Map › Portugal › Peniche / Baleal › Santa Cruz
Lisboa e Oeste · Torres Vedras · Lisbon
Santa Cruz
also known as Praia de Santa Cruz, Praia do Centro de Santa Cruz
Nearby Praia Azul 2 km · Praia de Santa Rita 5 km · Praia da Areia Branca 15 km · Ribeira das Ilhas 17 km · Praia do Matadouro 18 km · Praia da Foz do Lizandro 22 km · Baleal / Peniche 25 km · Óbidos Lagoon 35 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
The nortada runs off the Iberian thermal low, whose circulation has a marked daily cycle and peaks late in the day, so the wind usually strengthens through the afternoon and holds into the evening. It rarely reverses overnight, because a land breeze is uncommon on this coast. No measured onset time exists for this beach.
The wind
locals call it Nortada
Direction
Character
thermal
fills in: The nortada runs off the Iberian thermal low, whose circulation has a marked daily cycle and peaks late in the day, so the wind usually strengthens through the afternoon and holds into the evening. It rarely reverses overnight, because a land breeze is uncommon on this coast. No measured onset time exists for this beach.
Strength
Direction to shore
cross-shore to cross-offshore on this west-facing Atlantic beach, inferred from the north wind and the shoreline angle rather than measured
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan32
- Feb35
- Mar24
- Apr28
- May, riders' month45
- Jun, riders' month38
- Jul, riders' month21
- Aug, riders' month37
- Sep, riders' month22
- Oct29
- Nov20
- Dec26
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
- 32%Jan16°
- 35%Feb15°
- 24%Mar15°
- 28%Apr16°
- 45%May16°
- 38%Jun18°
- 21%Jul18°
- 37%Aug17°
- 22%Sep17°
- 29%Oct19°
- 20%Nov18°
- 26%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 | 32% | 44% | 37% | 10.7 kt | N | 14:00 | 12.8°C | 15.5°C | 62 |
| Feb | 35% | 54% | 47% | 11.6 kt | N | 14:00 | 13.2°C | 15.2°C | 57 |
| Mar | 24% | 45% | 32% | 11.1 kt | NNW | 15:00 | 14.1°C | 15.3°C | 62 |
| Apr | 28% | 43% | 37% | 11.1 kt | NNW | 16:00 | 15.5°C | 16.2°C | 60 |
| May | 45% | 56% | 48% | 12.1 kt | N | 15:00 | 17.3°C | 16.3°C | 62 |
| Jun | 38% | 58% | 43% | 11.2 kt | NNW | 15:00 | 19°C | 18.2°C | 60 |
| Jul | 21% | 53% | 35% | 10.9 kt | NNW | 16:00 | 20.1°C | 17.8°C | 62 |
| Aug | 37% | 56% | 45% | 11.6 kt | N | 16:00 | 20.3°C | 16.5°C | 62 |
| Sep | 22% | 38% | 27% | 10.5 kt | NNW | 16:00 | 19.7°C | 17.4°C | 60 |
| Oct | 29% | 42% | 32% | 11.1 kt | SW | 15:00 | 19°C | 19°C | 62 |
| Nov | 20% | 33% | 28% | 10.1 kt | N | 14:00 | 16.4°C | 17.7°C | 60 |
| Dec | 26% | 37% | 35% | 10.5 kt | N | 13:00 | 13.8°C | 16.3°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
Semidiurnal Atlantic tide, two highs and two lows a day, mesotidal. On this stretch of coast spring high water reaches about 3.5 m above chart datum and spring low about 0.7 m, close to 3 m of range, with a recorded maximum high near 3.9 m; the figures come from the reference levels for the neighbouring coast to the south and are indicative, with no measurement at Santa Cruz itself.The beach you land on at low water is a different beach from the one at high. How the wave changes across the tide here is unconfirmed.
Temperature
20-22°C summer · 14-16°C winter
Wetsuit
3/2 mm in summer and 5/4 mm in winter; regional sea-temperature sources support cool Atlantic water.
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
No school names this spot
Nobody has been recorded teaching or running a boat here.
On your own
Room to launch: medium
Somewhere else
Praia Azul, 2 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Long sand, a medium launch, rocks to watch.
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
- Launch away from the rocks and ask a local rider exactly where the southern ones sit before you go out.
- Ride the north thermal, but check strength and gusts on the day; nobody has published averages for this beach.
- Bring a full suit year round: 3/2 mm in summer, 5/4 mm in winter.
- Stay out of the bathing area during supervised hours in summer.
- Keep 300 m off the supervised beach and clear of concession corridors: that is the rule, not local etiquette.
- Be off the water half an hour before sunset, and stay ashore if an orange wind warning is out.
- Expect the wind to be at its best in the second half of the afternoon rather than at midday.
Getting there
Airport
Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS)
Route
Drive north from Lisbon on the A8 toward Torres Vedras, then the N247 through Sao Pedro da Cadeira and Silveira to Santa Cruz. The best waves and the big parking are just north of town.
Transfer
55 min
Staying
Rooms, food and parking at the spot itself, with more accommodation and restaurants through Torres Vedras.
No-wind days
Surf, bodyboard and the other wave sports, the Santa Cruz Ocean Spirit, beach walks, the Santa Cruz summer programme, cycle routes and the Torres Vedras coast paths.
Photos
FAQ
Is Santa Cruz good for beginners?
No, it is rated for intermediate and expert riders because of ocean waves and rocks noted mainly to the south of the beach.
When is the best time to kite?
May to September is listed as the best window, within a broader season running March to September.
What is the wind like?
The working setup is thermal north wind, cross-shore to cross-offshore on this west-facing beach; no independent average-speed data was found.
What hazards should riders watch for?
Rocks on land and underwater, especially to the south, along with Atlantic surf and summer beach users are the main reported hazards.
Last updated: August 2026