Surf Forecasts:
Viana do Castelo surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 10s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 11s period, WNW swell with 867 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 7s. 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 2.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Viana do Castelo over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, taking a look at the lineup for Viana do Castelo.
First up, the good news is there are some fun waves on the horizon, but we've got to wade through a bit of slop first. The river mouth here is exposed to a good W to NW swell, but the next few days are looking messy.
This coming Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th are a write-off. We've got small, weak, short-period swell combined with onshore winds just making a mess of things. Skip it.
Friday the 28th morning is a standout, but with a big, serious caveat. We’ve got a solid 7ft WNW swell rolling in, with a long, powerful 10-second period. The combined energy is a massive 916 (strong to very strong), so there is plenty of grunt in the water. Winds are light cross-shore, which is great for shape. The problem is, 7ft is pushing the limits for the river mouth, and the forecast even says it might be too big. This is one for the experts only; beginners should stay well clear. The swell direction (WNW) is bang on the optimum for the break.
After that, things clean up a little. Saturday morning the 29th sees the swell drop to a more manageable 4ft from the NW with a clean cross-offshore wind. It’s nothing special, just surfable waves, but at least the wind is right.
Now, Sunday the 30th morning is another real highlight. We’ve got a nice 5ft NW groundswell with a 10-second period. The combined energy is a solid 469 (moderate). The kicker here is the wind: absolutely glassy. That’s rare and a huge positive, meaning the river mouth will be mirror-smooth. This is your best bet for a clean, fun session.
Looking ahead to the second week, the consistency looks better. Friday the 4th of September is a promising pick. Expect a solid 6ft NW swell with a very long 11-second period and light cross-offshore wind. The energy is high at 847 (strong). It looks very good.
Saturday the 5th of September is also worth a shout, with similar 6ft NW groundswell and clean conditions in the morning.
Sunday the 6th of September morning looks great too, with a smaller 4ft NNW groundswell and another day of absolutely glassy conditions. Perfect for a longboard or a fun-sized shortboard.
The rest of the window has some clean but smaller days, and a couple of days where the wind gets too strong, making it more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, especially that Tuesday afternoon the 1st of September with 19 mph winds.
Overall, the standout windows are Sunday morning the 30th for the glassy conditions and Friday the 4th of September for the bigger, cleaner groundswell. Don't bother paddling out until Friday the 28th at the earliest, and only then if you're charging.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 82mm), heaviest during Wed morning. Warm (max 20°C on Fri afternoon, min 15°C on Thu morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Wed morning, calm by Thu morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun morning, min 15°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, fresh winds from the NNW by Mon afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 5 | W 7 | WSW 7 | W 7 | NW 8 | NW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NNW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
57 | 114 | 141 | 120 | 104 | 181 | 858 | 650 | 408 | 211 | 151 | 192 | 615 | 471 | 338 | 406 | 535 | 593 | 351 | 412 | 251 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:56PM3.15m | 3:17AM3.02m | 3:28PM3.31m | 3:48AM3.18m | 4:00PM3.44m | 4:19AM3.30m | 4:32PM3.52m | 4:52AM3.38m | 5:06PM3.53m | 5:26AM3.40m | 5:42PM3.47m | 6:03AM3.36m | 6:21PM3.33m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:39AM1.04m | 9:07PM0.85m | 9:12AM0.85m | 9:38PM0.69m | 9:45AM0.70m | 10:09PM0.57m | 10:18AM0.59m | 10:41PM0.50m | 10:52AM0.54m | 11:14PM0.48m | 11:28AM0.56m | 11:50PM0.54m | 12:07PM0.65m | 00:29AM0.66m | |||||||
6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | |
— | 8:19 | — | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:08 | — | |
mm | 25 | 9 | 10 | 35 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 22 | 23 | 19 |
Feels °C | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 19 | 18 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 6 | SSW 6 | WSW 7 | W 7 | NW 8 | WSW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 10 | SW 16 | NW 9 | SW 16 | SW 15 |
38 | 107 | 141 | 120 | 104 | 115 | 858 | 650 | 408 | 211 | 151 | 192 | 615 | 471 | 338 | 406 | 535 | 10 | 351 | 9 | 9 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 9 | SW 12 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | W 7 | NW 10 | — | — | — | NW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | S 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | N 8 | SW 11 | SW 10 |
21 | 5 | 26 | 86 | 59 | 181 | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 6 | — | WSW 8 | S 5 | SSW 6 | W 10 | — | — | — | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 18 | — | SW 16 | — | S 18 |
5 | — | 24 | 15 | 28 | 164 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | — | 10 | — | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 9 | — | NW 9 | NNW 7 |
57 | 114 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 593 | — | 412 | 251 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 116 | 114 | 10 | 104 | 104 | 2 | 18 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 0 | 18 | 100 | 2 | 0 | 100 | 19 | 5 | 151 | 19 |
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.











