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.

September: First Signs of Life

As autumn approaches, the ocean begins to stir. Average swell height remains low at 0.5m, but period ticks up to 5.8s. SE swell still leads at 16.0%, with some 1-1.5m (1.3%) starting to appear. The wind turns more favorable: ideal 19% of the time, but importantly NNW (21.7%) and NW (10%) increase. Early tropical storms in the Atlantic can send longer-period SW swell into the Algarve, though it’s often shadowed. On good days, you can find clean, punchy waves in the 0.5-1m range. The season is slowly awakening, but consistency is still poor.