
Surf Forecasts:
Viana do Castelo surf forecast from 16 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 6s period, NW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 6s period, NW swell with 112 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 6s period with NW 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 Saturday (Jul 18) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Viana do Castelo in the next 16 days are 1.2m 6s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Viana do Castelo over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day crew, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you about the surf at Viana do Castelo (Portugal) over the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a bit of a rough stretch. There's nothing happening for the first week that I’d waste a drop of wax on – we’re talking tiny dribbles of swell, mostly under 1 ft, with poor conditions and cross-onshore winds. The combined wave energy is barely registering, with values like 37 and 24 in that first week, so it’s weak and uninspiring. The water’s running at about 63°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent spring suit.
The first real flicker of hope comes on Wednesday 22nd July morning. We’ve got a glassy session with a 1 ft swell from the WNW, period around 10 seconds. It’s surfable but very ordinary. The combined energy is still low at 49, so don’t expect much push. Still, glassy conditions are a major positive – you might get a few fun ones if you’re patient.
After that, it’s back to small, messy stuff until Sunday 26th July morning. The morning looks clean with cross-offshore winds from the NNW and a tiny 2 ft WNW swell, period 10 seconds. The combined energy is 85 – still moderate but nothing to get excited about. The afternoon though, the wind jumps to 19 mph from the NNW, making it too choppy for a paddle.
Then, finally, we get a little bump. Monday 27th July morning shows a 2 ft WNW swell with cross-off winds and a combined energy of 147 – moderate, but it’s clean. The afternoon sees a jump to 4 ft from the NNW, but the period drops to 8 seconds and the wind is 19 mph cross-off. The energy is 212, so there’s more push, but that short period means it’ll be a bit crumbly and not great for the river mouth setup here. This is more likely to be a kite-surfing session.
The standout of the whole window – and I mean the only one worth marking on your calendar – is Thursday 30th July morning. We get a 4 ft swell from the west, period 8 seconds, with glassy conditions and combined energy of 146. The wind is light WNW, so it’ll be smooth as. At 4 ft, it’s fine for most surfers, though the short period means it might be a bit fat and not super punchy. Still, glassy and waist-high is a rare treat in this spell.
Friday 31st July morning is promising but less certain. The swell builds to 5 ft from the WNW, with a 9-second period and cross-off winds from the north at 12 mph. The combined energy jumps to 327 – moderate to strong. The direction (WNW) matches the optimum swell direction for Viana, so it could set up nicely at the river mouth. Just keep in mind, the afternoon winds pick up to 16 mph from the NNW, and crowds are often here, so get it early. At 5 ft, it’s still okay for intermediates, but anything over 5 ft starts pushing beginners. This one’s the best bet from the whole outlook – glassy and solid.
Honestly, there are big gaps of several days with nothing worth paddling out for. The breaks here are fairly consistent though, so it’s just a waiting game. Forecasts change, so keep an eye out.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Mon morning, min 15°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 7 | NW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
27 | 26 | 23 | 21 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 95 | 19 | 19 | 64 | 59 | 48 | 26 | 20 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 29 | 16 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross | off | on | cross | cross | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 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 | 9:56AM2.64m | 10:14PM2.57m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 4:03PM1.46m | ||||||||
6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
— | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:06 | — | — | 9:05 | — | — | 9:05 | — | — | 9:04 | — | — | 9:02 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 23 | 22 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 21 | 21 | 17 |
Feels °C | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | NW 4 | NNW 4 | WNW 8 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NNW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 7 | NW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 |
27 | 26 | 23 | 21 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 95 | 19 | 18 | 64 | 59 | 48 | 26 | 20 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 29 | 16 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | W 5 | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 4 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SW 5 | NW 10 | WNW 8 | NW 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | NW 5 | NW 6 | NNW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NNW 6 |
4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 19 | 12 | 12 | 25 | 23 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 11 | W 6 | SW 6 | SW 4 | SW 6 | NW 11 | SW 19 | NNW 9 | W 9 | W 13 | WNW 12 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | N 9 | SW 14 | SW 14 | — | SW 13 |
6 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 8 | 14 | 3 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 8 | — | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NW 2 | — | — | NW 5 | — | SSE 2 | SSW 3 | — | SSE 2 | SSW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 13 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 106 | 1098 | 615 | 724 | 1475 | 1135 | 756 | 1236 | 2 | 38 | 251 | 10 | 10 | 517 | 5 | 118 | 205 | 0 | 0 | 301 | 168 |
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.










