Contendas
Surf spot · Portugal
Is it worth the trip?
12Poor out of 100 for your dates
6 days tie for best, usually
Tue 3 · 12 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Wed 4 · 12 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Thu 5 · 12 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Fri 6 · 12 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Sat 7 · 12 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Sun 8 · 12 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Mon 9 · 9 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
No forecast for this spot on these dates. Usual weather for your dates
The spot in five facts
- Faces SEtakes swell from the SE
- Offshore: NWwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–12 ftof swell
- Water 19 °C2 mm shorty
Usual weather for your dates
not a forecast
| Day | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3to 8usually | 7 ft9 s | 769kJ | SW | 19°C |
| Mon 9usually | 7 ft9 s | 701kJ | NE | 19°C |
No forecast for this spot on these dates. These are the usual readings for that week.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 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
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 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 and its town
Contendas on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says. Days past the forecast count as they usually are.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More surf near here
5 places
- Porto Martins 4.5 km away
- Santa Catarina 7.6 km away
- Praia da Vitoria 10 km away
- Baixa da Vila Nova 17 km away
- Baia das Quatro Ribeiras 21.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Contendas
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SE (147°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (327°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 6). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 16°C in February, its coldest month (3/2 wetsuit), and 24°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Praia da Vitória (Santa Cruz), 9.6 km away (about 20 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 19°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$871–US$1,640 each
about US$871–US$1,640 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 TER, estimated from distance and season, changing at LIS, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$375–US$777 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$33 |
| 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$871–US$1,640 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 2 towns
about 20 min by car · 14 places to stay
about US$67/nightcountry average
About Praia da Vitória (Santa Cruz) its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Angra do Heroísmo on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 44 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 18h 15m
About 18h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → TER, changing at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS), then 25 min by road
Flights ORD → TER on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.