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Canal das Barcas
Surf spot · Portugal
Is it worth the trip?
17Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: 8 ft swell at 7 s, onshore wind, 13 kn (24 km/h), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft15 shollow
- Energy
- 44kJ
- Wind
- WNW 5 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Wed 4 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 102kJ
- Wind
- W 3 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 141kJ
- Wind
- WNW 5 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 94kJ
- Wind
- ESE 7 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sat 7 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 19kJ
- Wind
- ESE 6 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sun 8 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 40kJ
- Wind
- SE 11 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Mon 9 · 27 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 547kJ
- Wind
- SSW 13 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 242, too small
- Tue 37, too small
- Wed 418, too small
- Thu 517, too small
- Fri 611, too small
- Sat 716, too small
- Sun 87, too small
- Mon 927, poor
- Tue 100, too big
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
- Best in Jan2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 42, too small | 5 ft10 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 421kJ | offshorewind from the east, 3 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 7, too small | 1 ft15 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 44kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 5 knots | 22°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 18, too small | 2 ft11 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 102kJ | wind from the west, 3 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 17, too small | 3 ft10 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 141kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 5 knots | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 11, too small | 2 ft9 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 94kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 7 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 16, too small | 2 ft4 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 19kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 6 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 7, too small | 2 ft10 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 40kJ | wind from the south-east, 11 knots | 23°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 27, poor | 8 ft7 smushy9 ft at break (est.) | 547kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 13 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 11 ft9 smushy13 ft at break (est.) | 1,899kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 15 knots | 18°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovLow 01:29 −0.7 mHigh 08:00 +0.9 mLow 14:35 −0.9 mHigh 20:57 +0.7 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 02:57 −0.7 mHigh 09:22 +1.0 mLow 15:56 −1.0 mHigh 22:13 +0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 04:16 −0.8 mHigh 10:33 +1.1 mLow 17:02 −1.1 mHigh 23:14 +0.9 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best in Jan
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Canal das Barcas on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Canal das Barcas
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More surf near here
5 places
- Vila Nova de Milfontes 2.2 km away
- Malhão 5.5 km away
- Aivados 7.7 km away
- Baia 12.5 km away
- Porto Covo 12.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Canal das Barcas
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (251°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (71°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 16). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 15°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in September, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually January, with about 2 good days in 7; in July and August, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Vila Nova de Milfontes, 2.2 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 18°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,030–US$1,940 each
about US$1,030–US$1,940 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to LIS, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$449–US$938 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$100–US$174 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$181–US$301 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$201–US$375 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$94–US$154 |
| Total | about US$1,030–US$1,940 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
about 5 min by car · 64 places to stay
about US$67/nightcountry average
About Vila Nova de Milfontes its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Porto Covo on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 25 places to stay
- Beds in Zambujeira do Mar on Booking.com
about 45 min by car · 24 places to stay
About US$67 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 14h 55m
About 14h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → LIS, direct, then 2h 25m by road
Flights ORD → LIS on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.