Beach
both
Level 4/10

Praia do Cabedelo

Viana do Castelo, Portugal
🌀Strong rips

Praia do Cabedelo is northern Portugal's consistent alternative—a quality beach break in Viana do Castelo that receives the same Atlantic swells as the famous Peniche zone but attracts far fewer crowds. The wave works across a range of conditions, with sandbars that produce both lefts and rights depending on the banks. The river mouth influence creates interesting sandbar formations but also means debris after heavy rains. For surfers seeking the Portuguese experience without the tourist crowds, Cabedelo rewards the drive north with quality waves and authentic local culture.

3-Day Forecast
Thu
30
42
Poor
1.0m
@18s
15km/h
Fri
1
72
Good
1.2m
@15s
7km/h
Sat
2
60
Fair
1.0m
@10s
6km/h
+7
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Today's Conditions

Swell
1.0m
WNW(293°)
Score: 11/25
Period
18s
Long period groundswell
Score: 15/25
Wind
15km/h
S(175°)
Score: 1/25
Weather
16°C
0.0mm97%
Windswell Component
0.4mSSW@2s
Secondary Swell
0.5mWNW
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
morning
AM: 13 km/h SSE|PM: 15 km/h S
Lighter winds early (13 km/h)

Location & Conditions

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0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
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Tide Times

2:22 am
High tide - 0.93m
8:31 am
Low tide - -1.59m
2:43 pm
High tide - 0.92m
8:50 pm
Low tide - -1.58m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

42
Poor
Components
Swell Direction20/25
Swell Size11/25
Swell Period15/25
Wind1/25
Raw Score47/100
Adjustments
⚠️ Weak Component-5
Adjusted Score42/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score42

Spot Details

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
WNW (300°)
Direction range
270° - 340°
Size range
0.6m - 2.5m
Ideal size
1.9m
Height multiplier
0.92×
Ideal period
12s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
E (90°)
Offshore range
45° - 135°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
all
Optimal range
0.3m - 2m

Water temp

15°C

Wetsuit

4/3mm fullsuit

Difficulty

4/10

Crowd level

4/10

Access: Easy beach access.

Best Season

Peak: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar

Secondary: Apr, Sep

Consistent winter swells. Can be good in summer too.

Getting There

Airport
OPO
Drive time
70 min
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion