Albufeira spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras

Albufeira · Portugal
5.4
wave 0.3 m
visibility5m

Today — right on the edge — wave, wind and visibility.

Sources: IPMA · NDBC · Copernicus — high confidence · data 01:47

Sources & confidence

Sources
IPMA · NDBC buoys · Copernicus Marine
Method
Model consensus, read per window
Freshness
Re-read every hour, per coast

Compiled by the spearo sea-state engine

The verdict comes from seven water factors and hard safety gates — not ten tabs. Go or stay.

How we score the water

Our own model

Our own forecast engine — not a third-party widget. It weighs these water factors into one go-or-stay verdict for this coast; the 0–10 dial is that verdict, read out as a number.

Swell & wave memory
Height, period and direction of the swell, plus the wake of recent storms — an old storm still stirs the water, and the engine remembers.
Wind & gusts
Speed and gusts, hour by hour — wind speed and an onshore push chop the surface and cut visibility.
Tide phase
Timing and range of the tide, calibrated per coast — big spring tides pull the verdict toward caution.
Water temperature
Sea-surface temperature — sharply cold water vetoes a green verdict.
Currents & outflow
Direction and drift of the current — it pushes you, and it drags turbid coastal water across where you dive.
Rain runoff & air clarity
Rain muddies the water inshore through land runoff, while fog and haze cut visibility at the surface.
Coast shape & exposure
How the coast faces the swell — a sheltered cove keeps the water clean; an exposed, head-on point takes a penalty.

Safety gates

  • Thunderstorm forecast — an instant red, no exceptions.
  • An official warning (MeteoAlarm / IPMA) — yellow, or red for the higher ranks.
  • Missing input data — a would-be green is capped to yellow rather than overstated.
  • Strong disagreement between forecast models — a green day is pulled back to yellow.
  • Night hours — forced red; the window is closed after dark.

It all folds into a single 0–10 score and one verdict: go or stay.

A forecast, not a guarantee — the sea has the last word.

Where to get in, where to hunt

Entry points with coordinates
Seabed relief — promising ground

This verdict — in your pocket. Open the app for the week's window.

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Android beta — QR code
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0 m

Surface

Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.

spearo.app
calmupdated 01:47
Albufeira — solo, off the rocks
BORDERLINE
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site · strong wind 16 km/h, gusts 41 — caution
wave 0.3 mwind 16, gusts 41 km/hvisibility ~8 mwindow 06:00–21:00
today, best window 06:00–09:00
fish · Visibility 8 m · Water 17.1°C
confidence medium · verdict for the selected day
Before entering, check the camera and the surge
Whole week — tap a day. is driving swell right now.
Solo risk: carry a float · tell someone your plan and exit time · doubt = don't go. A model-based planner; the call is made on site.
Selected day

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

The day is picked above, in the hero. Here are that day's windows, the hour-by-hour map and the trends. Tap a window to break down the conditions.

Thursday · today2026-07-23
06:30–20:48 · first quarter
▼ 03:00▲ 10:00▼ 16:00▲ 23:00 · 1.1 m
Hours (06→20)
06
09
12
15
18
Day's trends
Tide0.06 m
Wave0.40 m
Wind19 km/h
Water17 °C
fish activity: moonset 01:13 · moderate · moon underfoot 08:40 · high · moonrise 16:12 · moderate · moon overhead 21:00 · high
Conditions window06:00–09:00
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site fish ·
Hs 0.34 mperiod 3.4 swind 16→41surge 0.1viz 5 m
0.34 mup to ~0.68 · 262° at an angle
3.4 sswell moderate
16→41gusts 41 km/h
0.1weak surge
0.11m/s
5 mrecent swell
17.1°C5 mm + hood
▲10:00tide rising
Atmosphere17 kmovercast
highmoon underfoot
  • strong wind 16 km/h, gusts 41 — caution
  • flood — water rising
confidence mediumtwilight
Open the seafloor map with entry points

Your best window — with you. Forecast in your pocket.

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Android beta — QR code
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−10 m

The water column

Visibility and what drives it — post-storm clearing, river plume, temperature and the thermocline.

What it is

A marine instrument,
go / no-go for solo hunting.

spearo.app folds wind, wave, swell period, visibility, tides, water temperature and risk into a single verdict — go to the spot or not. It computes 7 days ahead from open marine models (Open-Meteo, IPMA), with no sign-up and no accounts. Built for solo spearfishing off the rocks, where any mistake costs dearly.

Now live: 1152 spots across 189 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.

See all spots
−20 m

The seabed

Relief and bottom type, tides, and the depths of each spot.

On the rock

The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.

The models set the window. Whether you go in is read only at the water: count the sets, watch the surge on the entry. If in doubt, you don't get in.

Entry points

Where to get in
off the rocks.

Scouted entries, coloured by today. The colour is the sea state at the spot, not a guarantee: the wash and a slippery entry you judge on site.

Open the seafloor map
Praia da CoelhaCoelha cove (Sesmarias)
closed
swell on the quarter today
window
Summer, early morning; an intimate cove, no gear rental — bring your own.
tide
High/mid tide by the rocks and the arch; at low tide the ledges dry out and the rock entry gets slippery.
shelter
Small cove in golden cliffs with a natural arch to the west — sheltered from W wind and swell; open to direct south.
hazard
Undercut cliffs — falling-rock risk, do not sit under the walls; lifeguarded concession — hunting in the beach zone is banned in season; entry over smooth slippery rock.
access
Dirt path then a cliff stairway down to the small sandy beach; enter off the sand and the rocky ends by the arch.

Quiet cove with a natural arch and good life by the rocks; rockfall and slippery entry are the risks, keep hunting out of the beach zone in season. ⚠️ Coords correct (claimed 37.0738,-8.2937 vs OSM beach node 37.07368,-8.29363, ~13 m). But hazard DOWNPLAYED: two independent sources state Coelha has 'a steep drop further out and currents can be strong' — the stated hazard mentions only undercut cliffs + slippery-rock entry and omits the strong currents / sudden drop-off, a material omission for a solo spearo.

Google Maps
Praia da GaléGalé reef shelf (Galé–Chiringuito)
closed
swell on the quarter today
window
Summer, early morning — a big popular beach, busy by day; snorkel at the rocks on the eastern end.
tide
High tide is recommended, water covers the reef shelf; low tide opens arches, channels and pools and lets you cross to neighbouring beaches, but the shelf is exposed.
shelter
Low ochre cliffs and reef ridges give partial wind cover; the beach is open to direct S swell — less enclosed than the eastern coves.
hazard
Long concessioned, lifeguarded beach — hunting in the beach zone is banned in season; at low tide the reef cuts and you can get trapped in the channels as swell builds; watch for boats/SUP off Galé.
access
Large car park and ramp/access straight to the sand; enter off the sand, the reef shelf is to the east, reached on foot along the rocks.

Less enclosed than São Rafael/Castelo and crowded — a fallback: there is structure on the reef shelf, but on a clean south the swell builds fast.

Google Maps
Praia do CasteloCastelo headland (Sesmarias)
closed
swell on the quarter today
window
Summer, early morning for calm water and parking; one of the quieter coves in the area.
tide
High/mid tide covers the reef shelves; at low tide the submerged rocks sit near the surface.
shelter
High cliffs and the castle rock to the east, plus reefs to the west, kill the wind well; sheltered from W swell, open to S swell.
hazard
Main danger is cliff collapse — fresh rockfall is visible, do not sit under the cliffs. Submerged rocks at the entry; concession — hunting in the beach zone in season is banned.
access
Wooden staircase from the free clifftop car park (~50 m) to the sand; enter off the sand and work along the rocky ends.

The castle rock to the east and the western reefs give structure; stay clear of the cliff base because of rockfall.

Google Maps
Praia de São RafaelSão Rafael cove (west Albufeira)
closed
best candidate for today
swell on the quarter today
window
June–September season; early morning before the crowd and wind. Small squid gather on the rocks at dusk.
tide
Best at high or mid tide — more water and fish over the ledges; low tide exposes the shallow shelves.
shelter
The cove's limestone cliffs and rock stacks shelter it from W wind and W swell; it is exposed to direct S swell.
hazard
Concessioned, lifeguarded beach — in bathing season spearfishing is banned in the beach zone (within 50 m of bathers). Falling rocks from the undercut cliffs.
access
Cliff stairway from the car park and restaurant straight to the sand; enter off the sand and off the rock ledges at the cove ends.

Albufeira's easiest, most readable cove for snorkel/freedive; hunt only outside the bathing season/beach zone, off the rocky ends.

Google Maps

SOLO is the biggest risk: underwater you can black out from lack of oxygen silently and fatally, with no one around. Solo is never truly «safe». Below are the best weather windows; carry a buoy, tell someone your plan and exit time, and any doubt — don't go.

One morning glance — and you know.

Download on theApp StoreGET IT ONGoogle Play

Android: the public release is in Google Play review — leave your email and we'll send beta access today.

Android beta — QR code
point your camera
≈

Surfacing

Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.

Live cameras, map & reference
Cameras · live

Look at the water
right now.

Check the cam BEFORE you leave. Foam, brown/green murk, or waves washing the entry rocks = No-go. At night/in fog the cam is useless — treat it as «unknown», NOT «green».

connecting to the stream…
● LIVE↗
Albufeira — Praia da Galé / Guia (Windy)Live Windy webcam — Praia da Galé / Guia (Albufeira). Official keyless player, plays inline. Read the water and swell before you go.camera: windy ↗
connecting to the stream…
● LIVE↗
Praia da Rocha Baixinha (Vilamoura, ~9 km E de Albufeira) (Windy)Live Windy webcam — Praia da Rocha Baixinha (Vilamoura, ~9 km E of Albufeira). Official keyless player, plays inline. Read the water and swell before you go.camera: windy ↗
connecting to the stream…
● LIVE↗
Marina de Vilamoura (~11 km E de Albufeira) (Windy)Live Windy webcam — Vilamoura Marina (~11 km E of Albufeira). Official keyless player, plays inline. Read the water before you go.camera: windy ↗
Open the seafloor map →
Reference

What's in season,
what the law says.

In season now: Sea bass, White seabream, Gilthead bream, Salema, Meagre, Mullet · coming soon: Octopus (Sep)

In season now
  • Robalo (sea bass)
    <4 m · end of ebb → start of flood · dawn/dusk
    Prime target. Shy of light — pick early/twilight windows.
  • Sargo (white seabream)
    1–5 m · flood (rides the surf onto the reef) · dawn
    Dominant reef target. Visibility matters more than time of day.
  • Dourada (gilthead bream)
    1–4 m · flood over sand/weed · dawn
    Very skittish — static ambush.
  • Salema
    0–2 m · — · daytime
    Easiest target at 0–6 m. ⚠️ Do NOT eat the head/guts (ichthyosarcotoxism).
  • Tainha (mullet)
    0–2 m · — · —
    Extremely wary; murky water HINDERS it. Opportunistic, in calm coves.
  • Corvina (meagre)
    1–6 m (marginal) · — · twilight
    Near the Tagus mouth, NOT on the Guincho rocks. Adults mostly at 5–75 m. ⚠️ CLOSED 1–30 June (defeso).
  • Santola (spider crab)
    1–10 m · low water (reef shelf exposed) · calm morning (≤force 2)
    Carapace ≥12 cm. Peaks Jul–Aug. CLOSED 15.02–15.06. Limit 2 kg/day.
Law
🦀 spider crab open (season 16.06–14.02)
  • ✓Spearfishing licence required (16+), daily/monthly/annual (~€25/yr). Speargun = licence required.
  • ✓Hand-gathering shellfish with NO gear — no licence; but if a speargun is on the dive, a spearfishing licence is required.
  • ✓Night prohibited: spearfishing only in daylight (sunset→sunrise not allowed). Artificial light as a means of finding/attracting fish is banned — a torch for safety only.
  • ✓Signalling buoy MANDATORY for spearfishing: buoy/float with an «Alfa» flag (red/orange/yellow, ≥8 L), no more than 30 m from the diver.
  • ✓Spearfishing daily limit: fish + cephalopods — 15 kg (excluding the largest specimen). General rod-and-line recreational fishing — 10 kg.
  • ✓Invertebrates (including spider crab) — 2 kg/day total.
  • ✓Spider crab: min. carapace 12 cm; (closed season) 15.02–15.06 — applies to recreational gathering too.
  • ✓Min. sizes: robalo 36 cm, sargo 17 cm, dourada 19 cm, choupa 23 cm, corvina 42 cm; octopus 750 g.
  • ✓Grouper — fully protected, may not be taken.
  • ⛔ Grouper (Epinephelus) — fully protected, capture PROHIBITED.
  • ⛔ Seahorses (Hippocampus) — protected.

Rules change. Before heading out, check with DGRM / ICNF / Capitania and the defeso table.

Safety protocol
  • Sets: watch the wave trains ≥15 min before entering; Hmax ≈ 2×Hs, the wash can run 50 m past the foam line. A lull >10 min with period >12 s = a big set «overdue», do NOT enter; enter right after a full set passes and re-check at minute 30.
  • Exit FIRST: find your exit AND a backup before entering. At Cabo Raso/Arriba a 0.5 m rise in swell makes a boulder exit impossible — getting pinned/unable to climb out is the main killer here.
  • Headland rip: at Cabo Raso there is a permanent topographic rip regardless of the model — locate it, enter/exit on the windward side, never swim against it.
  • Cold: wetsuit per the SST chip; the first shiver = a metabolic surge and a drop in breath-hold → get out at the first steady shiver. Cap the session at 45–60 min below 15 °C.
  • Solo discipline: buoy up; tell someone the spot and exit time; conservative breath-hold (never push it in cold/murky/surfy water); visibility <3 m — don't enter.
  • Nortada (Jun–Sep): wind builds from midday — be out of the water by ~11:00; the chop builds — get out.
  • UV 11:00–15:00 (UVI ≥6): sunscreen and cover up on the surface interval.
  • Solo is a fundamental risk (hypoxic blackout with no buddy). Any doubt = No-go.
Local guide · Albufeira

Spearfishing in Albufeira: spots, seasons and rules

Updated 2026-07-09 · By Oleksandr, spearfisher

Spearfishing in Albufeira works the sheltered south coast of the central Algarve, which faces south and blocks the west swell but stays open to swell from the south. This is limestone cove and reef country, and much of the hunting is boat-based, out to the offshore reefs and Pedra da Galé where white seabream and octopus hold. Best days keep the south swell under half a metre. A licence is required, freediving only, with a signalling buoy.

TL;DR

  • Best shore entries: Praia de São Rafael (easiest to read, works solo), Praia do Castelo (quieter, calm days only) and Praia da Galé, a more open reef-shelf fallback.
  • The coast faces south, blocking the west swell but open to south swell, so the best days stay under half a metre. Much of the hunting is boat-based, out to the offshore reefs and Pedra da Galé.
  • National rules: a licence is required (16+), freediving only, with a signalling buoy; concession beaches ban hunting in the bathing zone in season.

Best spearfishing spots in Albufeira

Shallow shore entries over limestone rock. São Rafael is the easiest to read; Castelo is quieter but calm days only; Galé is the more open fallback on the reef shelf. Praia da Coelha is left out on purpose: a red spot with undercut cliffs, a slippery entry and a steep drop-off with strong currents further out.

SpotTypeDepthLevelAccessNotes
Praia de São RafaelLimestone cove (São Rafael, west)1 to 5 mAccessible, easiest to readCliff stairway from the car park to the sand; enter off the rock ledges at the cove ends.Albufeira's easiest cove for freedive, 6 to 12 m visibility on a clear day. Sheltered from the west but open to the south swell; hunt only outside the bathing season, off the rocky ends, and watch for falling rock.
Praia do CasteloRocky headland (Castelo, Sesmarias)Shallow, along the rocksQuieter, calm days onlyWooden staircase from the free clifftop car park; work along the rocky ends.Quieter than São Rafael. High cliffs, the castle rock east and reefs west cut the wind and give structure, but it dives only in calm seas. Do not sit under the cliff base, where fresh rockfall is visible.
Praia da GaléReef shelf (Galé, Chiringuito)Shallow reef shelfMore open fallbackLarge car park and ramp to the sand; the reef shelf lies to the east, reached on foot.Less enclosed and crowded, so a fallback. The reef shelf between Galé and the Chiringuito holds structure and the tide covers it; at low tide the channels can trap you as the swell builds. Watch for boats and SUP.

When is the best time to spearfish in the Algarve?

The central-Algarve south coast is sheltered and has no coastal upwelling, so there is no cold upwelling water and the sea is calm most of the year. The limits are the south swell and, in summer, packed beaches and powerboats. Best is spring into autumn, under half a metre. White seabream is the dominant reef target, April to September, 17 cm minimum. Gilthead bream runs May to September, very skittish, 19 cm. Sea bass runs June to October, best at dawn and dusk, 36 cm. Octopus peaks in autumn, 750 g by weight. These are national DGRM sizes, not local rules.

What sea conditions and visibility to look for in Albufeira

Because the coast faces south, the swell to watch comes from the south, roughly 150 to 210 degrees, and on a clean south it builds fast, worst at Galé. It dives in calm seas with light wind and a south swell under half a metre. Visibility in the coves is moderate, 6 to 12 m on a good day, and the cleaner water sits on the offshore reefs, which is why much of the hunting is boat-based. Live cameras at Praia do Peneco and Praia da Galé help read the swell before you drive down.

FAQ

Where can you spearfish in Albufeira?

The easiest shore entries are São Rafael, the most readable solo cove, and Castelo, quieter and calm days only. Galé is the more open fallback, and much of the hunting is boat-based to reach the offshore reefs. Avoid Coelha solo: strong currents and a sudden drop-off.

What fish can you spearfish in Albufeira?

The reefs mostly hold white seabream, gilthead bream, sea bass, black seabream and octopus in autumn. Salema is year-round, but the head and guts are not eaten. Grouper is fully protected. Minimum sizes and seasons are national, set by DGRM.

Do I need a license to spearfish in Albufeira?

Yes. The licence is national and required from age 16, about 25 euros a year. Hunting is freediving only, scuba is banned, and it is daylight only. A signalling buoy with an Alfa flag is mandatory, within 30 m of the diver.

What is the minimum size for gilthead bream in Portugal?

Gilthead bream has a 19 cm minimum. White seabream is 17 cm, sea bass 36 cm, black seabream 23 cm and meagre 42 cm; octopus is regulated by weight, at 750 g. These are national DGRM sizes.

How far from the beach can you spearfish in Portugal?

There is no single fixed distance. What applies is staying out of the concession bathing zones in season and clear of bathers, with hunting banned in the bathing zone, about 50 m from bathers. The buoy must stay within 30 m of the diver.

Sources

Region: Algarve

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