Almagreira seasonal overview
Best Surf Season (October - March)
The North Atlantic roars to life during the autumn and winter months, and Almagreira is right in the firing line. From October through March, the average swell height sits at an impressive 7-9ft (2.1-2.8m) with periods of 11-13 seconds, as extratropical storms marching across the Atlantic feed long-period NW and WNW swell into the Portuguese coast. The beach's NNW-facing exposure captures this energy beautifully, and although the wind blows from the NNW a lot, the many S to WSW offshore windows are enough to make for excellent, sometimes epic conditions. December and January are the statistical peaks, with average surf heights near 9ft (2.8m) and a real chance for heavyweight, pumping days.
Fair Surf Season (April - May & September)
Spring and early autumn represent a compromise. April still has powerful 7ft (2.1m) NW groundswell on offer, but the wind is increasingly from the N and NNW, making clean conditions less dependable. May and September are a similar story: the ocean still delivers rideable surf - mostly 5-6ft (1.7-1.8m) of mixed groundswell and windswell - but the window of offshore wind shrinks, and you'll need to pick your moments.
Low Surf Season (June - August)
The summertime doldrums are real. With the Azores High anchored to the southwest and the North Atlantic storm track pushed toward Iceland, Almagreira relies on smaller, shorter-period NW/NNW windswell in the 5ft (1.5-1.6m) range. The average period drops below 9 seconds, and the wind is almost permanently NNW, with ideal offshore winds only 4-9 percent of the time. It is by no means flat, but it is a long way from the heavy, lined-up waves of winter.