Ponta Ruiva Surf Guide

Ponta Ruiva in The Algarve is an exposed reef break that has fairly consistent surf. The best time of year for waves is autumn. Ideal winds are from the southeast. Groundswells and windswells are equally likely and the best swell direction is from the northwest. There is no reef break. Good surf at all stages of the tide. Relatively few surfers here, even on good days. Beware of rocks and locals.

Ponta Ruiva Spot Info

Type:Rating:Reliability:Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef3fairly consistent
67°F*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Ponta Ruiva:

The best conditions reported for surf at Ponta Ruiva occur when a Northwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the Southeast.

What's the best time of year to surf Ponta Ruiva (for consistent clean waves)?

octoberBest Season: winter
The best time of year for surfing Ponta Ruiva with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter  and most often the month of October. Clean surfable waves are typically found 35% of the time in October while 60% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 5% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
35%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
60%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
5%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Ponta Ruiva Location Map

Interactive Ponta Ruiva surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The nearest passenger airport to Ponta Ruiva is Faro Airport (FAO) in Acores, which is 89 km (55 miles) away (directly). The second closest airport to Ponta Ruiva is Lisboa (Lisbon) Airport (LIS) in Portugal, 191 km (119 miles) away.

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  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
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Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.
Ponta Ruiva Surf Forecasts:
Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 15 July 2025, 02:02 Local Time
Tuesday 15
4AM7AM10AM1PM
Wave (ft)
6
NW
4.5
NNW
4.5
NW
5
NW
Period (s) 8 7 8 10
Wind (mph)
20
10
10
10
Wind State cross-
on
cross-
on
cross-
on
cross-
on

Swell History at Ponta Ruiva

Surf stats for Ponta Ruiva, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

Wind History at Ponta Ruiva

Wind stats for Ponta Ruiva, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.

Ponta Ruiva Reviews:

Interactive Porthcawl Point location map. View nearby buoy information, live wind conditions and surrounding roads, paths and locations to help find new breaks. Click the buoys or wind icon to view more information.

Ratings
Based on 6 votes.
  • Overall:3.0
  • Quality on a good day:2.8
  • Consistency of Surf:2.0
  • Difficulty Level:2.3
  • Wind and Kite Surfing:1.0
  • Crowds:2.3
  • ...

See all 18 ratings


Review
Impartial reviews submitted by Surf-Forecast users.
Pablo from Portugal
“Left pointbreak on the left of the bay, needs big NW/W Swell to work and offshore winds from E/SE. Will get crowded as soon as it starts working.

Right and lefthander in the middle of the bay - starts working even on smaller swells. Preferably no winds or offshore from E/SE.

Righthander on the right side of the bay close to the rocks - gets heavy on big swells >1,8meters. Lots of power with great walls and speedy sections.

For the past years the road down to the beach got worse and worse.

Please take your trash!”

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