Arrifana is a visually striking, highly sheltered beach and reef break located on the south-western coast of Portugal's Algarve region. Set at the base of towering limestone cliffs, the seafloor is a composite of compacted sand over a flat rock base, with a prominent rocky point at the northern end.
Forecast accuracy at Arrifana
Not enough data yet. Log a session to help build the accuracy score.
Best time to go
No great windows in the next 2 days
Best available option is Tomorrow around 9pm (score: 51). Conditions are below the Good threshold but may still be surfable.
Nearby spots right now
Crowd report
No recent check-ins. Be the first to report.
Session journal
Record your session, conditions and gear.
Sign up to save favourite spots and get surf alerts
Create free accountSwell forecast
7-day forecastRecent form
Last 13 days of logged conditions.
Working in Arrifana this season?
Create a free profile and let employers in Arrifana find you.
Create Profile →Frequently asked questions
How often is this page updated?
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.
What is the luck factor?
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at Arrifana. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical early May.
How is 'best session' picked?
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Where does the data come from?
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Does the score capture local knowledge?
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.
When is the best time to surf Arrifana?
Check our timing score heatmap above for a week-by-week breakdown combining surf conditions with crowd pressure.