
Surf Forecasts:
Playa do Carreiro surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s period, NNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s period, NW swell with 56 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s period with NNW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Playa do Carreiro this week:
The surf forecast for Playa do Carreiro over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Playa do Carreiro in the next 16 days are 0.7m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa do Carreiro over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Let's be real – we're in for a bit of a dry spell for the next week or so. The first ten days of this 16-day outlook are pretty grim, with a real lack of decent swell energy. The waiting game is on, but there's a glimmer of hope later on.
Right now, Playa do Carreiro is the only game in town, but it's a tough one. The water temp is about average for this time of year. For the first week, we're looking at tiny, weak waves. The swell energy is basically non-existent, with values as low as 14 (just a whisper) to 71 (still weak). The swell is coming from the WNW, which is the optimum direction, but the size is only 1 ft to 2 ft with a short period – it's not going to do much. The wind is a mixed bag, with a few glassy mornings on the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd of July, but the waves are just too small to bother with. The Saturday afternoon of the 25th of July has a cross-offshore wind from the NNW at 25 mph, but the swell is only 4 ft with a measly 5-second period – it's a lot of wind for not much return.
Then we hit a gap from the 26th of July. The swell energy finally starts to build. On the 27th of July, we see a jump to 251 (moderate) and then 296 (moderate) in the afternoon, with clean cross-offshore winds. The swell is 4 ft to 4 ft from the NW/NNW, but the period is still short at 9 seconds, so it's a bit of a messy, wind-swell. The 28th of July morning is a bit better with cleaner conditions and 3 ft swell, but it's still not great.
The real standout, if you're patient, is the morning of Wednesday, 29th of July. This is the best on offer. We get a glassy, offshore morning with 4 ft of NW swell from the NNW direction, and the period stretches to 11 seconds. The combined energy is a solid 617 (moderate). This is when the river mouth at Playa do Carreiro could really start to shape up. The wind is glassy, and that swell is starting to have some real push. The afternoon gets a bit onshore, but the morning window is the one to chase.
The 30th of July morning also looks good, with 5 ft swell and glassy conditions from the SSW, but the energy is a bit lower at 386 (moderate). The swell period drops back to 8 seconds, so it's not as high-quality as the day before.
The first week of August is a bit of a fade-out. The 1st of August has some glassy 4 ft surf, but it's a short-period NNW swell, so it's a bit ordinary.
To be honest, for the first week, the setup is so weak and windy, it looks more interesting for a kite than a paddle. But if you're locked in, Wednesday the 29th of July morning is your best bet for a proper session. It's a long way off, so keep an eye on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 17°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Tue afternoon, min 16°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 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) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NNW 5 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | NW 7 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
13 | 13 | 51 | 11 | 17 | 50 | 56 | 37 | 28 | 20 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 5 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross | glassy | glassy | cross | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:52PM3.10m | 8:20AM2.69m | 8:38PM2.87m | 9:06AM2.53m | 9:25PM2.62m | 9:56AM2.39m | 10:18PM2.38m | 10:53AM2.27m | 11:22PM2.20m | 12:01PM2.21m | 00:36AM2.11m | 1:12PM2.23m | 1:47AM2.14m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:32PM0.26m | 2:10AM0.23m | 2:18PM0.42m | 2:54AM0.44m | 3:06PM0.62m | 3:40AM0.65m | 3:59PM0.81m | 4:32AM0.85m | 5:03PM0.96m | 5:34AM0.99m | 6:19PM1.03m | 6:45AM1.04m | 7:34PM1.00m | ||||||||
7:15 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | |
— | — | 10:07 | — | — | 10:06 | — | — | 10:06 | — | — | 10:05 | — | — | 10:04 | — | — | 10:02 | — | — | 10:01 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 20 |
Feels °C | 20 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NNW 5 | NW 4 | NW 6 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NNW 6 | NW 6 | NNW 7 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 |
13 | 13 | 51 | 7 | 11 | 50 | 56 | 37 | 28 | 11 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 5 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 6 | SW 5 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | SW 11 | N 7 |
1 | 1 | 11 | 11 | 17 | 12 | 12 | 24 | 23 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 11 | NNW 10 | NNW 6 | W 9 | NW 13 | WNW 12 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | N 8 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 4 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | — | S 11 |
— | 5 | 9 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 15 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | — | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 4 | NW 4 | — | — | — | — | SSE 2 | S 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 6 | — | — | NW 7 | NW 4 |
6 | 9 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | — | 12 | 4 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1140 | 1140 | 1253 | 7 | 79 | 122 | 7 | 15 | 79 | 7 | 63 | 143 | 11 | 44 | 143 | 143 | 232 | 143 | 44 | 820 | 771 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Galicia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Spain (Europe) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Playa do Carreiro Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Playa do Carreiro provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Playa do Carreiro can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Playa do Carreiro 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 (Playa do Carreiro) 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 Playa do Carreiro 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.
Playa do Carreiro is 24 km (15 miles) from Viana do Castelo. If you plan a holiday in Galicia, look for hotels and other accommodation in Viana do Castelo. Viana do Castelo has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










