
Surf Forecasts:
Castelejo surf forecast from 31 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 4 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s period, WNW swell with 141 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Castelejo this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Castelejo in the next 16 days are 1.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 7AM. 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 13s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 06) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Tue 4th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Castelejo over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, listen up. It’s Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Castelejo, and I gotta be straight with you: it’s a bit of a bleak picture for the next couple of weeks. This is a beach and reef setup that’s exposed to the northwest, and honestly, the forecast is a whole lot of “poor surf conditions” with a big fat zero next to it on the scoreboard. That’s not what any of us want to hear.
The water temp is sitting right around average for this time of year, so no surprises there. But the waves... man, they’re just not there for a while. We're looking at a solid run of small, onshore slop for the rest of the week. Friday and the weekend will see some weak, short-period stuff, maybe 2ft to 3ft, but the wind is cross-onshore and lumpy. It’s just not gonna be worth the paddle. The energy in the water is weak too, with combined swell energy values hanging around 58 to 161. There’s a bit of a pulse of energy on Saturday the 1st, but the wind will chop it to bits.
We’re looking at a real dry spell. From Friday the 31st all the way through to around Friday the 7th, there is nothing that I’d call a surf. It’s just small, wind-blown junk. A couple of mornings might have a light breeze, but the swell is tiny and weak. This is a stretch where you’re better off finding something else to do.
Now, hold on. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but you’re going to need to be patient. Around Sunday the 9th of August, things start to wake up. We’ve got a stronger pulse of swell coming in, with the summary swell height jumping up to 5ft – 6ft and the period stretching out to 10-11 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, and you can feel the shift in the energy readings, which are pumping out 789 on Sunday morning. That’s strong energy, no doubt. The problem is, that morning the wind is still cross-onshore, which will mess with the surface. It’s bigger, but it’s not clean. This is the standout window, and the swell direction from the NW is right in the zone for this break, but the wind is the spoiler.
After that pulse, it settles back down. The following week sees the swell drop back to 4ft to 6ft, but the wind is still a problem. By Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th, it’s getting properly fresh, with 19-28 mph winds and a messy, lumpy ocean that’s going to be more fun for the kite crew than for us paddle surfers. It just doesn't look like it comes together. The energy is moderate at best in that second week, with readings hovering in the 200-400 range.
So, where does that leave us? The only real standout is that Sunday the 9th. It’s the biggest swell of the window, and the direction is good, but it’s not going to be clean. It’s a promising but uncertain call. If you’re desperate, that’s your window, but don't expect perfection. For the rest of the time, Castelejo is going to be a tough, frustrating watch. This looks like one of those blank runs that’s more normal for the area, but the good news is, this spot is very consistent, so it tends not to stay poor for long. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d keep the board in the car and the expectations low.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sat morning, min 18°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Mon afternoon, min 18°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Mon morning, strong winds from the NNW by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 6 | W 9 | W 9 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NW 5 | NNW 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
30 | 27 | 87 | 79 | 76 | 104 | 49 | 54 | 49 | 45 | 43 | 90 | 134 | 125 | 96 | 73 | 74 | 124 | 55 | 62 | 108 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 4:28PM2.86m | 4:47AM2.59m | 5:00PM2.85m | 5:20AM2.58m | 5:33PM2.79m | 5:55AM2.54m | 6:09PM2.70m | 6:34AM2.47m | 6:51PM2.56m | 7:21AM2.38m | 7:43PM2.40m | 8:19AM2.28m | 8:50PM2.25m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:10AM0.32m | 10:40PM0.25m | 10:43AM0.31m | 11:12PM0.26m | 11:16AM0.34m | 11:45PM0.30m | 11:52AM0.41m | 00:22AM0.38m | 12:33PM0.51m | 1:04AM0.50m | 1:23PM0.63m | 1:56AM0.64m | 2:26PM0.75m | 3:05AM0.76m | |||||||
6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | |
— | 8:44 | — | — | 8:43 | — | — | 8:42 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:39 | — | — | 8:38 | — | — | 8:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 |
15 | 16 | 68 | 79 | 76 | 56 | 39 | 54 | 49 | 45 | 43 | 90 | 134 | 125 | 96 | 73 | 23 | 32 | 28 | 33 | 31 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | N 10 | NW 9 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | WNW 11 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 6 | N 7 | NW 5 | N 8 | N 8 | NNW 11 | NW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 7 | — |
6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 22 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 27 | 19 | 37 | 33 | 5 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 12 | WNW 11 | — | N 11 | — | — | NNW 8 | — | — | NNW 7 | — | N 7 | — | S 13 | W 11 | WNW 10 | S 12 | — | W 7 | — | — |
3 | 13 | — | 2 | — | — | 13 | — | — | 5 | — | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | 20 | 3 | — | 4 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 5 | — | NW 5 | W 3 | — | — | NW 4 | — | WNW 8 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NW 5 | NNW 6 |
30 | 27 | 87 | 63 | 57 | 104 | 49 | 46 | 25 | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | 10 | — | 74 | 124 | 55 | 62 | 108 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 382 | 317 | 638 | 46 | 65 | 638 | 181 | 9 | 411 | 250 | 289 | 411 | 178 | 9 | 182 | 9 | 9 | 381 | 77 | 73 | 279 |
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.











