Portugal · Atlantic Europe
Not enough data yet. Log a session to help build the accuracy score.
This guide was generated from conditions data. Know this spot? Submit your own tips below.
Praia do Guincho is a powerful, exposed beach break west of Cascais near Lisbon. It faces west into the full Atlantic and receives enormous swell. The beach is famous for strong winds (world windsurfing championships have been held here) which make surfing challenging but also shape quality banks. When the wind drops, Guincho produces powerful, hollow beach break waves. The Serra de Sintra mountains behind add dramatic backdrop.
Picks up any westerly Atlantic swell. A north-easterly wind is offshore but the prevailing Nortada (northerly) is side-offshore. Works on all tides. Consistent year-round. The 3-6ft range is most surfable. The wind is the determining factor more than the swell. Calm mornings in winter offer the best conditions.
Multiple peaks across the beach. The banks can be powerful and hollow. The northern end tends to have slightly more shelter from the prevailing wind. Watch for where the banks are most defined.
Powerful waves for a beach break. Strong currents. The wind can make conditions dangerous and unpredictable. Sand storms on the beach in strong northerlies. Not a spot for beginners when it is sizeable.
Large pay car park behind the beach. Direct access. Restaurants and cafes at the beach. Easy drive from Lisbon/Cascais (20 minutes from Cascais).
Moderate. The wind limits surfable days which concentrates people on the rare calm sessions. Windsurfers and kitesurfers dominate on windy days. On good surf days, 20-30 people. The proximity to Lisbon means it fills quickly on calm mornings.
Guincho is about catching the rare windless windows. Check forecasts obsessively and move fast when the wind drops. Early mornings in winter are your best bet. The restaurant Fortaleza do Guincho (in the fort on the cliff) is exceptional but expensive. Cascais nearby has excellent bars and restaurants for a more affordable option.
No recent check-ins. Be the first to report.
Record your session, conditions and gear.
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 28 days of logged conditions.
Sign up to save favourite spots and get surf alerts
Create free accountCreate a free profile and let employers in Praia do Guincho find you.
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 Praia do Guincho. 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 Praia do Guincho is the week of 16 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
Not much swell but keen eyes will find something to ride. Short-period wind swell: expect weak, crumbly faces. Moderate wind adding texture to the faces. Best conditions early morning before the sea breeze arrives.
Heads up: rip risk elevated.
Indicators derived from forecast data, not official warnings. Always check local lifeguard or official advice.
Moderate water clarity: ~4m visibility
Daily scores over the last 12 months at Praia do Guincho