When to surf · Silver Coast
When to surf in Nazaré
Nazaré has two seasons. November to March is big-wave season, when the canyon fires and people come to watch from the headland, not to surf. The rest of the year the town beach is an ordinary, quiet beach break, fine for learners in the warmer months.
Right now: October
Prime autumn and the heart of contest season: the WSL Championship Tour at Supertubos in Peniche and the Challenger Series at Ribeira d'Ilhas in Ericeira both run this month. Solid swell, manageable crowds, water still wearable in a 3/2 early on.
Month by month
- JanuaryWinter
- 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.
- FebruaryWinter
- Still full winter, still the biggest surf. Storms roll through in sequence. The Algarve's south coast is the fallback when the west is closed out, and the Nazaré big-wave window is open.
- MarchSpring
- The swell starts to settle but the water is at its coldest of the year. Quiet line-ups and low-season prices. A good month for improvers who want size without the winter chaos.
- AprilSpring
- Mid-spring. Swell dropping to a friendly size, water slowly warming, and the Easter weekend brings the first national contest of the year to Figueira da Foz. Still quiet on the beaches.
- MaySpring
- Late spring. Smaller, cleaner conditions and water finally past the winter low. One of the best-value months: warm enough, uncrowded, and the schools are not yet at summer capacity.
- JuneSummer
- Summer proper begins. Small, gentle surf, warming water, and the nortada starting to blow in the afternoons. Learner season is on; book camps and lessons ahead.
- JulySummer
- Peak summer. Smallest surf of the year, warmest water, busiest beaches, and the nortada blowing hard by early afternoon most days. Surf at dawn, learn on the sheltered bays, or go to the Algarve. Camps are fully booked.
- AugustSummer
- Still peak season and still small, but the first autumn pulses sometimes arrive late in the month. Water is at its warmest. The Sintra bodyboard world-tour event runs at Praia Grande in early September, on the shoulder of the month.
- SeptemberAutumn
- The month a lot of people rate as the best of the year. Consistent swell returns, the water is still warm, the wind drops and the crowds thin. Everything the coast does well lines up at once.
- OctoberAutumn
- Prime autumn and the heart of contest season: the WSL Championship Tour at Supertubos in Peniche and the Challenger Series at Ribeira d'Ilhas in Ericeira both run this month. Solid swell, manageable crowds, water still wearable in a 3/2 early on.
- NovemberAutumn
- Autumn tips toward winter. Swell gets bigger and more frequent, water cools toward a 4/3, and the national Liga MEO circuit closes at Supertubos. Fewer daylight hours but often the cleanest, emptiest waves of the year for those who commit.
- DecemberWinter
- Winter sets in. Big, cold and serious on the west coast, with the Nazaré big-wave window open and called on the right forecast. Short days, low crowds. Beginners should stick to sheltered spots and small days or head south.
