Surf Forecasts:
Faja da Areia surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 7s period, NE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 13s period, NW swell with 342 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 7s period with NE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Faja da Areia this week:
The surf forecast for Faja da Areia over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Faja da Areia in the next 16 days are 1.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 14s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Faja da Areia over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up.
Honestly, it’s a pretty flat and frustrating stretch ahead for Faja da Areia. We’ve got a long dry spell before anything even looks rideable, and even then, it’s never going to be pumping. The first real glimmer of hope doesn't show up until Saturday the 5th of September.
The whole first week is mostly a write-off. From Monday the 31st of August right through to Friday the 4th, it’s a mix of poor surf and marginal conditions, with the combined swell energy sitting between 150 and 334 – just weak to moderate energy, and the wind is always messing it up with that light cross-onshore breeze.
Then, on Saturday the 5th of September morning, we finally get a break. The wind goes glassy, dead calm, which is a massive positive. The swell is coming from the NE at 4 ft with a short, weak 7-second period. The combined energy is low at 174. It’s surfable, but just ordinary. That’s your best bet in the near term, and it’s really just for a paddle.
After that, it gets a bit more interesting but still tricky. On Sunday the 6th of September, a longer-period swell shows up – NNW at 2 ft with a 13-second period in the morning, building to 3 ft and 12 seconds by the afternoon, with the combined energy rising to 395. This is a proper groundswell, but the direction (NNW) is cross-on for Faja da Areia and the wind is light cross-on as well. Monday the 7th of September sees the biggest combined energy for the whole run, with 610 in the morning from a NW 4 ft swell at 13 seconds, but again, that cross-onshore wind (NNE at 3 mph) keeps it marginal. These days are for the keen, optimistic surfer, not for a standout session.
The second week is pretty quiet again. There’s a couple of glassy mornings on the 12th and 13th of September, with small NNW swell around 2 ft to 3 ft and short periods (8-9 seconds), but it’s just small, weak, and ordinary. The combined energy barely breaks 100 in places (96 on Sunday the 13th morning). It’s not really worth getting excited about.
There is one longer-range possibility: Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th of September see a little pulse from the WNW at 3 ft with an 11-second period and combined energy in the 290-359 range. The wind is cross-shore, not ideal, but it’s at least clean-ish. Still, it’s marginal. The best wave in the entire 16-day window is honestly that Saturday the 5th of September morning glass-off, but with such small, weak swell, it’s just a fun, quiet paddle. For a standout, it’s the cleanest conditions, but the waves are tiny.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed morning, min 20°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 19°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 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) | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | NNW 10 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | N 7 | NNW 13 | NNW 12 | NNW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
77 | 75 | 90 | 122 | 170 | 180 | 250 | 274 | 284 | 234 | 183 | 124 | 99 | 118 | 121 | 121 | 113 | 92 | 184 | 258 | 217 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on |
High Tide | 4:25AM2.08m | 4:39PM2.17m | 5:00AM2.02m | 5:16PM2.05m | 5:40AM1.93m | 6:00PM1.90m | 6:28AM1.81m | 6:56PM1.73m | 7:31AM1.69m | 8:14PM1.58m | 9:00AM1.62m | 9:57PM1.54m | 10:37AM1.69m | 11:27PM1.64m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:25AM0.15m | 10:49PM0.13m | 11:02AM0.22m | 11:26PM0.24m | 11:44AM0.33m | 00:09AM0.38m | 12:36PM0.47m | 1:05AM0.54m | 1:49PM0.60m | 2:26AM0.67m | 3:32PM0.64m | 4:09AM0.68m | 5:11PM0.54m | ||||||||
7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | |
— | 8:35 | — | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:31 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:27 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 25 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 26 | 25 | 20 | 27 | 27 | 23 | 30 | 29 | 24 | 29 | 29 | 23 | 29 | 28 | 22 |
Feels °C | 27 | 26 | 21 | 26 | 27 | 22 | 27 | 26 | 21 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 33 | 32 | 28 | 32 | 31 | 26 | 31 | 30 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | WNW 9 | NNW 13 | NNW 12 | NNW 11 |
77 | 43 | 23 | 103 | 75 | 65 | 65 | 33 | 26 | 34 | 28 | 124 | 99 | 118 | 121 | 121 | 113 | 54 | 184 | 258 | 217 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 10 | N 9 | NNW 8 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | NNW 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NNW 16 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 14 |
31 | 42 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 27 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 24 | 32 | 30 | 36 | 53 | 53 | 50 | 35 | 35 | 203 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | NNW 11 | — | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | N 8 | NNE 8 | NW 10 | NW 9 | S 12 | S 12 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | WNW 13 | NW 8 |
24 | 24 | 40 | — | 5 | 5 | 5 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 10 | 19 | 27 | 29 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 17 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 7 | N 7 | N 6 | N 6 |
72 | 75 | 90 | 122 | 170 | 180 | 250 | 274 | 284 | 234 | 183 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 92 | 88 | 84 | 66 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Madeira | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Portugal | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Faja da Areia Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Faja da Areia provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Faja da Areia can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Faja da Areia 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 (Faja da Areia) 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 Faja da Areia 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.
Faja da Areia is 21 km (13 miles) from the city of Camara de Lobos. If you plan a holiday in Madeira, look for hotels and other accommodation in Camara de Lobos. Camara de Lobos has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











