Surf Spot: Costa da Caparica, Portugal
Updated: Sep 16
Costa da Caparica is a small fishing village and surf destination just outside of Lisbon, Portugal with a long 30 km sandy beach stretch going from Cova do Vapor, just by the river Tagus, until the end of Fonte da Telha, and you can count on finding a sand bank to suit your surfing needs.
If you are coming from Lisbon you can reach it by a short drive on the bridge Ponte 25 de Abril or a ferry boat ride from Lisbon across the Tagus river.
Costa da Caparica is one of the main surf spots for not only locals and people living on this side of the Tagus river but also for the surfers of the greater area of Lisbon, Portugal.
It has been a breeding ground and training camp for many Portuguese and international surfers and in the last years, the WSL brought its Qualifying Series to Costa da Caparica. You can also find many regional and national championships and even championships from landlocked or no waves European countries.
Caparica has a vibrant surfing community with many people from all over the world living here and when they are not surfing you can find many of them skating, hanging out, or playing music on the peer known as Paredão da Costa da Caparica.
Where to stay and rest after a long day of surfing
There are lots of lodging options ranging from hotels to surf camps, guest houses, Airbnb, hostels, and alojamento local. We like our friends from Lost Caparica surf house, a nice villa located in a quiet area in the heart of Caparica, designed around surfer's needs when out of the water.
We will now be hosting some surf camps in Caparica so stay tuned.
You if prefer to stay in an apartment or small ground house only for yourself, you can try staying in Vila Maria Surf House.
If you don't want to stay in a surf house then try Mar e Sol Residencial located on the main street of Caparica.
Don't want to stay in the middle of town? try staying in Hotel Crowne Plaza on top of the Arriba Fósil, they have amazing views over Caparica and a spa, but you will need transportation to go to the beach.
Surf gear
If you need to buy new surfboards or other surf gear you will find many local stores with everything you need.
Want a custom-made surfboard? Loads of options are available. We recommend our friend and shaper Rabbit / ORG Surfboards. He has been making surfboards for many years and has loads of experience making performance shortboards, big wave boards as well as fun surfboards for the mellower days.
If you need to rent a surfboard just send us a message or try one of our softboards from the surf school.
Need some food after all the surfing?
You can find all kinds of restaurants for everyone's taste. For fresh fish, which you can also buy from the local market or even from the fisherman as they pull their nets on the beach, try Apeixonado, they are located right next to the Caparica market and you can count on being served fresh fish.
Do you know what goes well after a morning surf session and before the afternoon surf session? A big tasty tosta (tostada) to get your energy levels back up before the next surf session, and you can find some good ones in A H O Y Surf & Snacks, from late breakfast to lunch & afternoon munchies, go check them out.
Is Caparica remembering you of your time in Puerto Escondido or La Saladita and you are fancying a taste of Mexico? Well then try some burritos and tacos from Huracan.
Want a nice relaxing dinner at the sound of a live jazz band and a glass of wine? Head over to Garuda Caffe and take your best shirt.
Views and sights of Costa da Caparica
Photography and video of you surfing those dreamy waves
I always like to get photos and videos of me surfing the places I travel to. Here in Caparica FotoSurf has been taking some really good photos and videos of our surf school and, André Hilario, a local surfer, has been taking some amazing water photography and video of the surfers and the surf schools also. This post's cover photo is also from André.
Surf lessons and surf coaching
If you need to take some surf lessons or coaching you will be spoiled for choice as there are many to choose from. Of course, we recommend our surf school as we are committed to teaching you how to surf or to help you progress your surfing so that later you can join one of our surf trips and surf tours. Have a read at Why I Opened a Surf School for Breakthrough Surf
Or, in case you don't want a surf lesson, it's flat, too big, or too crowded and you don't know where to surf, request our daily surf guiding or one of our surf experiences.
Ok I think you get the point, anything you need Caparica has got it, so, on to the waves and the surf.
Surf spots and waves
Caparica from the river to the end of Fonte da Telha is a 30 km sandy bottom beach stretch with several sandbanks forming and dissolving as the storms hit the coast.
The part of Caparica closer to Lisbon, from S. João beach till Nova Praia (where the jetties are), favors a North/Northeast wind and as you continue down the coast it starts favoring more East wind.
In the central part of town, it's where the jetties are located. Designed to break the strong winter swells they also help make more consistent sand banks near them. You can usually find one sandbank making a left-going wave to the right of the jetty (facing from the beach to the sea) and a sandbank making a right-going wave to the left of the jetty.
Next to the jetties, you will find the channels to take you outside to the surf break. The riptide will be strong pulling you out and underneath the riptide, there will be big rocks fallen from the jetties which are not always visible or noticeable when you are paddling out, so, be careful and always keep a 2 or 3 meters distance from the peer when going out.
Especially in open water beaches, where there are no jetties, it's necessary to check where the riptides are as they might be your ticket to the outside, but, they might also put you in trouble. So, if you get caught in a riptide always remember to not paddle against the tide, meaning, if the riptide is pulling you out to open water don't start paddling straight to the beach, instead try to identify where the riptide ends on the sides and try to paddle towards it. Remember, paddle to the side of the riptide, not against it as you will only make yourself tired and most likely will not be able to get out of it. Also, try to take advantage of any wave, broken or unbroken, to carry you further away from the riptide. If everything fails, try to call out some other surfer to help you, but don't jump all over them if they try to rescue you as both of you might end up in a worse situation than before.
While most surfers will usually crowd by the jetties in beaches that have them, since it's usually where the best sand banks form, in open water beaches you can find many opportunities to surf with fewer people, sometimes even by yourself, as the passing swells will shape many different sandbanks scattered around the beach.
In terms of wave size it is usually bigger in the jetties and S. João beach area and starts decreasing in wave size as you go south towards Fonte da Telha beach.
Fonte da Telha is where many people go when it gets too big or too wild to surf in central Caparica, or, if you prefer to surf smaller waves in general. It is a beautiful area surrounded by the cliff of the Arriba Fósil and you can find many sandbanks to surf.
From north to south, the beaches with jetties are:
São João
Norte
Marcelino
CDS
Paraiso (where the right of "Cantinho do Bento" is for the earlier surfers of Caparica)
Dragão Vermelho
Praia Nova
Nova Praia (well Nova Praia is already the first beach without jetties but I included it here)
Then until Fonte da Telha the beaches are:
Saude
Cornélia
Mata
Riviera
Rainha
Castelo
Princesa
Rei
Morena
Sereia
Infante
Nova Vaga
Bela Vista
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Take a look at some of the surf spots and the waves in the following photos and click on them to see the description, season, spot.
Wetsuit and Surfboards
You will always need a wetsuit regardless of season. If you can only get one wetsuit then a 4/3 is the best option for all year around. I personally use a 5/4 in winter (or in colder days) and also many times when I'm giving surf lessons and i use a 4/3 the rest of the year. But a wetsuit is a very personal choice and some people prefer to stay more mobile with a tinner wetsuit and others prefer to stay warmer with a ticker wetsuit.
As for surfboard choice, it should follow the next section talking about Seasons. In any case, it's always good to bring a performance shortboard for the good days and a groveler surfboard or a fish board for when the swell drops.
If you like to take on bigger surf you will find plenty of chances during Winter, so pack your step-ups for those days. You don't need to bring big wave surfboards, as it would be difficult to surf here under those conditions, but you will need some step-ups for days when you can find some standup barrels outside.
Longboarding? Caparica has a big community of longboarders and the best season for longboard should be Summer and late Spring when the swells drop a bit.
Seasons
Costa da Caparica, Portugal is in Europe so it follows the continent's 4 seasons, Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall.
Winter is where you will find the biggest swells but also shorter and rainier days. It's a great time if you are an experienced surfer as there will be lots of opportunities to surf bigger and more powerful surf and, as an added bonus, if it's too big or too stormy here in Caparica or Fonte da Telha since it's a 30-minute drive to Lisbon/Carcavelos area, you can always go surf Carcavelos beach and around that area where a lot of rather flat spots most of the year light up and start firing, so plenty of opportunities to surf novelty waves like reef brake St. Amaro or the Bugio lighthouse wave if you have a jetsky. There are a few more secrets on both sides of the river, but we'll tell you all about it when you are here.
Spring is when the swells start to be less big and less powerful and also, it's when the WSL QS comes. It's a beautiful time of the year to visit as the days start to get longer, it rains less, and all the vegetation wakes up after Winter. It's a good time for all levels of surfers, leaning more towards the intermediate and advanced/intermediate levels. You will have plenty of opportunities to surf, stay on the beach tanning, and skate the peer.
Summer is an amazing time in Portugal, the sun shines, the days are really long, temperatures are high, everybody is having a good time and it's the perfect time for those who want to learn how to surf and spend long days in the sun at one of the many beaches around. There are loads of parties everywhere and also on every beach. So if you want to learn how to surf or improve your surfing call us for some surf lessons.
Fall is one of the best times to be in Portugal if you are a surfer, temperatures are still high and the days are not yet as short as in Winter and the swells start to arrive. There is usually a swell around mid to late September that signals that Summer is over and that good waves are back. Surfers of all levels can enjoy the Fall season but the more experienced, advanced, and even intermediate/advanced will have a blast.
Conclusion
Costa da Caparica has a season, surf, and a place for everyone. It is close to Lisbon city so if you decide to stay on any side of the river you will have plenty of opportunities to surf and explore.
I hope you find this surf spot guide useful when you visit and if you need more information send us a message.
As always:
Super dedicated teatcher