Beach
both
Level 4/10

Praia de Faro

Faro, Algarve, Portugal

Praia de Faro is the Algarve's unlikely surf spot—a south-facing beach that only works during rare winter storms that wrap around from the Atlantic. The consistency is terrible, but when it does work, locals get excited for the novelty of scoring waves just minutes from Faro airport. The warm water, sunny climate, and complete lack of crowds when it's on make it an intriguing anomaly. This is more of a bonus surf option for those already in the region than a destination spot.

3-Day Forecast
Today
15
44
Poor
0.8m
@16s
8km/h
Mon
16
3
Poor
0.6m
@22s
16km/h
Tue
17
0
Poor
1.3m
@8s
21km/h
+7
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Today's Conditions

Swell
0.8m
WSW(251°)
Score: 3/25
Period
16s
Long period groundswell
Score: 25/25
Wind
8km/h
NW(318°)
Score: 19/25
Weather
17°C
0.0mm37%
Windswell Component
0.2mWNW@1s
Secondary Swell
0.4mWNW
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
morning

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
View in OpenStreetMap
Showing forecast for today

Tide Times

5:39 am
Low tide - -1.25m
11:53 am
High tide - 0.31m
5:48 pm
Low tide - -1.24m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

44
Poor
Components
Swell Direction12/25
Swell Size3/25
Swell Period25/25
Wind19/25
Raw Score59/100
Adjustments
⚠️ Weak Component-5
🚫 Undersized Capmax 44
Adjusted Score54/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score44

Spot Details

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SW (230°)
Direction range
200° - 270°
Size range
1m - 3m
Ideal size
2.4m
Height multiplier
0.97×
Ideal period
14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
N (0°)
Offshore range
330° - 30°
Best window
morning

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid
Optimal range
0.8m - 2.2m

Water temp

17°C

Wetsuit

3/2mm fullsuit

Difficulty

4/10

Crowd level

5/10

Access: Beach island accessed via bridge from Faro.

Best Season

Peak: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb

Secondary: Oct, Mar

Winter only. Rare south swells.

Getting There

Airport
FAO
Drive time
15 min
Data quality
verified

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Family Travel

✈️Getting There
✈️Direct flights- Direct from LAX, LHR, SYD
🛫Direct from- LHR, MAD, AMS, DUB, MAN
🛂Visa free- No visa needed for most passports
🚗Easy rental- International chains, good roads
🛡️Safety & Ease
Excellent infrastructure- First-world amenities
🗣️English common- English widely understood
💧Safe tap water
🍽️Western standards- Eat anywhere safely
📱Excellent coverage- 4G/5G everywhere
🏨Accommodation
Upscale tier- Marriott, Hilton level
🏰Chains- Hilton, Marriott, Pine Cliffs
🎪Excellent kids clubs- Full programs, professional staff
🏡Some all-inclusive- 1-2 options available
Available:
🏰 Luxury resort👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family resort🏠 Vacation rental🏨 Boutique hotel
🎡Kid Activities
🏖️ Beach play🎢 Water parks🎣 Fishing trips🏛️ Historic sites🏊 Swimming pools

Strike Log

Community Discussion