
Surf Forecasts:
Viana do Castelo surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s period, NNW swell with 137 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Viana do Castelo this week:
The surf forecast for Viana do Castelo over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Viana do Castelo in the next 16 days are 1.3m 6s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Viana do Castelo over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here, checkin' in from the coast. Let's have a look at what's on offer.
To be honest, the next two weeks are looking pretty slim pickin's for a proper paddle. We've got a fair bit of small, weak energy rollin' in, but the wind and quality just aren't lining up for a standout session. The first real stretch of surfable waves doesn't kick off until Wednesday the 15th, and even then it's a bit of a tease.
Wednesday morning the 15th, Viana do Castelo (the river mouth) is seein' a tiny 1.6ft swell from the west with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is weak at 53, so it's not gonna have much grunt. The real highlight is the wind: it's dead calm, glassy. That's a major positive. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so a spring suit is fine. You'll get a few knee-high lumps, but it's very ordinary. Keep an eye on the crowds though, 'cause it's often busy.
Thursday morning the 16th is a similar story – glassy conditions again with a 1.6ft west swell, 9-second period, energy at 51. It's barely surfable, but if you're desperate for a longboard glide, that's the window. Every afternoon after that gets blown out with a cross-onshore or cross-shore breeze, so those sessions are a write-off.
We hit a bit of a gap. Friday the 17th through to Monday the 24th is a solid run of poor surf conditions. The buoys are showing no love, and the onshore wind is a constant problem. Saturday the 25th morning offers a tiny glimmer – a 2ft west swell with 9 seconds and glassy wind, energy at 64 – but it's not much to write home about.
The only real spike in the whole forecast comes on Sunday the 26th of July, first thing in the morning. We get a 3.6ft swell from the NNW, period of 6 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 132 (moderate). The wind is a light cross-offshore from the NNW, keepin' the waves clean. This is the best on offer for the whole 16 days. The waves will be a bit short-period, so they won't be the most powerful, but it's the only time we get a wave over three feet with clean conditions. The afternoon gets wrecked by a 25 km/h cross-shore, so get in early.
After that, Monday the 27th morning has a clean 2.3ft NNW swell with energy at 125, but the wind is stronger at 20 km/h cross-off, so it's still surfable but not as good. The rest of the week into the 30th is just small, weak swell with clean but breezy offshores, all rating as poor surf conditions.
So, if you're keen, the standout is the early morning of Sunday the 26th at Viana do Castelo. It's the only window where the size, wind, and energy come together for a proper session. Everything else is a longboard or a flat day.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 17°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun afternoon, min 16°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 | WNW 9 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 5 | NW 5 | WNW 8 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NW 7 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NNW 8 | WNW 10 | W 10 | WNW 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
40 | 39 | 21 | 41 | 26 | 22 | 22 | 13 | 23 | 28 | 13 | 137 | 46 | 54 | 130 | 64 | 56 | 64 | 35 | 51 | 32 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | off | cross | cross | glassy | on | cross | cross | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | on | cross |
High Tide | 4:24AM3.34m | 4:42PM3.63m | 5:11AM3.35m | 5:27PM3.61m | 5:57AM3.30m | 6:11PM3.51m | 6:41AM3.20m | 6:55PM3.36m | 7:25AM3.06m | 7:38PM3.16m | 8:11AM2.90m | 8:23PM2.95m | 9:00AM2.76m | 9:14PM2.74m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:22AM0.57m | 10:56PM0.42m | 11:08AM0.59m | 11:41PM0.46m | 11:52AM0.67m | 00:25AM0.56m | 12:36PM0.80m | 1:09AM0.72m | 1:20PM0.97m | 1:53AM0.90m | 2:06PM1.16m | 2:39AM1.09m | 2:59PM1.33m | 3:32AM1.26m | |||||||
6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
— | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:06 | — | — | 9:05 | — | — | 9:05 | — | — | 9:04 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 18 |
Feels °C | 22 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 9 | W 5 | W 9 | WNW 9 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 5 | NW 5 | WNW 8 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NW 7 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NNW 8 | NW 5 | W 10 | WNW 10 |
40 | 39 | 8 | 41 | 26 | 22 | 22 | 13 | 23 | 28 | 13 | 137 | 46 | 54 | 130 | 64 | 56 | 64 | 7 | 51 | 32 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | W 6 | W 8 | W 5 | W 5 | W 5 | WSW 5 | W 5 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SW 5 | NW 10 | NW 8 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | NNW 5 | NNW 6 |
9 | 9 | 21 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 4 | 23 | 35 | 3 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 6 | SW 15 | W 10 | SW 12 | SW 13 | S 11 | SW 11 | SW 6 | WSW 6 | SW 6 | NW 11 | SW 19 | NW 9 | SW 18 | SW 18 | NW 13 | WNW 12 | W 7 | W 7 | N 7 | SW 14 |
4 | 8 | 17 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 8 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 3 | — | — | NNW 5 | — | — | — | — | SSE 3 | SSW 3 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 180 | 0 | 0 | 983 | 886 | 964 | 1328 | 886 | 14 | 317 | 2 | 0 | 245 | 0 | 66 | 258 | 2 | 165 | 146 | 5 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Douro and Minho | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Portugal | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Viana do Castelo Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Viana do Castelo provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Viana do Castelo can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Viana do Castelo 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 (Viana do Castelo) 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 Viana do Castelo 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.
Viana do Castelo is 3 km (2 miles) from Viana do Castelo. If you plan a holiday in Douro and Minho, 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.










