
Surf Forecasts:
Faja da Areia surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 26 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 7s period, NNE swell with 304 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Faja da Areia this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Faja da Areia in the next 16 days are 1.9m 7s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) 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 0.5m 10s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Faja da Areia over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for this stretch. We’ve got a slow start, but there’s a promise of some proper waves later on if you’re patient.
The first few days are a bit of a write-off, to be honest. From Sunday the 19th through until Wednesday the 22nd, we’re looking at small, weak, short-period slop. Swell heights are barely lifting 3 feet, period is a paltry 5 to 7 seconds, and the combined energy is weak. The wind is a persistent light cross-onshore, which isn’t helping. It’s poor surf, plain and simple. The break is Faja da Areia, a point break that’s already inconsistent, and it’s just not working with this northerly wind and small NE windswell. The water temp is about average for the time of year.
Thursday the 23rd gets a little more interesting. The swell pushes up to about 5 feet from the NNE, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy climbs into the moderate range. It’s still cross-on and only marginal, but it’s an improvement. The morning looks cleaner than the afternoon.
Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th are a bit of a step back, with the energy dropping and the period shortening again. The wave state is back to poor. Sunday the 26th sees the swell nudge up to about 6 feet, but the period is still short and the wind is a bit stronger, making for a choppy surface.
Now, here’s the standout part of the outlook. The period from Tuesday the 29th of July through to the end of the first week of August is where we need to be looking. The swell really starts to build. By Wednesday the 30th, we’re seeing 10 feet of groundswell from the NNE, with a period of 10 seconds and combined energy readings hitting very strong. This is proper, powerful energy. At that size, it’s expert-only territory – over 8 feet, so leave the beginners on the beach. The wind is still a cross-onshore breeze, but it’s light, so the surf will be fairly clean despite the size. This is a big, powerful NW swell hitting an exposed point that works best with a NNW direction, so the NNE direction is a reasonable match. Given the size and the long period, this will be a proper, heavy groundswell. It’s not going to be a friendly, easy paddle.
Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st of August keep the swell size between 7 feet and 8 feet, with the period still around 10 seconds. The energy is still strong, but the wind picks up a bit, putting some chop on the face. The following Sunday and Monday, the 2nd and 3rd, see the swell drop back a bit, settling into the 5 feet to 6 feet range with a 9-second period, still with moderate energy. It’s still a cross-on wind, but it’s a better size for more people.
So, the real highlight is the 30th of July. If you’re a confident, experienced surfer, that’s the day to circle. 10 feet of groundswell with a decent period and light wind. It’s going to be big and powerful. For the rest of us, the last few days of July and the first few days of August offer a more manageable step down in size, with the 5 to 7 foot range being the sweet spot. Just remember, the wind is a constant cross-onshore, so it’ll never be glassy, but it’ll be rideable.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sun morning, min 20°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Fri morning, min 18°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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 5 | E 5 | NE 4 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
38 | 13 | 29 | 38 | 42 | 74 | 90 | 107 | 111 | 118 | 176 | 275 | 256 | 250 | 126 | 111 | 122 | 170 | 246 | 237 | 304 | |
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 | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:18AM1.86m | 6:35PM2.01m | 7:05AM1.75m | 7:23PM1.83m | 7:56AM1.65m | 8:18PM1.65m | 8:56AM1.57m | 9:24PM1.53m | 10:07AM1.53m | 10:41PM1.47m | 11:19AM1.56m | 11:51PM1.50m | 12:19PM1.64m | 00:47AM1.58m | |||||||
Low Tide | 12:14PM0.34m | 00:53AM0.35m | 1:02PM0.48m | 1:40AM0.50m | 1:57PM0.62m | 2:33AM0.63m | 3:05PM0.72m | 3:39AM0.71m | 4:25PM0.75m | 4:52AM0.73m | 5:41PM0.71m | 5:57AM0.68m | 6:39PM0.62m | ||||||||
7:11 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | |
— | — | 9:15 | — | — | 9:15 | — | — | 9:14 | — | — | 9:14 | — | — | 9:13 | — | — | 9:12 | — | — | 9:12 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 24 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 20 |
Feels °C | 26 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 26 | 26 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | E 5 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 |
22 | 13 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 47 | 44 | 57 | 55 | 32 | 32 | 27 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 19 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 10 | NNW 9 | WNW 12 | NNW 8 | WNW 8 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 13 | S 11 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | NW 11 | WNW 7 | NW 7 |
2 | 21 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 17 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 12 | NNW 9 | S 15 | NNW 8 | N 8 | — | WNW 9 | SSW 12 | S 8 | — | — | S 15 | — | S 16 | W 11 | S 11 | S 15 | S 12 |
6 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 1 | — | 8 | 15 | 1 | — | — | 4 | — | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | N 4 | NE 4 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 |
38 | 13 | 29 | 38 | 42 | 74 | 90 | 107 | 111 | 118 | 176 | 275 | 256 | 250 | 126 | 111 | 122 | 170 | 246 | 237 | 304 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 17 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 528 | 513 | 17 | 513 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Madeira | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Portugal | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










