Maceda
Ovar · Portugal Norte · Portugal
Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Maceda (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 check today’s surf, open https://surf-cams.com/spot/ovar-maceda.
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São Pedro de Maceda is an isolated beach in the pine woods south of Cortegaça. It is a powerful, fun beach break that picks up even small swells, so it is the spot to check in summer when everywhere else is flat.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Break
- Beach break, sand
- Waves
- Lefts and rights
- Crowd
- Quiet
- Season
- summer, autumn, spring
- Boards
- A shortboard or fish.
When it works
✓ A 0.7–2 m west to north-west swell with an east to south-east wind, around mid tide.
When it doesn't
✕ Big swells close it out.
Watch out for
- rips
Best months
May, June, July, August, September, October
Local tips
Wannasurf contributors report robberies at this isolated beach, so go with friends and leave nothing in the car.
Getting there
Pass Espinho to Cortegaça, then ask the way to Praia da Maceda. The track is not easy to find.
Travel notes
- How often it works
- Very consistent: it works with little swell when other beaches are flat.
- Crowd and vibe
- Empty on weekdays and few surfers at weekends.
- Camping and vans
- The Cortegaça campsite, run by the club Os Nortenhos, has direct access to the beach, about 2 km north. 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 2 km away.
- Facilities
- Lifeguards in season, with basic beach facilities.
- Water quality
- Rated excellent in APA's latest annual classification, with no Blue Flag.
Ideal conditions
- Swell
- W–NW best, SW–NNW works
- Size
- 0.8–1.8 m offshore swell; starts at 0.5 m, holds to 2.4 m
- Period
- 7 s minimum, best from 10 s
- Wind
- Offshore NE–SE; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
- Tide
- mid best
- Faces
- W (280°)
Live cam
No cam at this spot yet: the forecast and the guide are on the map.