Sintra
Beach breakIntermediate
A beach below the Sintra cliffs, with sand and rock peaks.
The trick is orientation. The Sintra coast, Guincho and Costa da Caparica face west and work with an easterly wind; the Cascais line, between Carcavelos and Estoril, faces south, so it only gets big winter swells, but it handles the northerly wind, the most common one, especially in summer. Water is 14–15 °C in winter and 18–19 °C in summer.
Map
Sintra
Beach breakAll levels
A village beach in Sintra, at the end of the old tram line.
Sintra
Beach breakIntermediate
Sintra's big beach, with the famous, very powerful «pool right».
Cascais
Beach breakIntermediate
A spectacular beach between dunes and the Sintra hills, famous for its wind.
Cascais
ReefIntermediate
The Cascais-line reef right that holds the most size.
Cascais
ReefIntermediate
A rock right on the Cascais line that only works in big swell.
Cascais
Beach breakAll levels
Lisbon's surf beach, 20 minutes by train: schools, bars and barrels in big swell.
Almada
Beach breakAll levels
Kilometres of beach across the bridge: peaks between groynes and lots of surf schools.
Almada
Beach breakAll levels
The southern end of Costa da Caparica, below fossil cliffs: fewer people and more nature.
Sesimbra
Beach breakIntermediate
A wild beach north of Cape Espichel, with powerful peaks and tricky currents.
Conditions at a glance
| Spot | Wave type | Level | Best swell | Best wind (offshore) | Tide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magoito | Beach break | Intermediate | W, NW, SW | E, SE, NE | All tides |
| Praia das Maçãs | Beach break | All levels | W, NW, SW | E, SE | All tides |
| Praia Grande | Beach break | Intermediate | W, NW, SW | E, SE | Low for barrels |
| Guincho | Beach break | Intermediate | W, NW, SW | E, SE, NE | All tides |
| São Pedro do Estoril (Bico) | Reef | Intermediate | SW, W | N, NE | All tides |
| Parede | Reef | Intermediate | SW, S, W | N, NE | Mid |
| Carcavelos | Beach break | All levels | SW, W, NW | N, NE | Mid |
| Costa da Caparica | Beach break | All levels | W, NW, SW | E, SE, NE | All tides |
| Fonte da Telha | Beach break | All levels | W, SW | E, SE | Low |
| Praia do Meco | Beach break | Intermediate | W, NW, SW | E, SE, NE | Low to mid |
Indicative information gathered from surf guides and surfers' experience. Conditions change with the sandbanks: check the forecast and ask at the beach.
Which wetsuit to bring
The water is around 14 °C in winter and 18 °C in late summer.
4/3 wetsuit
The autumn-to-spring suit for water at 12–16 °C.
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5 mm booties
Warm feet in winter and protection on rocks.
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Shapers in the Lisbon area
Order a board designed for these waves from a local shaper.