
Surf Forecasts:
Viana do Castelo surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 15 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 7s period, NNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 18 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 14s period, NW swell with 2,801 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 14s 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 Sunday (Sep 13) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 10s. 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 2.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Fri 18th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Viana do Castelo over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let's have a look at what the ocean's got cooking for us.
The forecast opens with a bit of a flat spell, but don’t worry, by Sunday the 13th we’ll see some life. That’s the first real chance to get wet at Viana do Castelo. We’re looking at a northwest groundswell coming in at 4 ft with a nice 12-second period. The morning is the call here – it’s glassy, completely windless, so those waves will be clean as a whistle. The energy is ramping up too, with a combined energy of 551, so there's some punch behind it. The water’s a bit colder than normal for this time of year, sitting at 63°F, so you might want the rubber. The morning session on Sunday is your standout.
Monday the 14th stays clean but the swell droops back to 3 ft – still a nice morning glass-off, but it's a much weaker system (229 combined energy). For the rest of that week, it’s a mixed bag. Tuesday the 15th is barely surfable and by Wednesday the 16th, the wind cranks up hard from the NNW at 18-22 mph. That raw northwest windswell pushes wave heights over 7 ft (8 ft in the afternoon), but with short, choppy 7-8 second periods and howling wind, it's messy as hell. That kind of power (777 combined energy on the 16th afternoon) with a strong cross-off shore breeze actually looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing at this river break.
Now, hold onto your leash for the 19th of September, Saturday morning. A very long-period groundswell from the NW hits with 7 ft and a massive 14-second period. That's a lot of water moving, and the combined energy is a whopping 1512. The problem? It’s predicted to be too big and powerful for this break. That’s expert territory or maybe even unsurfable here. The wind is light, but the sheer size and the long period can make a river break like this pitchy or close out. It’s a real standout for raw power, but be warned.
Sunday the 20th though, that’s the diamond. The morning session offers 4 ft of that long-period northwest groundswell (16 seconds, 1391 combined energy) with a glassy easterly breeze. That combination – long period groundswell with perfect offshore/glassy conditions – is about as good as it gets for experienced surfers. It’s the second true standout. The 22nd also offers some very good morning conditions (5 ft, 12 sec, glassy from the SE), but with lower energy (706).
After the 23rd, the surf fades fast. The last week of September and into October looks weak. From the 24th onward, we go into a significant flat spell. Swell drops below 2 ft with weak energy (as low as 31 combined energy), and the wind is either onshore or too strong for the tiny waves. This stretch of poor conditions runs all the way to the end of the forecast window on the 27th.
So to wrap it up: your best bets are the glassy Sunday (13th) and the powerful, glassy Sunday (20th) mornings. The 19th is a massive but risky swell for experts only. The rest is either weak or windy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 31°C on Sun morning, min 18°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the N on Wed afternoon, light winds from the NNE by Fri morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | ||||||||||||||
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 | NW 14 | NW 12 | NW 12 | NW 11 | NW 11 | NW 11 | NW 10 | NW 12 | NW 6 | NW 7 | NNW 7 | NW 8 | NW 11 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NNW 9 | NW 9 | NW 13 | NW 14 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
90 | 181 | 520 | 533 | 369 | 165 | 137 | 77 | 53 | 0 | 529 | 353 | 699 | 1274 | 692 | 695 | 588 | 330 | 1387 | 2391 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:37PM3.56m | 4:58AM3.43m | 5:10PM3.47m | 5:30AM3.34m | 5:42PM3.31m | 6:01AM3.21m | 6:15PM3.11m | 6:33AM3.04m | 6:49PM2.89m | 7:09AM2.85m | 7:28PM2.65m | 7:51AM2.67m | 8:22PM2.44m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:44PM0.45m | 10:56AM0.58m | 11:16PM0.55m | 11:29AM0.69m | 11:46PM0.70m | 12:02PM0.84m | 00:17AM0.90m | 12:36PM1.03m | 00:49AM1.11m | 1:14PM1.23m | 1:27AM1.33m | 2:04PM1.43m | 2:19AM1.54m | |||||||
— | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | |
7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:39 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 27 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 23 | 24 | 20 |
Feels °C | 26 | 25 | 30 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 20 | 20 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | NW 10 | NW 12 | NW 12 | NW 11 | NW 11 | NW 11 | NW 10 | WNW 8 | — | — | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | S 13 | NW 10 | S 18 | S 16 | NW 9 | NW 13 | NW 14 |
90 | 154 | 520 | 533 | 369 | 165 | 137 | 77 | 53 | — | — | 151 | 78 | 3 | 692 | 6 | 5 | 330 | 1387 | 2391 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 9 | NW 14 | W 9 | SW 12 | W 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 9 | — | — | — | — | SW 13 | — | — | S 12 | NW 14 | W 9 | SW 14 |
13 | 181 | 25 | 6 | 49 | 64 | 65 | 57 | 40 | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | 3 | 125 | 6 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 16 | W 8 | SW 12 | — | S 12 | — | — | NW 13 | NW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | SW 16 | — |
41 | 52 | 6 | — | 3 | — | — | 7 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 10 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 6 | NW 7 | NNW 7 | NW 8 | NW 11 | — | NW 10 | NNW 9 | — | — | — |
35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 199 | 529 | 353 | 699 | 1274 | — | 695 | 588 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 14 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 0 | 0 | 438 | 284 | 483 | 130 | 100 | 18 | 120 | 100 | 0 | 120 | 2 |
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.










