Cortegaoa

Best Surf Season (October - March)

Autumn and winter deliver the meat of the season at Cortegaoa. As the North Atlantic storm track barrels southward, the Portuguese coast becomes a magnet for long-period WNW and NW groundswells. Average wave heights climb to 5-6ft (1.5-1.8m) with periods in the 12-13s window, and with a west-facing exposure, Cortegaoa lights up. The wind regime turns more favorable too - easterly and southeasterly breezes blow offshore more often, ironing out the faces and keeping the peaks clean. Water temps hover between 14 and 17°C (57-63°F), so a 4/3 wetsuit is the call, but the payoff is consistent, powerful surf that can reach XXL during Atlantic swell events.