
Surf Forecasts:
Praia das Macas surf forecast from 7 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Friday 7 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 9s period, NNW swell with 189 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Praia das Macas this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Praia das Macas in the next 16 days are 1.1m 9s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.1m 12s period and expected on Friday (Aug 07) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Praia das Macas over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking at Praia das Macas for the next couple of weeks.
Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – this is a tough stretch. We’re looking at a solid 16-day window, and the whole darn thing is a write-off for any decent paddle surfing. The swell is constantly coming from the wrong quarter – mostly NNW to NW – which is cross-on for this spot, and the wind is almost always coming from the north or NNW, just messing things up. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing wild there.
Right from the start, Friday the 7th of August, we’ve got a tiny 2 ft to 3 ft swell from the NNW, but with a 12 to 16 mph cross-on wind, it’s just choppy and poor. The wave energy is weak to moderate (146 to 204). This theme just keeps going. Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th are a complete bust – tiny swell, poor conditions, no energy. The combined energy drops to as low as 65 on Saturday afternoon. We’re talking about a full week of this, right through to the following Friday the 14th. The swell stays under 4 ft, but the wind barely lets up, always cross-on, keeping the surface a mess. The energy is weak to moderate, never really building.
Now, the second week gets a bit more exciting in size, but it’s a disaster for conditions. From Saturday the 15th of August onwards, the swell picks up to 5 ft to 6 ft, with moderate energy (193 to 293). But the wind is still howling, 19 to 22 mph from the NNW, making it fresh cross-onshore and lumpy. The real kicker comes on Monday the 17th of August. The swell jumps to 8 ft from the NNW, with strong to very strong wave energy (844). That’s a proper size. But the wind is still 12 to 16 mph cross-on, making it a choppy, ugly mess. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle surf session. The period is a short 8 seconds, so it’s just wind-chop and won’t hold any shape. This poor quality carries on through the rest of the week, with swell staying over 7 ft right up to Saturday the 22nd of August, but always with a fresh cross-on wind.
There are zero standouts here. If you’re desperate, the biggest cleanest day on paper is... well, there isn’t one. The best you could say is Monday the 17th has the most size, but it’s a total mess. For a beginner, the swell is over 5 ft on that day, so it’s already too big. For the experts, it’s over 8 ft, but the wind makes it unrideable. Save your energy, folks. This stretch is a full blank run.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat morning, min 19°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon morning, min 19°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | N 8 | W 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NNW 7 | NW 12 | W 10 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | NNW 6 | NNW 5 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
75 | 162 | 118 | 48 | 32 | 49 | 65 | 91 | 104 | 119 | 164 | 126 | 78 | 36 | 71 | 108 | 130 | 101 | 96 | 90 | 91 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | 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 | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:44AM2.23m | 10:26PM2.18m | 11:09AM2.28m | 11:54PM2.25m | 12:27PM2.45m | 1:06AM2.41m | 1:29PM2.69m | 2:04AM2.59m | 2:22PM2.93m | 2:53AM2.75m | 3:10PM3.11m | 3:38AM2.85m | 3:53PM3.20m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:02PM0.80m | 4:41AM0.80m | 5:34PM0.73m | 6:05AM0.72m | 6:51PM0.53m | 7:12AM0.54m | 7:52PM0.30m | 8:07AM0.35m | 8:43PM0.09m | 8:54AM0.18m | 9:29PM-0.05m | 9:37AM0.07m | 10:11PM-0.10m | ||||||||
6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | |
— | 8:43 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:39 | — | — | 8:38 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:35 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 |
Feels °C | 20 | 19 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | W 9 | W 9 | N 8 | W 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | NW 10 | WNW 7 | W 6 | W 11 | WNW 6 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 10 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 9 |
75 | 42 | 40 | 48 | 32 | 49 | 65 | 49 | 104 | 13 | 2 | 11 | 19 | 33 | 71 | 108 | 130 | 101 | 96 | 90 | 79 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | S 12 | S 12 | WNW 9 | N 8 | N 7 | NW 11 | NW 9 | NW 10 | S 12 | S 12 | WNW 10 | NW 12 | NW 12 | NW 10 | NNW 10 | — | N 11 | NNW 10 | — | NW 11 |
43 | 3 | 3 | 26 | 31 | 9 | 30 | 19 | 44 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 24 | 36 | 27 | 38 | — | 2 | 18 | — | 59 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | — | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | NNW 12 | N 7 | N 6 | S 11 | S 12 | — | NW 13 | NNW 9 | W 5 | NNW 8 | — | — | NW 11 | — | — | — |
3 | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | — | 7 | 8 | 1 | 6 | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 5 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 3 | N 3 | — | WNW 7 | N 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 6 | NNW 5 |
28 | 162 | 118 | 12 | 2 | 1 | — | 91 | 1 | 119 | 164 | 126 | 78 | 35 | 33 | 24 | 37 | 61 | 37 | 84 | 91 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 109 | 620 | 20 | 20 | 425 | 16 | 15 | 377 | 14 | 14 | 463 | 115 | 109 | 420 | 14 | 14 | 203 | 15 | 14 | 203 | 15 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Lisboa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Portugal | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Praia das Macas Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Praia das Macas provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Praia das Macas can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Praia das Macas 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 (Praia das Macas) 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 Praia das Macas 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.
Praia das Macas is 9 km (6 miles) from Sintra. If you plan a holiday in Lisboa, look for hotels and other accommodation in Sintra. Sintra has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











