When to surf · Algarve
Lagos in January
Deep winter. Big, cold and heavy on the west coast, prime Nazaré season, and the Capítulo Perfeito tube contest waits on a swell at Carcavelos. For experienced surfers, or beginners sticking to sheltered bays on the small days.
Lagos
Lagos's south coast is least reliable in summer and can go flat for days; autumn to spring wraps more swell in. Water is the warmest in the country and wind is light all year, so it works as a mixed surf-and-beach trip in any month, with west-coast day trips as the backup when the south goes quiet.
Winter
