What kind of wave is Fonte da Telha?

Fonte da Telha is a beach break. It wants W to SW, small to mid size swell and works best with offshore from the ne / e wind.

Is Fonte da Telha good for beginners?

Yes — it's rated beginners and works for people who are learning.

When's the best time for Fonte da Telha?

Year-round for learning; winter for cleaner days.

What should I watch out for at Fonte da Telha?

Shifting sandbanks and channels that get harder to read as the swell grows, summer crowds, and a walk from parking on busy days.

Beach break · Costa da Caparica, Lisbon and Cascais · 38°34′N 9°12′W

Fonte da Telha

Surf

The quiet southern end of the Caparica coast, a former fishing village below the pine woods with soft beach-break peaks on small swells. A good learner's beach when the rest of Caparica is busy.

Fonte da Telha started as a fishing settlement in the 19th century, founded by arte xavega beach-seine crews, and you still see their boats on the sand. It sits at the southern end of the long Caparica beach, in a cove of the Mata Nacional dos Medos pine forest, with Cabo Espichel visible to the south.

The wave

An exposed beach break with lefts and rights over shifting sandbanks. It works on small W to SW swells, often a little smaller than the beaches closer to Caparica town. The paddle out is easy when it is small; as the swell grows, the channels become harder to read.

Who it is for

Beginners and improvers on the smaller days, with several water-sports schools on the beach. Intermediates when there is more size and a clean wind.

When

Small to mid W to SW swell with a NE or E wind, usually best around mid tide. Even a light onshore wind ruins it. Buses run from Cacilhas and Costa da Caparica; in summer the car parks fill early and you may have a walk.

Schools & rentals near here

Shaper · Costa da Caparica

Blue Room Surf Hub

A board-building hub at Charneca da Caparica: custom shaping, lamination, CNC and 3D design, plus shaping rooms independent shapers can rent.

Surf

Surf school · Costa da Caparica

Caparica Surf Academy

A surf school at Praia da Rainha on the Costa da Caparica, with Portuguese Surf Federation instructors, teaching groups, kids and private lessons a short ride from central Lisbon.

Surf

Shaper · Costa da Caparica

Matta Surfboards

Nuno Matta has shaped high-performance boards behind Costa da Caparica for around thirty years, with a big walk-in showroom stock and outlines built for beach-break surfing.

Surf

Nearby

Beach break · Costa da Caparica

Sao Joao da Caparica

The northern end of Costa da Caparica, where a line of groynes shapes the sandbanks and most of the area's surf schools operate. Sheltered from the north wind, so it is a key summer option near Lisbon.

All levelsAutumn to spring for size; summer for the sheltered lessons

Beach break · Carcavelos

Carcavelos

Lisbon's home beach and the busiest wave in Portugal on a good day. A wide, forgiving beach break one stop from the city on the Cascais train line, with a fort at one end and peaks spread along the sand.

All levelsAutumn to spring

Reef break · Carcavelos

Parede

A right-hand rock reef on the Cascais train line that sleeps most of the year and wakes up on a big west or south-west swell. A local's wave for experienced surfers, not a learner's beach.

Advanced surfersAutumn and winter, on the bigger swells

Common questions

What kind of wave is Fonte da Telha?: Fonte da Telha is a beach break. It wants W to SW, small to mid size swell and works best with offshore from the ne / e wind.
Is Fonte da Telha good for beginners?: Yes — it's rated beginners and works for people who are learning.
When's the best time for Fonte da Telha?: Year-round for learning; winter for cleaner days.
What should I watch out for at Fonte da Telha?: Shifting sandbanks and channels that get harder to read as the swell grows, summer crowds, and a walk from parking on busy days.