Sagres.
Now
· updated 13 hours agoNW swell at 12-14 seconds peaks Friday dawn under strong N wind, dropping to 2m by evening as wind shifts NNW and lightens. The swell holds through the weekend at 1.5-2m with glassy conditions building by Saturday evening. Early week eases to 1m with light-moderate ENE wind, then a fresh NW pulse builds Thursday to 1.4m under light NNW wind. Looks like Friday dawn under strong N wind will be the best window before the swell fades.
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About Sagres
Sagres sits at the south-west tip of Portugal, where Iberia’s Atlantic coast hooks east into the Algarve. Two coastlines meet at a right angle under one weather system: the west takes raw Atlantic swell, the south sits in the lee. Tonel and Beliche, both west-facing under cliffs, hold the consistent surf. Up the west coast, Cordoama, Castelejo, and Bordeira spread the lineup across kilometres of empty beach. Mareta and Praia do Martinhal, on the south side, are the small-day plays.
The west-coast peak runs October through April, when North Atlantic storms send north-west swell into Tonel and the cliff-backed beaches. Working size is 1 to 3 m at 10 s or longer. The Nortada, a north summer wind, blows hard from June through September and turns the west coast onshore. That same Nortada is offshore on the south coast, so the geometry flips: when the west blows out, the south picks up. December is the most reliable month, with storms still firing and the summer crowds gone.
Water runs 15 to 17 °C in February, 21 to 23 °C in August. A 4/3 in winter, a 3/2 spring and autumn, a shorty in August. Cliff descents at Beliche and Cordoama are steep; budget the walk. Crowds split by season: schools dominate the south side from June through September; locals cycle the west-coast bigger days year-round. When the Nortada is hammering or the west closes out, head south to Mareta or Martinhal. Same call either way.