
Surf Forecasts:
Castelejo surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s period, NNW swell with 170 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Castelejo this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Castelejo in the next 16 days are 1.5m 6s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.1m 11s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 16) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Castelejo over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what we’ve got coming up at Castelejo. I’ve got to be straight with you – the next couple of weeks look pretty grim for a proper surf. We’re staring down a long stretch of onshore and cross-onshore winds that are just gonna trash whatever small swell tries to show up.
The water’s sitting at 69°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so that’s not the problem.
Right now, on Wednesday the 15th, we’ve got tiny 1ft swell from the WNW with a weak combined energy (56). On top of that, the wind is on it, making it a complete write-off. That poor surf condition sticks with us all day and into Thursday the 16th, still with that 1ft to 2ft slop and a moderate breeze ruining any shape.
Friday the 17th is even smaller, dropping to 1.0ft, and the NNW wind is howling at 19 mph by the afternoon. Honestly, it’s barely worth looking at the ocean. This pattern of small, wind-affected junk keeps hammering us all through the weekend and into the start of the next week. Sizes bobble around 3ft to 4ft, but the wind is consistently cross-on or on, creating choppy, lumpy conditions. The energy stays weak, only occasionally pushing past the 100 mark (144 on Monday the 20th, 187 on Tuesday the 21st), but it’s all raw, unorganized energy with a period around 6-7 seconds – not proper groundswell.
The whole second week of the forecast – from Wednesday the 22nd all the way to Wednesday the 29th – is more of the same. Wind, wind, and more wind. Sizes fluctuate from 1ft up to 4ft, but the direction is clamped between NNW and NW, not in the optimum NW direction. The energy spikes a bit at times (163 on Sunday the 26th), but it’s still stuck underneath a 22-25 mph breeze that's either cross-on or straight onshore. It’s going to be messy. For a beach and reef setup like Castelejo, this stretches of strong, lumpy conditions.
The one brief flicker of hope comes right at the tail end, on Thursday the 30th. We see the swell bump up to 5ft in the morning, with a combined energy of 188. The wind shifts to a lighter NW breeze at 12 mph, which is at least onshore, so still not clean. By the afternoon, it hits 5ft from the NNW with a 7-second period, energy jumps to 205, and the wind eases to a gentle W breeze at 9 mph. It's still cross-on, but for the first time in weeks, it’ll be *fairly choppy* instead of completely destroyed. It’s the best we’ve got, but it’s not a standout. It’s more of a “maybe paddle out if you’re desperate” kind of afternoon. For the beginners, that 5ft might be pushing it a bit.
Overall, there’s not a single proper window of clean, well-shaped surf in the entire 16-day run. It’s a long, bleak outlook. Keep your wax warm and hope the forecasts change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed afternoon, min 18°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sat afternoon, min 18°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wed 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 4 | NNW 6 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NW 5 | NW 5 | NW 5 | NW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NW 7 | NW 6 | NW 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
26 | 44 | 54 | 41 | 25 | 13 | 13 | 111 | 48 | 39 | 92 | 53 | 51 | 64 | 47 | 68 | 170 | 94 | 106 | 85 | 61 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 4:28AM2.82m | 4:45PM3.16m | 5:14AM2.76m | 5:30PM3.08m | 5:59AM2.65m | 6:16PM2.92m | 6:44AM2.52m | 7:01PM2.70m | 7:31AM2.37m | 7:49PM2.46m | 8:21AM2.23m | 8:44PM2.23m | 9:20AM2.12m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:17PM-0.06m | 10:26AM0.11m | 11:04PM-0.02m | 11:10AM0.17m | 11:49PM0.09m | 11:54AM0.28m | 00:33AM0.26m | 12:39PM0.44m | 1:17AM0.45m | 1:27PM0.63m | 2:03AM0.65m | 2:21PM0.80m | 2:56AM0.83m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | |
8:54 | — | — | 8:54 | — | — | 8:53 | — | — | 8:53 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:52 | — | 8:51 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 21 |
Feels °C | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 11 | NW 8 | W 9 | W 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 6 | NW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 |
26 | 44 | 54 | 41 | 25 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 18 | 12 | 13 | 33 | 27 | 38 | 37 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 6 | SW 13 | S 11 | — | S 14 | W 6 | W 6 | — | — | S 19 | — | W 10 | NW 10 | NNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 13 | — | WNW 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 | S 14 |
4 | 7 | 2 | — | 4 | 1 | 3 | — | — | 7 | — | 8 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 6 | — | 23 | 8 | 8 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 7 | S 18 | NNW 9 | W 13 | SW 16 | — | S 14 | — | — | S 14 |
5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 10 | — | 4 | — | — | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 5 | NW 3 | NW 4 | NW 2 | NW 4 | NW 4 | NW 4 | NNW 6 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NW 5 | NW 5 | NW 5 | NW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NW 7 | NW 6 | NW 6 |
6 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 111 | 48 | 39 | 92 | 53 | 51 | 64 | 47 | 68 | 170 | 94 | 106 | 85 | 61 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 95 | 690 | 181 | 730 | 883 | 317 | 390 | 1195 | 700 | 327 | 891 | 393 | 385 | 638 | 77 | 77 | 178 | 92 | 181 | 615 | 77 |
Best forecast wave conditions in The Algarve | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Portugal | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Castelejo Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Castelejo provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Castelejo can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Castelejo surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Castelejo) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Castelejo may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Castelejo is 25 km (16 miles) from Lagos. If you plan a holiday in The Algarve, look for hotels and other accommodation in Lagos. Lagos has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











