
Surf Forecasts:
Viana do Castelo surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s period, NNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period, NW swell with 307 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s 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 Monday (Aug 03) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 8s. 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 1.4m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 06) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Viana do Castelo over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s run through what’s shaping up for this stretch of coast.
Overall, it’s a real mixed bag for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak energy and tricky winds before a few windows of cleaner, more promising conditions open up. The water is sitting at 66°, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, so that’s a nice bonus if you’re in the water.
The first real standout is a bit of a wait. We’ve got a long gap of poor to ordinary surf from the start right through to the end of the first week. The energy is weak, with readings mostly under 100 (143) on Monday, 3rd August, and it’s cross-onshore, so it’s choppy and messy. Tuesday the 4th is more of the same, with light cross-onshore winds and small surf around 3 ft.
Wednesday the 5th morning shows a glimmer of hope with clean conditions and a cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is tiny at 2 ft from the NW with a period of 10 seconds. It’s surfable but very ordinary. Thursday the 6th is a step up in the morning with 4 ft from the NNW, but the period is a short 6 seconds, so it won’t have much push. The energy is moderate (206) though.
The best early call comes on Friday morning, 7th August. The wind goes glassy, dead calm, and the swell is 3 ft from the NNW. It’s clean, but the swell is on the small side. For the patient surfer, this is the best we’ve seen so far.
After that, we hit another flat spell. Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th are tiny, with heights dropping to 1 ft and 2 ft. The energy is low (31 to 80). It’s a waiting game.
The real highlight, and the one to circle on the calendar, is Tuesday morning, 11th August. We’ve got a clean, glassy morning with a 3 ft swell from the NNW, a period of 10 seconds, and solid moderate energy (257). The wind is off the water, dead calm. This is the best combination of size, cleanliness, and energy in the whole run. The break is *Viana do Castelo*, a river mouth setup that thrives on a W swell direction, and this NNW swell is close enough to the optimum W to work well. It’s a fairly consistent spot, but crowds are often, so expect company.
The second week is a bit quieter. Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th offer clean conditions but with weak, small swells (1 ft to 3 ft) and low energy. The next real chance of a decent wave comes on Monday morning, 17th August. We see a 4 ft NW swell with a period of 8 seconds and strong energy (245). The wind is a clean cross-offshore, so it should be peeling nicely. The swell direction is NW, which is a good angle for the river mouth. It’s a promising option, but it’s a long way out, so treat it with a little caution.
For the rest of the second week, it’s a mix of small, clean mornings and choppy afternoons. Nothing that will blow your socks off.
The standout session is Tuesday the 11th morning. Glassy, chest-high sets at Viana do Castelo with moderate energy. That’s the one.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Thu morning, min 17°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 6 | W 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NW 8 | NW 5 | W 9 | NW 12 | NW 11 | NNW 10 | NW 9 | NW 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
127 | 208 | 116 | 120 | 109 | 86 | 96 | 197 | 139 | 54 | 264 | 175 | 56 | 62 | 23 | 14 | 21 | 55 | 64 | 40 | 34 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:45PM3.29m | 7:12AM3.12m | 7:29PM3.16m | 8:01AM3.03m | 8:22PM2.99m | 9:00AM2.92m | 9:28PM2.82m | 10:14AM2.85m | 10:51PM2.72m | 11:39AM2.88m | 00:21AM2.76m | 12:59PM3.03m | 1:36AM2.92m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:30PM0.78m | 00:57AM0.73m | 1:14PM0.89m | 1:42AM0.85m | 2:06PM1.03m | 2:36AM1.00m | 3:12PM1.17m | 3:46AM1.14m | 4:37PM1.24m | 5:10AM1.19m | 6:07PM1.17m | 6:33AM1.11m | 7:22PM0.98m | ||||||||
6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | |
— | 8:51 | — | — | 8:50 | — | — | 8:49 | — | — | 8:47 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:44 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 19 |
Feels °C | 20 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | WNW 10 | N 9 | NNW 7 | W 9 | NW 5 | NW 4 | W 9 | NW 11 | W 7 | W 7 | NW 5 |
127 | 208 | 116 | 120 | 109 | 86 | 58 | 26 | 68 | 54 | 31 | 42 | 56 | 15 | 23 | 6 | 14 | 55 | 39 | 35 | 25 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | NW 8 | N 8 | NW 11 | NW 11 | NW 11 | NW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 10 | SW 12 | WNW 9 | NNW 9 | SW 13 | W 9 | W 9 | NW 12 | W 8 | NNW 10 | NW 9 | W 7 |
6 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 30 | 55 | 96 | 35 | 34 | 49 | 5 | 29 | 27 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 21 | 21 | 64 | 40 | 23 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | S 15 | SW 14 | N 9 | N 9 | SW 13 | W 10 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | — | SW 13 | W 9 | — | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | — | — | S 13 | NW 8 |
8 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 18 | 6 | 6 | 6 | — | 6 | 15 | — | 13 | 5 | 5 | — | — | 3 | 34 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 9 | NW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 9 | NNW 7 | — | NW 8 | — | — | NW 4 | NNW 3 | — | NW 2 | — |
1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 197 | 139 | 70 | 264 | 175 | — | 62 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 56 | 104 | 0 | 104 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 151 | 5 | 0 | 151 | 0 | 0 | 179 | 0 | 38 | 146 | 0 | 0 | 146 | 0 |
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.











