Surf Forecasts:
Faja da Areia surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 9s period, NNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period, NNE swell with 333 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 10s period with NNW 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 6s. 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 1.6m 8s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 10s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Faja da Areia over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's look at what the ocean's got cooking for this stretch.
First up, we’re looking at a spot called Faja da Areia, a point break that’s known to be a bit fickle – it’s inconsistent and rarely breaks, so when it does, you pay attention. The water temp is sitting about average for the time of year.
Right out of the gate, things are looking slim. The first few days are a write-off with poor surf and cross-onshore winds messing things up. The swell’s sitting around 4 ft to 5 ft, coming from the N and NNE, with a short period of 8 seconds, so the energy is moderate (around 301 to 344 energy units) but just not clean enough to get excited about.
Saturday the 22nd shows a little flicker of hope. The morning is still marginal with a small 2 ft swell, but by the afternoon, the wind goes glassy and that 3 ft swell from the NNW picks up a bit of quality. The combined energy is lower here (169), but for a small-wave session, the conditions could be fun if you’re patient.
Now, Sunday the 23rd is where it gets interesting. This is the standout of the whole run. We’ve got a 4 ft to 5 ft swell from the NNW, but the real story is the wind. It goes glassy in the morning with a calm wind, and by the afternoon it’s cross-off and clean. This combo is rare for this break, and it’s going to offer the best chance at a tidy wave. The energy is moderate (278 to 309), and the swell direction lines up nicely with the break’s optimum from the NNW. This is the day to push plans around for.
After that high, it goes quiet again. From Monday the 24th right through to the end of the month, it’s a mix of poor surf, cross-on winds, and onshore slop. The swell height pops up to 5 ft to 6 ft around the 28th, but it’s short period (7 seconds) and the conditions are choppy and messy. Not worth the paddle out.
The real second highlight comes late in the run. Saturday morning, August 29th, we get another window. The swell holds at 5 ft from the NE, but the wind goes glassy again. The energy is moderate (358), and with clean conditions this could offer a few good ones for the patient surfer. Then on Monday the 31st, we see another glassy morning with 5 ft NE swell (energy 275). These last two sessions are the other real chances in the outlook, but with the short period and inconsistent nature of the break, you’ve got to be ready to pick your moment.
There’s a large gap of unusable surf from the 24th to the 28th, then again after the 31st things fade out. The last entry on September 2nd is a poor 2 ft swell with a long 12-second period, but the wind’s wrong.
In short: Sunday the 23rd is the clear winner. Saturday the 29th and Monday the 31st are the other decent shots, but all of these rely on that fickle break doing its thing. Don’t hold your breath for the rest.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Tue morning, min 21°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 25°C on Fri morning, min 19°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | NNE 7 | N 7 | NE 7 | N 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 9 | NE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
291 | 333 | 270 | 228 | 195 | 217 | 302 | 253 | 192 | 180 | 157 | 107 | 98 | 123 | 106 | 203 | 277 | 233 | 189 | 188 | 93 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:15AM1.81m | 6:34PM1.77m | 6:58AM1.67m | 7:21PM1.57m | 7:52AM1.54m | 8:28PM1.42m | 9:12AM1.46m | 10:05PM1.36m | 10:48AM1.48m | 11:34PM1.42m | 11:59AM1.59m | 00:31AM1.53m | 12:48PM1.73m | 1:12AM1.66m | |||||||
Low Tide | 12:17PM0.45m | 00:40AM0.52m | 1:03PM0.61m | 1:26AM0.68m | 2:06PM0.76m | 2:33AM0.81m | 3:41PM0.83m | 4:12AM0.84m | 5:21PM0.78m | 5:37AM0.77m | 6:24PM0.66m | 6:31AM0.64m | 7:07PM0.52m | ||||||||
7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | |
— | 8:50 | — | — | 8:49 | — | — | 8:47 | — | — | 8:46 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:44 | — | — | 8:43 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 26 | 22 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 26 | 27 | 22 | 25 | 24 | 19 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 20 |
Feels °C | 29 | 28 | 24 | 29 | 28 | 24 | 28 | 29 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 20 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | WNW 10 | N 8 | N 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NNW 7 | N 7 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | N 8 | NE 10 | NE 9 | NE 8 |
291 | 333 | 270 | 40 | 195 | 217 | 30 | 30 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 79 | 83 | 123 | 106 | 203 | 277 | 69 | 25 | 188 | 93 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 13 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | N 11 | N 10 | NE 6 | N 11 | N 10 | N 10 | W 8 | W 8 | N 8 | N 8 |
14 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 37 | 47 | 42 | 42 | 17 | 40 | 41 | 91 | 98 | 31 | 87 | 75 | 32 | 5 | 4 | 65 | 60 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 7 | N 8 | SSW 13 | S 16 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | S 16 | WNW 10 | N 13 | WNW 9 | NE 7 | NNW 7 | NE 6 | WNW 8 | W 8 | S 12 | S 12 | E 5 | E 5 |
10 | 11 | 17 | 5 | 17 | 24 | 59 | 57 | 20 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 36 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 13 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | N 8 | — | — | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | NNE 7 | N 7 | NE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 7 | NE 7 | — | — |
— | — | — | 228 | — | — | 302 | 253 | 192 | 180 | 157 | 107 | — | — | — | — | — | 233 | 189 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 17 | 511 | 15 |
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.











