Altura - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (October - March)

The North Atlantic comes alive during these months, with a sharp uptick in average surf heights and wave periods as powerful extratropical storms march across the basin. The Algarve coast, and Altura in particular, benefits from a steady diet of S to SSW swell that wraps perfectly into this SSE-facing beach. Add in frequent offshore winds from N, NNW, NW (ideal 35-45% of the time) and you get clean, punchy waves in the 1-2m range with periods often exceeding 8 seconds. This is the heart of the Portuguese winter swell window – expect hollow, fun-sized to pumping surf whenever a low-pressure system parks itself west of Ireland or off the Portuguese coast.

Fair Surf Season (April - May & September)

Transitional months bring a mixed bag. The jet stream weakens and storm tracks shift north, leading to smaller average swell heights (0.5-0.7m) and shorter periods (5-6s). However, spring and early autumn still see periodic pulses from the west or southwest, often with lighter winds. April retains a decent 35% ideal wind frequency, while May and September drop to 27% and 19% respectively. Surf tends to be small but rippable on the better days, with occasional fun-sized swell if a late-season storm or early cold front sneaks through.

Low Surf Season (June - August)

Summer is the quietest period for Altura. The Azores High dominates, pushing storm tracks far north and leaving the Algarve under a persistent ridge. Average swell heights bottom out at 0.4-0.5m with periods rarely above 5 seconds – mostly choppy, short-period windswell. The dominant swell direction shifts to SE, which is actually favorable for wave arrival, but often comes with onshore SE to S winds that ruin the surface. Ideal offshore wind percentages plummet to 14-22%. When the NNW wind (the most frequent summer wind) blows, it can groom the small SE swell into clean, tiny waves for longboarding or micro-grovelling, but don’t expect any real power. This is a time for flat spells and occasional small fun days.

December: Winter at Full Strength

December delivers the most consistent surf of the year. Average swell height peaks at 0.9m with a period of 7.7s. SW swell (11.8%) shows significant energy, with 3.6% in 1-1.5m and 2.1% in 1.5-2m – plus 1.6% in 2-2.5m. WSW (15.9%) also carries size. SE swell (9.3%) remains substantial. Wind is ideal 41% of the time, with N (11.0%) and NNW (16.9%) providing cold, offshore flow. High-latitude storms are at their peak, sending long-period groundswells across the Atlantic. Altura sees excellent conditions when the wind stays north and the swell comes from the south quadrants. This is prime season for big, clean waves – sometimes reaching pumping or even XXL sizes when the synoptic setup aligns perfectly.