Costa da Caparica – São João

Costa da Caparica · Lisbon coast · Portugal

Live cam and today’s forecast: the live surf cam and the current surf forecast for Costa da Caparica – São João (wave height, swell, wind, tide and a 0–10 rating for every hour of the next 16 days) are only shown on SurfCams. They change every hour, so this text doesn’t contain them. To watch the cam and check today’s surf, open https://surf-cams.com/spot/caparica-sao-joao.

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São João da Caparica is at the north end of the Caparica coast, between groyne jetties near Cova do Vapor. The jetties hold the sand and shape peaks both ways. The waves here are more demanding than further south, and the breakwater points can wall up nicely.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Jetty, sand
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Crowded
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard or fish.

When it works

✓ A 1–2.5 m west to north-west swell with an east wind, from mid to high tide.

When it doesn't

✕ Strong north-west winds and low tide on small swells.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • crowds
  • currents

Best months

October, November, December, January, February, March, April

Local tips

Use the jetties as a guide to where the banks are working. Parking fills quickly in summer.

Getting there

Cross the 25 de Abril bridge from Lisbon and follow the signs to Costa da Caparica, then north to São João.

Travel notes

How often it works
Reasonably consistent through the year, best with west swells.
Crowd and vibe
Crowded at weekends with Lisbon surfers. Be careful around the jetties.
Camping and vans
Several campsites sit just behind this part of the coast: the INATEL campsite about 1 km away and Orbitur Costa da Caparica, which says it is 200 m from the beach. Nearest campsite about 1 km away.
Facilities
Lifeguards in summer, toilets, beach bars and parking.
Water quality
Rated excellent in the 2025 official bathing-water classification (APA).

Ideal conditions

Swell
WSW–WNW best, SSW–NNW works
Size
1.2–2.5 m offshore swell; starts at 1 m, holds to 3 m
Period
9 s minimum, best from 12 s
Wind
Offshore NNE–ESE; handles onshore up to 10 km/h
Tide
mid, high best
Faces
WSW (240°)

Live cam

Cams © their operators, shown from the operator's own feed.

Nearby spots

All spots in Lisbon coast · All spots

Sources