Map › Best for › Waves in Portugal
Best for waves
20 places in Portugal have at least one spot with waves: Algarve - Lagos/Alvor, Lagoa de Albufeira, Guincho, Algarve - Fuseta/Olhão and 16 more. Between them, 47 wave spots and 43 kite schools.
Ordered by how many spots each place holds.
Everything Portugal doesWaves nearbyAlso in Portugal
20 places, largest first
8 of its 11 spots are marked for waves
Modelled share of windy days by month: Jan 39%, Feb 46%, Mar 35%, Apr 47%, May 55%, Jun 50%, Jul 77%, Aug 74%, Sep 35%, Oct 37%, Nov 25%, Dec 31%. In season: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
also flat wateralso beginnersalso foilingalso waves and flat
Joseolgon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
4 of its 7 spots are marked for waves
Modelled share of windy days by month: Jan 31%, Feb 40%, Mar 23%, Apr 28%, May 39%, Jun 25%, Jul 32%, Aug 34%, Sep 23%, Oct 23%, Nov 22%, Dec 19%. In season: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
"Lagoa Albufeira March 2015-1" by Alvesgaspar, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
5 of its 6 spots are marked for waves
No figure for Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec. In season: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
"Kite Surfer@Guincho (Cascais, Portugal)" by José Carlos Cortizo Pérez, licensed under CC BY 2.0
3 of its 6 spots are marked for waves
Modelled share of windy days by month: Mar 34%, Apr 30%, May 42%, Jun 40%, Jul 21%, Aug 13%, Sep 22%, Oct 37%. No figure for Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec. In season: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.
also flat wateralso beginnersalso foilingalso waves and flat
Micael Simão, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
5 of its 5 spots are marked for waves
Modelled share of windy days by month: May 45%, Jun 38%, Jul 45%, Aug 50%, Sep 22%, Oct 29%. No figure for Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec. In season: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.
"Sunset over Peniche, seen from Baleal" by Alexkom000, licensed under CC BY 4.0
2 of its 5 spots are marked for waves
Modelled share of windy days by month: Jan 53%, Feb 47%, Mar 74%, Apr 57%, May 34%, Jun 20%, Oct 60%, Nov 63%, Dec 31%. No figure for Jul, Aug, Sep. In season: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Oct, Nov, Dec.
also flat wateralso beginnersalso waves and flat
"Praia das Milícias, Rosto de Cão, Ponta Delgada, ilha de São Miguel, Açores" by José Luís Ávila Silveira/Pedro Noronha e Costa, public domain
3 of its 3 spots are marked for waves
Modelled share of windy days by month: Apr 23%, May 26%, Jun 18%, Jul 15%, Aug 23%, Sep 18%, Oct 32%. No figure for Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec. In season: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.
also flat wateralso beginnersalso foilingalso waves and flat
"Praia do Cabedelo" by Ycomet, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
2 of its 3 spots are marked for waves
No figure for Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec. In season: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.
also flat wateralso beginnersalso waves and flat
Vitor Oliveira from Torres Vedras, PORTUGAL, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
2 of its 3 spots are marked for waves
No figure for Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec. In season: Jan, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons / "São Martinho (Madeira, Portugal), Praia Formosa -- 2025 -- 0244" / CC BY-SA 4.0
2 of its 3 spots are marked for waves
Modelled share of windy days by month: May 27%, Jun 22%, Jul 21%, Aug 10%, Sep 13%. No figure for Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec. In season: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
Vitor Oliveira from Torres Vedras, PORTUGAL, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
1 of its 2 spots is marked for waves
No figure for Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec. In season: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
Joseolgon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
2 of its 2 spots are marked for waves
Modelled share of windy days by month: May 40%, Jun 33%, Jul 39%, Aug 39%, Sep 18%, Oct 29%. No figure for Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec. In season: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.
Vitor Oliveira from Torres Vedras, PORTUGAL, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
1 of its 1 spot is marked for waves
No figure for Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec. In season: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
"Porto Santo beach at night 10" by Nuno Capelo Caldeira, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
1 of its 1 spot is marked for waves
No figure for Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec. In season: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug.
Nuno Bispo, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
1 of its 1 spot is marked for waves
No figure for Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec. In season: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
also flat wateralso foilingalso waves and flat
Kolforn / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
1 of its 1 spot is marked for waves
No figure for Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec. In season: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.
also flat wateralso foilingalso waves and flat
Glória Reverenda / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
1 of its 1 spot is marked for waves
No figure for Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
Vitor Oliveira from Torres Vedras, PORTUGAL, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
1 of its 1 spot is marked for waves
No figure for Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec. In season: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
Vitor Oliveira from Torres Vedras, PORTUGAL, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
1 of its 1 spot is marked for waves
No figure for Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
Vitor Oliveira from Torres Vedras, PORTUGAL, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
1 of its 1 spot is marked for waves
No figure for Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec. In season: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
Vitor Oliveira from Torres Vedras, PORTUGAL, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
the figure in a cell is how many of that place's spots qualify; waves is the column you are on
| Place | Flat water | Waves | Beginners | Foiling | Waves and flat | Schools |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algarve - Lagos/Alvor | 1 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 |
| Lagoa de Albufeira | none | 4 | 5 | 1 | none | 6 |
| Guincho | none | 5 | none | none | none | 5 |
| Algarve - Fuseta/Olhão | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Peniche / Baleal | none | 5 | 1 | none | none | 4 |
| São Miguel - Azores | 1 | 2 | 2 | none | 3 | 1 |
| Viana do Castelo | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| Ílhavo | 1 | 2 | 1 | none | 3 | 3 |
| Funchal - Madeira | none | 2 | none | none | none | 1 |
| Alentejo — Lagoa de Santo André / Praia da Costa de Santo André to Praia do Pego | none | 2 | none | none | none | none |
| Esposende | none | 1 | 1 | none | none | 4 |
| Vila Nova de Milfontes | none | 2 | none | none | none | 1 |
| Óbidos Lagoon | 1 | none | 1 | none | none | 5 |
| Porto Santo - Madeira | none | 1 | none | 1 | none | 1 |
| Cabedelo do Douro | none | 1 | none | none | none | none |
| Ilha de Faro / Ria Formosa | 1 | 1 | none | 1 | 1 | none |
| Moinhos / Alcochete | 1 | none | none | none | none | none |
| Murtosa / Ria de Aveiro | 1 | 1 | none | 1 | 1 | none |
| Praia de São Pedro de Maceda | none | 1 | none | none | none | none |
| Praia de São Torpes | none | 1 | none | none | none | none |
| Praia do Cabedelo | none | 1 | none | none | none | none |
| Praia do Carvalhal | none | 1 | none | none | none | none |
| Praia Fluvial da Albufeira de Santa Clara | none | none | none | 1 | none | none |
| Terceira - Azores | none | none | none | 1 | none | none |
A cell reading none in one of the five facet columns is a rule no spot at that place matches; in the Schools column it is a place with no school on file. A figure links to that facet's page for Portugal where there is one - 5 of the five clear the three-place gate here - except in the column you are already on, and the Schools figures, which are counts rather than facets.
A place is here when at least one of its spots describes waves, surf, swell or a beach break in its water, or is tagged for wave riding, surf or strapless. Spots whose only wave mention is "small waves" do not count. A country needs three such places before it gets a page of its own.