
Surf Forecasts:
Castelejo surf forecast from 30 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 1 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s period, NNW swell with 128 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 6s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 01) 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 13s period and expected on Monday (Aug 03) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Castelejo over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. We’ve got a 16-day window for Castelejo, and I’ll be honest with you, it’s looking like a bit of a tough stretch. The whole period is plagued by poor conditions, so there’s no true standout day to get excited about. The first solid recommendation doesn’t appear until early August, so there’s a gap of a few days with nothing worth paddling out for.
The overall pattern is dominated by messy, cross-onshore winds, which are going to keep the surf chopped up and uninviting. The swell is small, mostly under 3ft, and the periods are short, meaning weak, crumbly waves. The water temperature is about average for the time of year.
Let’s start with the first possible window. On Saturday, August 1st, the morning has a 2ft swell from the west with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined swell energy is moderate at 157. But the wind is a moderate cross-onshore from the north at 15 mph, so it’s choppy. Not worth getting out of bed for. The afternoon is cross-onshore again, just a bit stronger.
Sunday, August 2nd, is more of the same, with a 3ft swell from the NNW but a short period of 6 seconds, so the energy is weak (127). The wind is a moderate cross-onshore again. The whole week looks like this: small, short-period swells, and cross-onshore winds. The only thing that changes is the direction of the chop.
The best, and I use that word loosely, chance comes mid-week, around Wednesday, August 5th. The morning sees a 3ft swell from the WNW with a period of 8 seconds, and moderate combined energy (127). The wind is a gentle cross-onshore, so it’s only fairly choppy. Still not clean, but it’s the least bad of the bunch. The following Saturday, August 8th, has a bigger 4ft swell from the west, but the period is short at 8 seconds, and the wind is a light cross-shore in the morning, so it’s the most glassy we’ll see, but the swell is still weak.
The real issue is that the wind is never offshore. It’s always cross-on or onshore, which is a killer for Castelejo, a beach and reef setup that needs clean conditions to shine. The swell is consistently small, and the energy is low. For the entire forecast, the combined energy rarely gets above 200, and most of the time it’s in the weak 50-100 range. There’s a pulse on Tuesday, August 11th, with the combined energy hitting 215 and a 5ft swell from the NW, but the wind is a moderate cross-onshore, ruining it. The next day, Wednesday, August 12th, shows a 5ft swell from the NW with a period of 8 seconds and strong energy (354), but it’s still cross-onshore. The size is getting into the “maybe too big for beginners” territory, but the wind is still poor, so it’s a messy, blown-out mess.
Honestly, for the whole 16 days, there’s not a single window where the stars align. The swell is too small, the wind is never clean, and the quality is consistently poor. If you’re a kite surfer, the strong winds and moderate swell might be interesting, but for paddle surfing, it’s a skip. The forecast can change, but right now, it’s a blank run. Keep an eye on it, but don’t hold your breath.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sat morning, min 17°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Mon morning, min 19°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | NW 10 | NNW 6 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 6 | W 9 | W 9 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 10 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
37 | 45 | 100 | 44 | 48 | 128 | 79 | 74 | 88 | 59 | 52 | 49 | 44 | 43 | 48 | 90 | 43 | 38 | 71 | 50 | 86 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on |
High Tide | 3:55PM2.82m | 4:14AM2.57m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:38AM0.36m | 10:08PM0.28m | 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 | |||||||
6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | |
— | 8:45 | — | — | 8:44 | — | — | 8:43 | — | — | 8:42 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:39 | — | — | 8:38 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 |
Feels °C | 17 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | NW 10 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 10 | NW 4 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | W 11 |
37 | 45 | 22 | 15 | 16 | 74 | 79 | 74 | 56 | 39 | 52 | 49 | 9 | 43 | 48 | 90 | 21 | 20 | 71 | 34 | 86 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | WNW 11 | N 10 | NW 9 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | WNW 11 | NNW 8 | N 8 | W 9 | NNW 7 | N 7 | N 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 9 | WNW 10 | NNW 8 |
17 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 22 | 6 | 5 | 44 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 43 | 38 | 36 | 19 | 25 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | — | — | W 12 | — | — | N 9 | — | — | NNW 8 | — | — | NNW 7 | — | S 13 | NW 11 | NW 11 | NW 10 | WNW 10 | S 12 | — |
1 | — | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 7 | — | — | 5 | — | 3 | 5 | 29 | 24 | 20 | 3 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 5 | NNW 4 | NNW 6 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 5 | — | NW 4 | NW 3 | — | W 6 | — | — | WNW 8 | NNW 4 |
19 | 14 | 100 | 44 | 48 | 128 | 73 | 49 | 88 | 59 | 39 | 44 | — | 4 | 2 | — | 21 | — | — | 50 | 18 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 95 | 745 | 382 | 46 | 638 | 46 | 46 | 182 | 95 | 9 | 178 | 95 | 181 | 245 | 181 | 9 | 411 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
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.










