
Surf Forecasts:
Castelejo surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period, NNW swell with 208 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Castelejo this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Castelejo in the next 16 days are 1.3m 8s 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) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Castelejo over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a good, hard look at what’s coming down the pipe for Castelejo. I’ve got to be straight with you – this 16-day outlook is a tough one to swallow. We’re staring down a long stretch of onshore winds and messy conditions that just aren’t going to give us the clean, lined-up waves we’re after.
The pattern for the next week and a half is pretty grim. From Wednesday, July 15th, right through to the end of the month, the wind is stuck in a nasty NNW to N pattern, blowing straight onshore or cross-onshore at Castelejo. The swell is there, but it’s a complete mess. We’ve got a solid gap of poor surf from the 15th all the way through to the 29th, where the word on the street is just “poor surf conditions” – lumpy, choppy, and blown out. The wind is a fresh to strong breeze for most of that run, so don’t expect any kind of glassy window.
Early on, the 15th and 16th, we’re looking at tiny 1 ft to 2 ft of swell from the WNW, with a weak energy reading (56 to 59). The period is around 9 seconds, so it’s a weak, short-period windswell – not worth paddling out for. Mid-week, the 17th through the 19th, the swell stays small but the wind gets up to 18 to 19 mph, making it completely blown out. The 20th and 21st offer a little more size, with 3 ft to 4 ft from the NNW, and the combined energy climbs into the 100s (139 to 169) – moderate energy – but it’s still cross-onshore and choppy, so it’s not going to be any fun.
The real kicker comes around the 25th and 26th of July. The swell picks up to 5 ft to 6 ft from the NW and NNW, with period around 7 to 8 seconds. The combined energy jumps into the 200s and 300s (213 to 401), which is strong wave energy. But the wind is hammering out of the NNW at 25 mph, creating strong cross-onshore and messy conditions. This is one of those times where the setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer – the chop and wind will be brutal for a surfer, but a kite could get some fun runs.
The only slight glimmer is on the 29th and 30th, where the swell backs off to 2 ft to 4 ft, but the wind is still onshore or cross-onshore. The water temp is about average for the time of year, no major anomaly to speak of.
Honestly, there’s no standout day in this whole 16-day window. The conditions are just too consistently poor. It’s a blank run for Castelejo, and that’s the reality of it. Forecasts can change, but as it sits right now, I’d be looking for a different hobby for a couple of weeks.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 19°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Wed morning, fresh winds from the NNW by Fri afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sat morning, min 18°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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 | WNW 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NNW 6 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NW 6 | NNW 6 | NW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 5 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
28 | 26 | 44 | 55 | 41 | 25 | 13 | 13 | 87 | 44 | 40 | 92 | 55 | 59 | 150 | 116 | 85 | 208 | 138 | 119 | 78 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on |
High Tide | 3:58PM3.15m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 12:39PM0.44m | 1:17AM0.45m | 1:27PM0.63m | 2:03AM0.65m | 2:21PM0.80m | 2:56AM0.83m | |||||||
6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
— | 8:54 | — | — | 8:54 | — | — | 8:53 | — | — | 8:53 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:52 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | W 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 11 | WNW 8 | W 9 | NNW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | NW 11 | WNW 10 |
22 | 26 | 44 | 55 | 41 | 25 | 6 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 18 | 14 | 23 | 29 | 39 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | NNW 6 | SW 13 | S 11 | — | S 14 | WNW 8 | W 6 | W 5 | — | S 19 | — | NW 8 | NW 10 | WNW 8 | NNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | SW 14 | NNW 10 | NNW 8 |
28 | 4 | 7 | 2 | — | 4 | 13 | 5 | 1 | — | 7 | — | 3 | 4 | 14 | 7 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 14 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | — | — | — | — | NW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | S 18 | — | W 13 | NW 13 | S 16 | S 14 | SW 14 | S 14 |
6 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 6 | — | 3 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 5 | NW 3 | NW 3 | NW 2 | NW 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 3 | NNW 6 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NW 6 | NNW 6 | NW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 5 |
— | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 87 | 44 | 40 | 92 | 55 | 59 | 150 | 116 | 85 | 208 | 138 | 119 | 78 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 95 | 690 | 179 | 181 | 891 | 399 | 767 | 1215 | 399 | 318 | 764 | 92 | 390 | 737 | 347 | 250 | 178 | 317 | 254 | 178 | 68 |
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.










