Altura seasonal overview
Best Surf Season (December - March)
This is the core of the Algarve winter at Altura. Average swell heights run 2-3ft (0.8-0.9m) with mean periods of 7.4-8.1s, and the southeast through south-southwest window produces the most usable waves. NNW and NW offshore winds are regular, with ideal conditions 36-45 percent of the time, and onshore southern winds are less frequent. When a low pressure system tracks south across the North Atlantic, Altura can catch clean, punchy S/SE groundswell.
Fair Surf Season (October - November and April)
These shoulder months have swing. October and November see the storm track reactivating, so the average height climbs to around 2ft (0.7-0.8m) and periods build to 6.4-7.0s; April sits on the other side of winter, still holding southwest and southeast energy but losing period. Winds are more mixed in these months, with ideal conditions 25-37 percent of the time, so you have to pick the right windows. There is often great surf, just less consistency than winter.
Low Surf Season (May - September)
The Azores High settles over Iberia, storm tracks shift north, and average wave heights fall to 1-2ft (0.4-0.6m) with periods between 4.4 and 5.8s. Most of the energy is short-period WSW and W windswell that struggles to reach this SSE-facing beach. The famous NNW wind can still blow, but without swell it just creates texture. May and June are the best of a poor lot, while July and August are the hardest months to find rideable waves.