Areia Branca

Lourinhã · Portugal Centro · Portugal

Live cam and today’s forecast: the live surf cam and the current surf forecast for Areia Branca (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/lourinha-areia-branca.

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Areia Branca is the beach town of Lourinhã, at a small river mouth between cliffs. It is a punchy beach break with lots of peaks, quieter than the Peniche beaches. It closes out when the swell gets big.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Beach break, sand and rock
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Busy
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard or fish.

When it works

✓ A 1–2 m west to north-west swell with an east wind, from low to mid tide.

When it doesn't

✕ Swells over about 2.5 m close out, and strong onshore wind.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • localism
  • rips

Best months

March, April, September, October, November

Local tips

The rocks near the river mouth have sea urchins. Respect the local crew, which wannasurf mentions.

Getting there

Areia Branca is about 4 km west of Lourinhã. Park along the seafront.

Travel notes

How often it works
Surf-forecast rates it fairly consistent all year, with some shelter from the north wind.
Crowd and vibe
Few surfers on weekdays and crowded at weekends, with some localism.
Camping and vans
The Praia da Areia Branca campsite is in the village, about 1 km from the beach. Portuguese road law bans motorhome overnight stays outside authorised places in protected areas, Natura 2000 sites and zones covered by the coastal plans, and limits other overnight stops to 48 hours per municipality. Nearest campsite about 1 km away.
Facilities
Lifeguards in season, a first-aid post, toilets, showers and beach bars.
Water quality
Areia Branca–Foz was rated excellent in APA's latest annual classification and flies a Blue Flag in 2026.

Ideal conditions

Swell
W–NW best, WSW–NNW works
Size
1–2 m offshore swell; starts at 0.8 m, holds to 2.6 m
Period
8 s minimum, best from 12 s
Wind
Offshore ENE–SE; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
low, mid best
Faces
W (277°)

Live cam

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

Nearby spots

All spots in Portugal Centro · All spots

Sources