Nearby Praia de Mira 35 km · straight-line distance
Nortada
15:00 · 19:00
Mornings are the light part of the day. The Nortada builds from late morning, is at its strongest between 15:00 and 19:00, and can hold into the evening rather than dying at sunset. Modelled diurnal pattern rather than a beach log.
The marks are the clock times the record names, laid on a 24-hour day. The bar between the first and the last covers those hours; it is not a promise of wind.
The wind
locals call it Nortada
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: Mornings are the light part of the day. The Nortada builds from late morning, is at its strongest between 15:00 and 19:00, and can hold into the evening rather than dying at sunset. Modelled diurnal pattern rather than a beach log.
Typical strength
Nortada afternoons commonly run 11-16 knots from May through August, with 18 knots and over on roughly one afternoon in twenty. Mornings are usually too light to ride. Winter fronts push harder but come without the pattern. Indicative, from modelled coastal data rather than a beach anemometer.
Thermal or synoptic
Nortada / coastal wind
Also on record
6
The quiver, in words
For a 75-85 kg rider a 12 m is the everyday Nortada kite here, with a 9-10 m for the afternoons that push past 18 knots and a 14 m if you want to ride the soft edges of the day. Indicative, worked from the wind range rather than from rider reports here.
Direction to shore
NW runs cross-offshore to sideshore at Cabedelo and Cova depending on the exact launch, which matches the cross-offshore Nortada description used for the spot.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan26
- Feb32
- Mar24
- Apr17
- May35
- Jun13
- Jul11
- Aug19
- Sep17
- Oct16
- Nov18
- Dec16
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
- 26%Jan15°
- 32%Feb15°
- 24%Mar15°
- 17%Apr16°
- 35%May16°
- 13%Jun19°
- 11%Jul18°
- 19%Aug18°
- 17%Sep18°
- 16%Oct19°
- 18%Nov18°
- 16%Dec16°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26% | 40% | 32% | 9.8 kt | N | 13:00 | 11.2°C | 15.1°C | 62 |
| Feb | 32% | 40% | 39% | 10.3 kt | ENE | 15:00 | 11.9°C | 15°C | 57 |
| Mar | 24% | 35% | 27% | 10.6 kt | SW | 15:00 | 13°C | 15.1°C | 62 |
| Apr | 17% | 32% | 25% | 10.2 kt | NNW | 16:00 | 14.9°C | 16.4°C | 60 |
| May | 35% | 53% | 42% | 11.4 kt | NNW | 15:00 | 17°C | 16.3°C | 62 |
| Jun | 13% | 28% | 15% | 9.5 kt | NNW | 16:00 | 18.8°C | 18.8°C | 60 |
| Jul | 11% | 24% | 15% | 9.4 kt | NNW | 16:00 | 20.1°C | 18.4°C | 62 |
| Aug | 19% | 34% | 26% | 9.9 kt | NNW | 16:00 | 20°C | 17.9°C | 62 |
| Sep | 17% | 28% | 20% | 9 kt | NNW | 15:00 | 19.1°C | 17.8°C | 60 |
| Oct | 16% | 34% | 23% | 9.8 kt | SSW | 15:00 | 18°C | 19.3°C | 62 |
| Nov | 18% | 37% | 27% | 9.5 kt | SW | 14:00 | 15.2°C | 17.5°C | 60 |
| Dec | 16% | 34% | 26% | 9.1 kt | N | 14:00 | 12°C | 15.9°C | 62 |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal. A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
ocean/river mouth
Tides
Tide tables are published for nearby Figueira da Foz; no kite-specific best tide is published for Cabedelo.
Temperature
19°C summer · 13°C winter
Wetsuit
3/2 mm sealed wetsuit around the August peak; 4/3 mm with boots, or 5/3 mm for longer cold sessions, around the February minimum.
Currents
River-mouth and Atlantic beach currents are likely at the Mondego entrance, but exact kite current guidance was not found.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
3 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: large
Somewhere else
Praia de Mira, 35 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Extensive sandy beach reached by wooden walkways across protected dunes; the best launch is behind the small breakwater at Praia da Cova rather than the main Cabedelo surf peak.
Space
large
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Ask CKFF or a local rider whether the day is at Cabedelo, Cova or Costa de Lavos before you unpack.
- Launch behind the small breakwater at Praia da Cova rather than at the main Cabedelo surf peak.
- Respect the cross-off Nortada and the river mouth; do not go out without a self-rescue plan.
- Cross the dunes on the wooden walkways, never through the vegetation.
Getting there
Airport
Porto Airport (OPO) or Lisbon Airport (LIS)
Route
Figueira da Foz has no airport. Porto Airport is about 123 km away and the bus down takes from about 2 h 15 min. From Lisbon Airport the practical route is by train via Lisboa Oriente and Granja do Ulmeiro/Alfarelos.
Transfer
135 min
Cost level
medium
Staying
Figueira da Foz is a full resort town with hotels, apartments, beach restaurants and surf accommodation around Cabedelo, Cova-Gala, Buarcos and the city center.
No-wind days
surf · bodyboard · Figueira da Foz seafront · Buarcos · Serra da Boa Viagem · Casino Figueira · Coimbra day trip
Photos
FAQ
What is the wind like at this Cabedelo?
Nearby Figueira da Foz station data shows an NNW-average direction and about 6 knots average wind, and the spot lacks the thermal boost seen at Viana do Castelo or Guincho.
Is it suitable for beginners?
No, the exposed wave and river-mouth setting make it better suited to independent intermediate and advanced riders.
Are there kite schools nearby?
CKFF, a local kite center in Figueira da Foz, is open March to October and places its teaching zones at Praia Sul da Cova or Costa de Lavos rather than the main Cabedelo beach.
What hazards should riders know about?
Expect Atlantic waves, river-mouth currents and cross-offshore wind risk.
Last updated: August 2026