Beach break · Lagos, Algarve · 37°07′N 8°40′W
Meia Praia
A long, sheltered sandy beach on the south coast at Lagos, gentle and shallow-gradient. A fine learner wave when the south coast has swell, which is the catch: it is flat far more than it breaks.
Meia Praia is the long beach that runs east from Lagos harbour, backed by dunes and facing roughly south. It is calm, warm and shallow, and on the days it has a wave it is close to ideal for learning.
Who it is for
Beginners and improvers. Lagos surf schools use it when the south coast is working, and drive to the west coast when it is not, which is often.
When
A south or south-east swell, or a large west or south-west swell with enough size to reach around into the bay, with a north wind. Mid tide. Autumn to spring gives the best odds; summer is usually flat here.
Schools & rentals near here
Bob's Boards
A small surfboard label in Lagos, shaped by Sam ('Bob') and designed with Anastasia, building longboards, midlengths and shortboards, custom or from stock.
Surf
The Surf Experience
One of Portugal's oldest surf operations, running from Lagos since 1992, with all-inclusive surf weeks, coaching, surf guiding and yoga.
SurfNearby
Alvor
A fishing village on an estuary in the central Algarve, with a wide ocean beach break on one side and a tidal lagoon used for kite and wing on the other. Gentle and quiet, good for first steps in either.
BeginnersAutumn to spring for surf; summer thermal wind for the estuary
Praia da Rocha
Portimão's long town beach, about 1.5 km of sand below the Santa Catarina fortress, with gentle beach-break peaks on small swells. On a solid south-west swell a hollow left runs off the breakwater at the river mouth.
All levelsWinter for the jetty left; small and easy most of the summer
Zavial
A small bay south of Raposeira with one of the heaviest waves in the Algarve: a fast, hollow right that peels off the rocks at the west end. On winter swells it is for experienced surfers; in summer the beach is often knee-high.
Advanced surfersDecember to February for the right; tiny in summerCommon questions
- What kind of wave is Meia Praia?
- Meia Praia is a beach break. It wants S to SE swell, or a large SW/W that reaches the south coast swell and works best with offshore from the n wind.
- Is Meia Praia good for beginners?
- Yes — it's rated beginners and works for people who are learning.
- When's the best time for Meia Praia?
- Autumn to spring, and on rare summer south swells.
- What should I watch out for at Meia Praia?
- Long flat spells with no waves at all; a light rip near the river mouth end.