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El Palmar is a long, mellow beach break on the Atlantic coast of Cadiz in southern Spain. Miles of golden sand face west-southwest into the open ocean, producing consistent, user-friendly waves. The beach is backed by low cliffs and the village has a relaxed, bohemian atmosphere. It is Spain's southern surf hub, attracting beginners and intermediates with warm water (by European standards) and reliable swell.
Picks up west and south-westerly Atlantic swell. A north-easterly (levante) wind is offshore. Works on all tides. Consistent year-round but best from October through April when Atlantic storms are most active. The 2-5ft range is ideal. Summer produces smaller but still rideable waves. Water is warm enough for a shortie or spring suit much of the year.
Peaks form along the entire beach. The section near the main village access is most popular. Walking north or south reveals quieter peaks. The banks shift but the sandy bottom is consistent throughout. Multiple A-frames means space is usually available.
Very safe overall. Sandy bottom, gentle gradient, limited currents. The levante wind can blow strongly and unexpectedly. Some rip activity on bigger days. The main hazard is probably sunburn in the warmer months.
Free parking along the cliff road above the beach. Several access paths lead down to the sand. Beach bars (chiringuitos) operate in summer. Basic facilities in the village.
Busy in summer and during Spanish holidays. Surf schools from Cadiz and the surrounding area bring groups year-round. The long beach provides escape routes. Winter is quieter. A relaxed, social atmosphere rather than competitive.
El Palmar gets warm enough for boardshorts in summer, making it one of Europe's most pleasant surf destinations. The chiringuitos serve excellent seafood. If El Palmar is flat, drive 30 minutes south to Tarifa where the Mediterranean and Atlantic meet, creating different conditions. The sunset sessions are spectacular.
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Based on historical weekly averages
Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
How busy each week is based on school holiday overlap from feeder markets.
The timing score combines two signals: historical conditions quality (how good the skiing or surfing typically is in a given week, based on 5 years of weather data) and crowd pressure (how many of this destination's feeder markets have school holidays that week).
Crowd pressure is weighted by each feeder country's share of visitors. If 40% of a resort's visitors come from France and France is on holiday, that contributes 0.40 to the crowd pressure score. Crowds can reduce the timing score by up to 35%, ensuring conditions still matter most.
Scores: 5 = great conditions with low crowds (the sweet spot). 4 = great conditions with moderate crowds, or good conditions with low crowds. 3 = average. 2 = below average conditions or very crowded. 1 = poor conditions or peak holiday chaos.
Last 29 days of logged conditions.
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Create Profile →Current conditions refresh every 3 hours when the cron runs. Hourly data updates every 30 minutes. The 7-day forecast, luck factor, and packing notes are all pre-computed at the same time.
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at El Palmar. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical mid-June.
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Honestly, no. Every break has tide windows, swell directions and reef contours that a global model cannot see. Treat the score as a starting point, then check a local cam.
The best week for surf at El Palmar is the week of 16 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
Next to nothing in the water. Check back tomorrow. Reasonable period putting some grunt behind each wave. Strong offshore, clean but tough to paddle into.
Heads up: jellyfish: peak season.
Indicators derived from forecast data, not official warnings. Always check local lifeguard or official advice.
Good water clarity: ~13m visibility
Daily scores over the last 12 months at El Palmar