Portugal · Atlantic Europe
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Ribeira d'Ilhas is a long right-hand point break in Ericeira, part of Europe's World Surfing Reserve. The wave peels along a rocky shelf for up to 150 metres, offering long, workable walls with occasional barrel sections. It has hosted professional WSL events and is considered one of Portugal's finest waves. The cliff setting and reliable quality make it a destination wave for intermediate to advanced surfers.
Needs north-westerly Atlantic groundswell. A south-easterly or easterly wind is offshore. Best at mid to high tide when water covers the shallowest reef. The 3-6ft range produces the best waves. Works year-round but best October through April. The point wraps swell consistently.
The take-off is at the top of the point. The right then peels along the reef through multiple sections. Experienced surfers sit at the top; intermediates can pick off sections further down. The inside section is mellower.
Rocky reef throughout. Urchins (booties recommended). The point section has currents on bigger swells. Getting caught inside means paddling back through the impact zone. The wave has real power on solid swells.
Pay car park at the cliff top. Steps lead down to the beach. Seasonal cafe at the top. Short walk. Well-maintained access.
Busy. Ribeira d'Ilhas is Ericeira's most popular wave due to its accessibility and consistent quality. Good days see 30-40 people. The long wave means space exists along different sections. Competition at the top is strongest. Dawn patrol helps.
Ribeira d'Ilhas rewards patience. Sit at the top of the point for the longest rides, or drop down to the middle sections for less competition. The cliff path to other Ericeira breaks (Pedra Branca, Cave) makes exploring easy. The town's seafood restaurants are excellent. This is world-class surfing in a beautiful setting with warm water.
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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 28 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 Ribeira d'Ilhas. 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 Ribeira d'Ilhas is the week of 16 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
Enough swell for a fun paddle. Nothing heroic, but enjoyable. Short-period wind swell: expect weak, crumbly faces. Slight cross-shore ripple. Nothing to worry about. Best conditions early morning before the sea breeze arrives.
Heads up: rip risk elevated, and rocks exposed at low tide.
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 Ribeira d'Ilhas