Map › Portugal › Algarve - Lagos/Alvor › Praia do Tonel
Algarve · Sagres · Faro
Praia do Tonel
also known as Tonel
Nearby Praia do Martinhal 2 km · Praia do Amado 18 km · Praia da Bordeira 22 km · Praia de Porto de Mós 25 km · Meia Praia 28 km · Ria de Alvor (Alvor Lagoon) 32 km · Praia de Monte Clérigo 38 km · Praia da Rocha 39 km · Praia Grande de Pêra 55 km · Praia dos Salgados 56 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
No onset time is published for this spot.
The wind
locals call it Nortada
Direction
Kite sizes
Character
thermal
Typical strength
often strong enough for small kites
The quiver, in words
small kites on strong Nortada days; exact sizes unconfirmed
Direction to shore
Nortada arrives cross-shore to cross-offshore at Tonel, and gusty with it.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan39
- Feb46
- Mar35
- Apr47
- May55
- Jun50
- Jul77
- Aug74
- Sep35
- Oct37
- Nov25
- Dec31
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
- 39%Jan16°
- 46%Feb16°
- 35%Mar16°
- 47%Apr16°
- 55%May17°
- 50%Jun19°
- 77%Jul18°
- 74%Aug17°
- 35%Sep18°
- 37%Oct20°
- 25%Nov18°
- 31%Dec17°
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 | 39% | 60% | 50% | 12.1 kt | N | 15:00 | 14°C | 16.3°C | 62 |
| Feb | 46% | 58% | 53% | 13.5 kt | ESE | 14:00 | 14.3°C | 16.1°C | 57 |
| Mar | 35% | 53% | 47% | 12.1 kt | WNW | 15:00 | 14.7°C | 15.7°C | 62 |
| Apr | 47% | 70% | 60% | 12.8 kt | NNW | 17:00 | 16.3°C | 16.4°C | 60 |
| May | 55% | 66% | 58% | 13.2 kt | NNW | 17:00 | 18.1°C | 16.8°C | 62 |
| Jun | 50% | 68% | 62% | 13.3 kt | NNW | 18:00 | 19.9°C | 18.8°C | 60 |
| Jul | 77% | 87% | 82% | 15.1 kt | NNW | 17:00 | 20.6°C | 17.7°C | 62 |
| Aug | 74% | 85% | 79% | 15.4 kt | NNW | 17:00 | 20.6°C | 16.7°C | 62 |
| Sep | 35% | 52% | 47% | 11.1 kt | NNW | 17:00 | 20.2°C | 18.2°C | 60 |
| Oct | 37% | 48% | 44% | 12.1 kt | NW | 14:00 | 19.8°C | 19.7°C | 62 |
| Nov | 25% | 43% | 37% | 11.1 kt | NNW | 14:00 | 17.2°C | 18.2°C | 60 |
| Dec | 31% | 45% | 39% | 11 kt | E | 12:00 | 14.9°C | 17.4°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
Tides
The wave quality barely notices the tide, but the rocks do. Boulders and reef scattered across the sand and around the point stand clear of the water at low tide and go under, unmarked, as it fills; surfers here work low to mid water on both the push and the drop.High tide is when the rocks you counted on the walk down have vanished.
Temperature
19-23°C summer · 15-17°C winter
Wetsuit
3/2 in summer when the Nortada is blowing; 4/3 and possibly boots in winter.
Currents
Rips run out beside the big rock and along the cliff line, mild on a small day and serious once the swell is up. This is the west-facing beach of Sagres, so it takes the swell, the wind and the current that the sheltered beaches on the other side do not.
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
2 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: medium
Somewhere else
Praia do Martinhal, 2 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Sand under the cliffs below the Sagres fort, 600 m of it, with parking at the top and a walk of five to fifteen minutes down to the beach carrying gear. The cliffs shape both the wind and the risk.
Space
medium
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Walk the waterline and note where the rocks are at the tide you will ride, not the tide you parked at.
- Count the lifeguard as bathing cover and nothing more; no kite rescue has been confirmed here.
- Ask a Sagres school or the lifeguard whether kites are allowed before riding in summer.
- Pack a 3/2 for summer Nortada days, a 4/3 and boots for winter.
- The rocks are the low-tide picture; by high water they are under the surface and you will not see them from the sand.
- Keep clear of the water beside the big rock: that is where the rip runs out.
Getting there
Airport
Faro Airport (FAO)
Route
Faro Airport to Sagres is 116-120 km by car, roughly 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Public transport means changing at Lagos and losing most of the day.
Transfer
90 min
Cost level
medium
Staying
Sagres has surf hotels, guesthouses and family resorts; Lagos is a larger base but is about 30 minutes from Martinhal and farther from Tonel.
No-wind days
surfing · Sagres Fortress · Cape St Vincent · beach walks · SUP or kayaking on calmer Sagres beaches
Photos
FAQ
Is Praia do Tonel suitable for beginners?
No, it is an advanced-only wave spot because of big waves, rocks, currents, cliffs and gusty wind.
What is the wind like?
The Nortada can be strong enough for small kites but is often gusty and inconsistent near the cliffs.
Are there rules or restricted zones?
The 2026 bathing season runs 1 June to 30 September with lifeguard service; a forum comment claims kiting may be banned on west-side beaches like Tonel, so access should be checked locally.
What hazards should riders know about?
Expect rocks above and below water, strong currents, cliffs and big waves.
Last updated: August 2026