A peninsula with beaches facing every direction, so one side is usually offshore; home of Supertubos and a WSL Championship Tour stop. 18 spots within 11 km of Peniche: 14 beach breaks, 4 reef breaks. 5 suit beginners.
Intermediate: Consolação (Good, 1.5 m, cross-offshore around 14:00), Praia dos Frades (Fair, 1.7 m, cross-shore around 18:00), Cantinho da Baía (Fair, 1.8 m, cross-shore around 08:00)
Advanced: Consolação (Good, 1.5 m, cross-offshore around 14:00), Porto Batel (Fair, 1.6 m, cross-shore around 08:00)
Forecast updated 20 Oct, 01:03 UTC.
The spots
Meio da Baía · beach break, intermediate, best on NW/W swell with E/SE wind, mid tide. The middle of the long beach curving from Baleal towards Supertubos, where the foam shows up along most of the beach in satellite pictures. Sandbars decide where it…
Cova da Alfarroba · beach break, beginner, best on NW swell with SE/S wind, all tides. Beach break on the south side of Baleal bay, between Cerro and Praia da Baía, used mainly for lessons. A beginner wave that is consistent when small. Swell, wind and…
Cerro · beach break, intermediate, best on NW/N swell with E/SE wind, mid to high tide. Wide sand beach on the west shore of Baleal bay, between Gamboa and Cova da Alfarroba. Works best on mid to large swell and is quieter than Baleal. The pin comes from…
Molhe Leste · beach break, advanced, best on SW/W swell with N/NE/ENE wind, mid tide. Fast, thick right barrel off the Peniche harbour breakwater. Needs more swell than Supertubos; holds northerly wind. Crowded and localised, for experienced surfers.
Baleal · beach break, beginner, best on W/NW swell with SSE/SE/S wind, mid tide. North-facing bay sheltered from big W–NW swell, so waves stay small and soft. Peniche's main learner spot; clean on southerly winds and busy with surf schools.
Supertubos · beach break, advanced, best on SW/W/WNW swell with NE/E wind, mid tide. Europe's best-known barrelling beach break, heavy and shallow. Best on mid tide with a SW–W swell and NE wind; closes out above about double overhead. Crowded and…
Cantinho da Baía · beach break, intermediate, best on NW/WNW swell with E/SE/NE wind, mid tide. The corner of the Baleal bay where the island joins the mainland. It takes more of the west and northwest swell than the beaches on the north side, with mostly long…
Gamboa · beach break, intermediate, best on NW/NNW/N swell with E/ESE/SE wind, mid tide. Sand beach with some rocks at the west end of Baleal bay, next to Praia do Cerro. One of the more sheltered breaks here, so it can still work in a west wind or when the…
Consolação · reef break, intermediate, best on SW/W/NW swell with NE/N/E wind, low to mid tide. Rocky reef point near the fort, mainly a right with a shorter left on bigger swells. Holds north wind well, so it's a backup when the beaches are blown out.
Prainha (Baleal Norte) · beach break, beginner, best on W/WNW/NW/NNW/N swell with S/SSW wind, all tides. Small sand beach on the eastern edge of Baleal, sheltered by the island, so it handles choppy wind swell and a south wind. Mostly small and manageable, and heavily used…
Lagide · reef break, intermediate, best on W/NW/N swell with S/SE/SSW wind, mid tide. Popular reef break at Baleal, mainly a left (a right also breaks) over rock. Gets fast and steep on bigger swells; best with southerly wind and NW swell. Not for…
Papôa · reef break, advanced, best on W/WNW/NW/N swell with E/ESE/SE wind, mid to high tide. Rock reef beside the Ilhéu da Papoa on the north-west edge of Peniche town, breaking as a right. It only works on a large swell, so it stays quiet, and the big days are…
Porto Batel · reef break, advanced, best on SW/WSW/W/WNW/NW swell with NE/ENE/E wind, mid to high tide. Right-hander over shallow rock just south of Consolação. It works at mid to high tide with a north-east or east wind, and is too shallow at low tide. Crowded on its…
Almagreira · beach break, intermediate, best on W/NW/N swell with S/SE/E wind, mid to high tide. A quiet beach break east of Baleal with several peaks, lefts and rights, and short rides of roughly 50 to 150 m. It is usually less crowded than the Baleal beaches. The…
Praia dos Frades · beach break, intermediate, best on W/WNW/NW swell with E/ENE/NE wind, low tide. A small beach under the cliffs south of Peniche, between Consolação and São Bernardino, surfed by a few locals. It needs a low tide: look at the rocks at the foot of…
Pico da Mota · beach break, intermediate, best on W/WNW/NW/NNW/N swell with SE/S/E wind, all tides. Sand beach break with some rock patches, facing north-west, a few minutes north-east of Almagreira near Ferrel. Works best in 1 to 2 m with east or south wind, and is…
Areia Branca · beach break, beginner, best on W/NW swell with E/NE wind, low to mid tide. Sandy beach break by a small river outlet with lefts and rights. Beginner-friendly on smaller days; best on lower tides with an easterly wind.
Belgas (Praia Frincha Grande) · beach break, beginner, best on N/NNW swell with SE wind, all tides. Exposed sand beach just south of Foz do Arelho. Surf-forecast rates it low and says it only works with a north swell and south-east offshore wind; rides are short…
Days per month at the best third of the 18 spots for each level, from three years of wave and wind model data.
Questions
What are the best surf spots in Peniche?
The best-known are Supertubos, Baleal, Lagide, Prainha (Baleal Norte). In all, 18 spots lie within 11 km: 14 beach breaks, 4 reef breaks.
Where can beginners surf in Peniche?
Cova da Alfarroba, Baleal, Prainha (Baleal Norte), Areia Branca and 1 more: sandy, more forgiving spots. Surf them on small days, ideally with a lesson or near the lifeguards.
When is the best time to surf in Peniche?
For intermediate surfers March to April, September to December. For beginners May, September to December.
What wetsuit do I need to surf in Peniche?
The sea goes from about 14 °C in February (5/4 mm hooded) to 18 °C in July (3/2 mm fullsuit).