The coast, spot by spot
16+ waves within half an hour.
Peniche is a peninsula, which is the whole trick: a wind that ruins one side is grooming the other. Spin the dial to today’s wind and watch the coast answer — then filter down to the wave you actually want.
Offshore Cross-shore Onshore Colour follows the wind dial.
Drag the needle, or use the arrow keys. It points the way the wind is coming from.
Live now
Reading the latest forecast…
Find your spot
Narrow it down.
Cantinho da Baía
Point break
Gigi
Beach break
Lagide
Reef break
Prainha
Beach break
Almagreira
Beach break
Pico da Mota
Praia do Cerro
Areia Branca
Beach break
Foz do Arelho
Beach break
Santa Cruz
Beach break (several named beaches along the bay)
Consolação Left
Reef break (starts on reef, ends in sand)
Consolação Right
Point break / reef
Molhe Leste
Beach break, next to the harbour breakwater
Papôa
Reef break — Peniche's big-wave spot
Porto Batel
Point break
Supertubos
Beach break
No spot matches all of that at once. Try clearing a filter — or ask us, because the answer is usually “it depends on the tide”.
Side by side
Compared.
| Lagide | Prainha | Cantinho da Baía | Gigi | Almagreira | Pico da Mota | Praia do Cerro | Molhe Leste | Supertubos | Consolação Right | Consolação Left | Porto Batel | Papôa | Areia Branca | Santa Cruz | Foz do Arelho | |
| Grading | Serious | Gentle | Gentle | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Serious | Extreme | Serious | Moderate | Serious | Extreme | Gentle | Gentle | Moderate |
| Wave type | Reef break | Beach break | Point break | Beach break | Beach break | — | — | Beach break, next to the harbour breakwater | Beach break | Point break / reef | Reef break (starts on reef, ends in sand) | Point break | Reef break — Peniche's big-wave spot | Beach break | Beach break (several named beaches along the bay) | Beach break |
| Direction | Left (predominant), secondary right peak | — | — | Both left and right | — | — | — | Right-hander | Left (predominant), right also breaks | Right | Left | Right (predominant), left secondary | Lefts and rights (mellow on small swell) | — | — | Lefts and rights |
| Bottom | Rock/reef (mostly flat rock, not sharp) | Sand | — | — | — | — | — | Sand | Sand | Rock/reef | Reef/rock into sand | Flat rocks | Reef/rock | Sand, some rock (sandbar) | — | Sand |
| Consistency | Fairly consistent | — | Very consistent | — | Fairly consistent | — | — | Inconsistent — needs the biggest NW swell pulses | Fairly consistent (flat most of summer) | Inconsistent | Less consistent, fickle | Reasonably consistent (mostly flat in summer) | Seasonal — mostly winter, needs a big NW swell | Exposed, catches most swell directions | Very consistent | Sources differ — one notes no strong seasonal pattern, another notes it stays fairly consistent across tide changes |
| Wave power | Powerful but forgiving reef | Varies a lot | — | — | — | — | — | — | Heavy, powerful, hollow | — | Shorter but hollower than the right | Powerful | Heavy when on; can produce serious big-wave conditions | — | — | — |
| Optimum swell | N–NW | — | — | — | — | — | — | Big NW swell | SW–NW (W most cited) | SW (sources vary — peninsula overall favours NW) | SW | W (sources also cite N, NW, SW) | Big NW swell | — | — | W / NW / N |
| Also works with | Works with big swells generally | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW–SSW window | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Best swell period | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Mid–long period groundswell | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Best tide | Half-tide rising; works most tides | — | — | Mid tide | — | — | — | — | Mid–High (some sources note low-mid also works) | Low, falling tide | Low, falling tide | Mid–High | — | — | — | Works across all tides |
| Offshore wind | S / E | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE / E | NE (some shelter from N too) | NE | NE | — | — | — | SE / E / S |
| Wind shelter | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Moderate | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Longboard | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shortboard | Good–Excellent | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Excellent | Excellent | Yes | Yes | Yes | Good | Yes | Good |
| Bodyboard | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Parking | Car park at the beach (can fill up) | Car park at the beach (can fill up) | Car park at the beach (can fill up) | Car park at the beach (can fill up) | Car park at the beach (can fill up) | Car park at the beach (can fill up) | Car park at the beach (can fill up) | Car park at the beach (can fill up) | Beach car park available | — | — | — | — | Free parking near the beach | — | Parking available near the beach |
Reading this page
What the shapes mean.
Every spot carries the same five-axis fingerprint, so you learn to read the silhouette rather than the numbers. The grading beside it is separate and deliberately blunt — a quiet, low-barrel wave can still be the most dangerous place on this coast.
Don’t know how to read this yet? We’ve got you.
Reading the oceanWind readings come from the live forecast; swell and tide still need your own eyes and a tide table. If you want the honest answer for today, just ask us.