some protection from the north wind due to the headland in the north. Because of this headland the waves tend to be a little smaller than on the surrounding exposed beaches. Some rocks in front of the walking path to the parking. Popular beach with surfschools, which makes it very crowded in summer.
Type of wave: beach break with shifting peaks
Typical wave height: 0,5 – 1,5 m
Bottom: mostly sand
Tide: works best at mid tide
Level surfer: beginner / intermediate / good
Crowd: moderate, busy in summer
Parking: big parking at the beach
Bordeira
Description: Huge exposed beach to all the north and west swells. It is always a little bigger here than on the surrounding beaches. No protection from the wind though. With no wind or offshore conditions, you can walk 10 minutes north on this beach and have a perfect peak on your own. Due to the full exposure to all the north and west swells, it is never flat here.
Type of wave: beach break with shifting peaks
Typical wave height: 0,5 – 3 m
Bottom: sand
Tide: all tides
Level surfer: beginner / intermediate / good / expert depending on the wavesize
Crowd: due to the largeness of this beach, you can always avoid the crowds
Parking: some parking spots down next to the river, some parking spots on top of the hill on the south side of the beach
Vale Figueiras
Description: Remote surfing beach which can be accessed via small roads from the N268 (Vila do Bispo – Aljezur). Less popular beach but offers similar waves as the surrounding beaches. Provides mostly small to medium waves during spring/summer and medium to big waves in autumn/winter.
Type of wave: beach break with shifting peaks
Typical wave height: 0,5 – 2 m
Bottom: mostly sand
Tide: all tides
Level surfer: beginner / intermediate / good / expert depending on the wavesize
Crowd: generally low
Parking: parking alongside the road to the beach
Arrifana
Description: Most popular surf beach in the Algarve. The beach is fully protected from the north wind because of the high cliffs in the north. The waves from the north west have to wrap into the bay and are therefore smaller than on the surrounding exposed beaches. Popular beach with surfschools and learning surfers which make it crowded almost all year round. On big NW swells the righthand pointbreak in front of the little fishing harbour will start to work. Since the take-off is in front of a rocky outcrop, for experts only.
Type of wave: beach break with shifting peaks
Typical wave height: 0,5 – 1,5 m
Bottom: mostly sand
Tide: works best at mid tide
Level surfer: beginner / intermediate / good / experts
Crowd: crowded
Parking: on top of the hill just before the small winding road goes down to the beach
Amoreira
Description: Semi remote surfing beach north of Aljezur. Less popular beach but offers similar waves as the surrounding beaches. Provides mostly small to medium waves during spring/summer and medium to big waves in autumn/winter. The river coming into the beach on the south side, can sometimes wind all over the beach and enter the sea in the middle of the beach. This will make it hard for beginning surfers to surf at high tide. Beware of the current in the river mouth especially on outgoing tide. The north part of the beach is usually not surfed because of the rocks.
Type of wave: beach break with shifting peaks
Typical wave height: 0,5 – 2 m
Bottom: mostly sand
Tide: low and mid tide are best
Level surfer: beginner / intermediate / good
Crowd: generally low
Parking: parking close to the beach and alongside the road to the beach
How to find the best surf spot. Tips and tricks.
Where to go surf in west Algarve, rules of thumb:
If there is a NW swell
– below 1 m go to Bordeira / Cordoama
– 1 – 2 m go to Amado / Arrifana
– 2 – 3 m go to Arrifana / Zavial
– more then 3 m go to Cabanas / Porto do Mos
If there is N wind more than 20 km/h look for protection in Amado or Arrifana.
South coast works with a SE swell (more than 0,5 m) or a big NW swell (more than 2,5m).
Most beaches work best at mid tide, south coast generally does not work at high tide.
To check wave height forecast: magicseaweed.com
To check wind forecast: windguru.cz
To check the actual wave conditions on the beach: beachcam.meo.pt/livecams
Good luck!