Praia Grande (Sintra)

Colares · Lisbon coast · Portugal

Live cam and today’s forecast: the live surf cams and the current surf forecast for Praia Grande (Sintra) (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/praia-grande-sintra.

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Praia Grande is a long, wide beach below cliffs on the Sintra coast, one of the most consistent spots near Lisbon. There is usually a left at the north end, a peak breaking both ways in the middle, and a powerful right near the pool at the south end. Low tide can give tubes, and on a good swell high tide is popular with bodyboarders.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Beach break, sand
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Crowded
Season
autumn, winter, spring, summer
Boards
A shortboard or fish; foam boards for the schools on small summer days.

When it works

✓ A 1–2.5 m north-west swell with an east wind; it works on all tides depending on the banks.

When it doesn't

✕ Strong onshore winds, and big winter swells that close it out.

Watch out for

  • rips
  • currents
  • localism

Best months

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

Local tips

Currents are strong in winter, so watch before you paddle out. The coast road from Cascais via Cabo da Roca is a beautiful drive.

Getting there

Signposted from Colares; there is a car park behind the beach and restaurants along the front.

Travel notes

How often it works
Very consistent: it faces the open Atlantic and catches swell on about 150 days a year. Winter is the season for size.
Crowd and vibe
Busy at weekends, with locals, bodyboarders and schools. Good surfers have no problems, but respect the regulars at the south-end right.
Camping and vans
No campsite at the beach. The Sintra coast is part of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, where motorhome overnight parking is banned outside authorised places; Orbitur Guincho is about 10 km south. Nearest campsite about 10 km away.
Facilities
Lifeguards in summer, toilets, showers, parking, surf schools and several restaurants.
Water quality
Both bathing points (Grande Norte and Grande Sul) were rated excellent in 2025 (APA), and both fly a Blue Flag in 2026.

Ideal conditions

Swell
W–NW best, WSW–NNW works
Size
1–2.5 m offshore swell; starts at 0.7 m, holds to 3 m
Period
9 s minimum, best from 12 s
Wind
Offshore ENE–SE; handles onshore up to 10 km/h
Tide
mid best
Faces
WNW (290°)

Live cams

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

Nearby spots

All spots in Lisbon coast · All spots

Sources