
Surf Forecasts:
Castelejo surf forecast from 12 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 12 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 9s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, NNW swell with 315 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 9s period with WNW 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 Sunday (Jul 12) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Castelejo in the next 16 days are 1.8m 7s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) 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 0.1m 11s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 16) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Fri 17th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Castelejo over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it's a pretty grim stretch ahead for Castelejo. We're looking at a long, frustrating run of poor surf conditions that just won't let up. The first half of the window is a write-off, and honestly, the whole 16-day outlook is a tough one to swallow.
We start on Sunday, the 12th of July, with a weak, messy 4 ft swell from the WNW with a period of 9 seconds. The wind is cross and building, so the morning is marginal and the afternoon is just plain poor. The combined energy is a moderate 209, but it's all for nothing with the wind messing it up.
Monday the 13th is the only glimmer of hope in this whole forecast. The morning brings a tiny drop in swell to 3 ft from the NW, but the real story is the wind. It's going glassy – dead calm. That's a major positive for clean conditions. The energy is a weak 114, but for a few hours, the surface will be like a mirror. That's your one chance to get a few grovelly ones. The swell direction is NW, which is pretty close to the optimum NW direction for this spot. But don't kid yourself, it's small.
From Tuesday the 14th onwards, it's a brutal pattern. The wind swings hard onshore and stays there, blowing 12 to 22 mph from the NNW for days on end. The swell climbs a bit, hitting 4 ft to 5 ft from the NNW by the end of the first week and into the second, but the period is short, between 5 and 7 seconds. The combined energy gets up to a moderate 171 on the 18th and 20th, but it's all junk. The wind is just relentless, making it onshore, choppy, and lumpy. The water temp is about average for the time of year, but with this wind, you won't be caring about that.
The entire second week, from the 21st of July right through to the 27th, is more of the same. Onshore wind, 16 to 22 mph, with a mix of NNW and N swell in the 3 ft to 5 ft range, all short period. The combined energy is weak to moderate (60 to 155), but it's all blown out. The morning of the 27th sees a big drop in swell to 1 ft, and the wind is still cross-on. The period stretches to 10 seconds, but there's no energy behind it.
Honestly, your best bet for any sort of clean surf is the glassy window on Monday morning, the 13th. Hit it early for the best chance at a few lined-up, knee-to-waist high waves. The rest of the period is a write-off. With the strong onshore winds and this beach-and-reef setup, the conditions look far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. For the rest of us, it's a waiting game.
Stay patient, Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun morning, min 19°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Fri morning, min 18°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 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) | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NW 5 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NW 6 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
193 | 180 | 147 | 95 | 51 | 88 | 65 | 53 | 35 | 28 | 43 | 97 | 78 | 90 | 273 | 145 | 153 | 315 | 170 | 165 | 247 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on |
High Tide | 1:24PM2.71m | 1:57AM2.65m | 2:19PM2.90m | 2:51AM2.76m | 3:10PM3.06m | 3:41AM2.82m | 3:58PM3.15m | 4:28AM2.82m | 4:45PM3.16m | 5:14AM2.76m | 5:30PM3.08m | 5:59AM2.65m | 6:16PM2.92m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:05AM0.45m | 7:42PM0.29m | 8:02AM0.31m | 8:38PM0.11m | 8:53AM0.20m | 9:29PM-0.01m | 9:40AM0.13m | 10:17PM-0.06m | 10:26AM0.11m | 11:04PM-0.02m | 11:10AM0.17m | 11:49PM0.09m | 11:54AM0.28m | 00:33AM0.26m | |||||||
6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
— | 8:57 | — | — | 8:55 | — | — | 8:55 | — | — | 8:54 | — | — | 8:54 | — | — | 8:53 | — | — | 8:53 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | S 14 | WNW 8 | — | — | — | WNW 8 | SE 5 |
193 | 180 | 147 | 95 | 51 | 88 | 65 | 53 | 35 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 16 | 4 | 14 | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 4 | — | SW 14 | SW 18 | WSW 7 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | S 11 | — | S 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
1 | — | 7 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 24 | 23 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 2 | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 12 | W 8 | SW 15 | SW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
15 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NW 5 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NW 6 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 27 | 43 | 97 | 78 | 90 | 273 | 145 | 153 | 315 | 170 | 165 | 247 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 79 | 411 | 9 | 0 | 381 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 77 | 77 | 178 | 172 | 327 | 690 | 65 | 92 | 891 | 65 | 77 | 615 | 342 |
Best forecast wave conditions in The Algarve | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Portugal | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.










