
Surf Forecasts:
Castelejo surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 19 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 14s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, NW swell with 1,748 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period with NNW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Castelejo this week:
The surf forecast for Castelejo over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 6s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Castelejo in the next 16 days are 3.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 8s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Sat 19th Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Castelejo over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for Castelejo.
Right now, the surf is pretty flat and weak. The water is running at 66°F, which is a hefty 6°F colder than what’s normal for this time of year – that’s unusual and you’ll feel it if you’re not in a thick enough suit. For the first few days, there’s nothing worth paddling out for. It’s mostly small, short-period slop with poor conditions. Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th are a write-off.
The first real glimmer shows up on Sunday morning the 13th. We’ve got a tiny 2 ft swell from the NW, but the period jumps up to 14 seconds, which is a nice long groundswell. Combined energy is moderate at 181, and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the E. It’ll be clean, but it’s really small. Not a standout, just a chance to get wet.
Things get more interesting on Monday the 14th. The morning session sees a 4 ft NW groundswell with a 12-second period and energy at 338 (moderate). Wind is light cross-off from the ENE, so it’s clean. This is the first decent window for a paddle, but the afternoon goes onshore and messy.
The middle of the week, from the 16th to the 19th, gets a lot of swell size but the wind is wrecking it. We’re looking at 7 ft to 8 ft NW swells, but with strong cross-onshore and onshore winds from the NNW hitting 25-28 mph. The energy is high – over 1200 on Wednesday the 16th – but it’s messy and blown out. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle session.
Now, here’s where we get the pick of the bunch. Sunday the 20th morning is the standout. It’s glassy – dead calm wind from the NNE at just 3 mph. The swell is a clean 4 ft from the NW with a 10-second period and moderate energy at 229. Conditions are set to be good and clean. It’s not huge, but with that glass, it’s the best window for a smooth, fun session.
Monday the 21st morning is another good option. Again, glassy conditions with a light E breeze at 3 mph. The swell is 3 ft from the NW, energy at 281. Clean and surfable.
Looking into the second week, the 25th and 26th of September bring some serious size and power. Friday the 25th has a 6 ft to 7 ft NW groundswell with a very long 15-second period. Energy is huge – over 2000. The wind is offshore from the ESE, so it’s clean. The caveat with that long period is that at a beach and reef break like Castelejo, it might stand up too straight. The size (over 7 ft) also means it’s really only for the experienced crew. Saturday the 26th is similar at 5 ft to 6 ft with clean offshore wind. These are promising, but being a week and a half out, treat them as a heads-up rather than a lock.
Overall, the glassy morning windows on the 20th and 21st are your best bets for a clean, fun surf without the crowds being too hectic.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sun morning, min 22°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Mon night, min 17°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Mon night, strong winds from the NNW by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NW 14 | NW 13 | NW 12 | NW 12 | NW 11 | NW 11 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NNW 7 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 11 | NW 11 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
56 | 64 | 46 | 130 | 242 | 442 | 338 | 202 | 115 | 77 | 216 | 363 | 966 | 1351 | 1499 | 1613 | 1028 | 652 | 452 | 415 | 331 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | 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 |
High Tide | 3:56PM3.11m | 4:17AM2.90m | 4:32PM2.99m | 4:51AM2.81m | 5:07PM2.80m | 5:24AM2.67m | 5:42PM2.56m | 5:58AM2.50m | 6:19PM2.31m | 6:36AM2.30m | 7:02PM2.07m | 7:24AM2.10m | 8:04PM1.87m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:42AM0.04m | 10:07PM-0.01m | 10:17AM0.08m | 10:39PM0.11m | 10:52AM0.19m | 11:10PM0.29m | 11:27AM0.36m | 11:42PM0.49m | 12:03PM0.56m | 00:16AM0.72m | 12:45PM0.78m | 00:56AM0.93m | 1:40PM0.99m | 1:56AM1.12m | |||||||
7:13 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | |
— | 7:49 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:38 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
Feels °C | 24 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 18 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 22 | 20 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | SE 8 | NW 13 | NW 12 | NW 12 | NW 11 | NW 11 | NW 10 | WNW 8 | WNW 11 | SE 5 | S 12 | S 12 | NW 11 | NW 11 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NNW 9 |
56 | 64 | 44 | 95 | 242 | 442 | 338 | 202 | 115 | 77 | 13 | 48 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1613 | 1028 | 652 | 452 | 415 | 264 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | NNW 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | WNW 9 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SE 6 | S 13 | — | — | NNW 10 | S 16 | S 16 | SE 7 | SE 6 | NW 14 |
22 | 52 | 46 | 47 | 58 | 64 | 46 | 23 | 55 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 3 | — | — | 57 | 5 | 5 | 22 | 12 | 331 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 10 | SE 7 | SE 8 | NW 14 | NNW 8 | NW 9 | — | WNW 9 | SE 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 16 | S 14 | NW 15 | SE 7 |
25 | 25 | 32 | 130 | 58 | 3 | — | 31 | 20 | 27 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | 37 | 16 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 5 | NW 10 | NNW 7 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | — | ESE 4 | — | — | ESE 6 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 216 | 363 | 966 | 1351 | 1499 | — | 8 | — | — | 51 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 390 | 532 | 532 | 629 | 65 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11 |
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.










