.jpg){kind=link}
Praia de Altura
Surf spot · Portugal
Is it worth the trip?
16Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: 2 ft swell at 5 s, onshore wind, 12 kn (22 km/h), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft3 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- SSE 4 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Wed 4 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft13 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- NE 5 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Thu 5 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft12 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- E 2 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft11 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- NE 5 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sat 7 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft3 smushy
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- SE 7 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sun 8 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 16kJ
- Wind
- ESE 12 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Mon 9 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 20kJ
- Wind
- S 20 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 226, too small
- Tue 310, too small
- Wed 44, too small
- Thu 55, too small
- Fri 67, too small
- Sat 716, too small
- Sun 834, poor
- Mon 917, poor
- Tue 1012, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 1–6 ftof swell
- Water 19 °C2 mm shorty
- Best Dec–Feb3 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 26, too small | 1 ft3 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the north-east, 5 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 10, too small | under 1 ft3 s1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 4 knots | 20°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 4, too small | under 1 ft13 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the north-east, 5 knots | 19°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 5, too small | under 1 ft12 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the east, 2 knots | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 7, too small | under 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | wind from the north-east, 5 knots | 19°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 16, too small | 1 ft3 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | wind from the south-east, 7 knots | 20°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 34, poor | 2 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 16kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 12 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 17, poor | 2 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 20kJ | wind from the south, 20 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 12, poor | 2 ft8 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 51kJ | wind from the south-west, 22 knots | 19°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 01:20 −0.7 mHigh 07:53 +0.9 mLow 14:25 −0.9 mHigh 20:50 +0.7 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 02:49 −0.7 mHigh 09:15 +1.0 mLow 15:47 −1.0 mHigh 22:05 +0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 04:08 −0.8 mHigh 10:24 +1.1 mLow 16:52 −1.1 mHigh 23:04 +1.0 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 Dec–Feb
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 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
- Sep2of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec3of 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
Praia de Altura on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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.
Photos of Praia de Altura
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
More surf near here
3 places
- Manta Rota 2.1 km away
- Vila Real Santo Antonio 7.7 km away
- Ilha de Tavira 12.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Praia de Altura
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (165°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (345°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–6 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.4 km out (1 in 135). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 16°C in January, its coldest month (3/2 wetsuit), and 22°C in July, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For beginners the best months are usually January, February and December, with about 3 good days in 7; in June, July and August, about 1. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Altura, 0.2 km away (about 5 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$1,040–US$1,960 each
about US$1,040–US$1,960 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 FAO, estimated from distance and season, changing at LIS, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$462–US$958 |
| 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$1,040–US$1,960 |
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 · 30 places to stay
about US$67/nightcountry average
About Altura its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Manta Rota on Booking.com
about 5 min by car · 28 places to stay
- Beds in Vila Real de Santo António on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 14 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 17h 10m
About 17h 10m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → FAO, changing at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS), then 1h 05m by road
Flights ORD → FAO on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.