Compiled by the spearo sea-state engine · How it works →
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.
01
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.
02
Wind & gusts
Speed and gusts, hour by hour — wind speed and an onshore push chop the surface and cut visibility.
03
Tide phase
Timing and range of the tide, calibrated per coast — big spring tides pull the verdict toward caution.
04
Water temperature
Sea-surface temperature — sharply cold water vetoes a green verdict.
05
Currents & outflow
Direction and drift of the current — it pushes you, and it drags turbid coastal water across where you dive.
06
Rain runoff & air clarity
Rain muddies the water inshore through land runoff, while fog and haze cut visibility at the surface.
07
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 — where night spearfishing is banned by law the window is forced red; where it is legal (Australia outside NSW, New Zealand, South Africa) it is capped at yellow, never green.
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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0 m
Surface
Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.
spearo.app
calmupdated 11:46
Albufeira — solo, off the rocks
BORDERLINE
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site · wind 18 km/h, gusts to 35 — caution
What's missing? Tell us what you'd like to see — new spots, species, data or features. We read everything.
Your best window — with you. Forecast in your pocket.
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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: 1391 spots across 205 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.
⚠️ This point is inside the restricted zone “Parque Natural Marinho do Recife do Algarve — Pedra do Valado”: fishing there is regulated (season, gear, permit), not banned outright. Read the zone's rules before you go.
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.
conditions
Diveable in calm seas with swell under ~0.5 m; the best ground is the rocks and reef shelf between Galé and Chiringuito/Bés, with the tide covering the shelf.
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.
⚠️ This point is inside the restricted zone “Parque Natural Marinho do Recife do Algarve — Pedra do Valado”: fishing there is regulated (season, gear, permit), not banned outright. Read the zone's rules before you go.
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.
conditions
Diveable in calm seas with little S swell; crystal-clear water, the small rocky inlets at the ends give good ground.
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.
Praia de São RafaelSão Rafael cove (west Albufeira)
borderline
best candidate for today
⛔ Banned here
⚠️ This point is inside the restricted zone “Parque Natural Marinho do Recife do Algarve — Pedra do Valado”: fishing there is regulated (season, gear, permit), not banned outright. Read the zone's rules before you go.
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.
conditions
Diveable in calm/light wind with swell under ~0.5–0.8 m; water usually clear, visibility 6–12 m, 1–5 m depth along the rocks.
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.
⚠️ This point is inside the restricted zone “Parque Natural Marinho do Recife do Algarve — Pedra do Valado”: fishing there is regulated (season, gear, permit), not banned outright. Read the zone's rules before you go.
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.
conditions
Diveable in calm seas with little S swell; clear, calm water, with noticeably more fish by the rocks than at typical Algarve snorkel spots.
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.
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.
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≈
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».
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 ↗
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 ↗
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 ↗
In season now: Sea bass, White seabream, Gilthead bream, Salema, Octopus, Mullet
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).
Polvo (octopus)
1–6 m · high water · twilight
Peaks in autumn. Spot the den by the pile of shells. Don't take egg-bearing females. Min. weight 750 g (DGRM).
Tainha (mullet)
0–2 m · — · —
Extremely wary; murky water HINDERS it. Opportunistic, in calm coves.
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, daily/monthly/annual (~€25/yr). Speargun = licence required. (DL 246/2000, art. 12.º + 12.º-A; fees in , .) There is no minimum age for the licence, but under-16s are exempt from holding one when fishing accompanied by a licence holder (art. 12.º n.º 2 al. b).
✓Hand-gathering shellfish with NO gear — no licence; but if a speargun is on the dive, a spearfishing licence is required (DL 246/2000, art. 12.º n.º 1; ).
✓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 (, art. 8.º/3 + 3.º/5; DL 246/2000, art. 14.º n.º 1 d).
✓Signalling buoy MANDATORY for spearfishing: buoy/float with an «Alfa» flag (red/orange/yellow, ≥8 L), no more than 30 m from the diver (, art. 4.º/2).
✓Spearfishing daily limit: fish + cephalopods — 15 kg (excluding the largest specimen). General rod-and-line recreational fishing — 10 kg (, art. 12.º/1).
✓Spider crab: min. carapace 12 cm; (closed season) 15.02–15.06 — applies to recreational gathering too (, ; table).
✓Min. sizes: robalo 36 cm, sargo 17 cm, dourada 19 cm, choupa 23 cm, corvina 42 cm; octopus 750 g ( + EU Reg. 2019/1241; minimum-size table).
✓Grouper — fully protected, may not be taken (
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.
Spot
Type
Depth
Level
Access
Notes
Praia de São Rafael
Limestone cove (São Rafael, west)
1 to 5 m
Accessible, easiest to read
Cliff 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 Castelo
Rocky headland (Castelo, Sesmarias)
Shallow, along the rocks
Quieter, calm days only
Wooden 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.
✓Breath-hold only: spearfishing may be practised in apnea alone. Scuba, rebreather and hookah are banned; the speargun may not be powered by a detonating charge or by compressed gas (DL 246/2000, art. 9.º n.º 3 — o antigo art. 6.º foi revogado).
✓The catch may NOT be sold: displaying for sale, offering or selling recreational catch is prohibited — it is for the fisher, the household, or donation to charitable, scientific or museum institutions (DL 246/2000, art. 7.º).
✓A loaded speargun out of the water is an offence (DL 246/2000, art. 14.º n.º 2 f). Same article: no fishing closer than the legally set distance from concessioned beaches during the bathing season (n.º 2 d), nor in places closed for health or marine-traffic reasons (n.º 2 e). The exact metres come from the regulation and the capitania — check before you go.
✓Distances between people: at least 20 m from another spearfisher (, art. 6.º n.º 3) unless you agree otherwise; from a boat, 50 m from other vessels, divers and set gear (art. 6.º n.º 2); every vessel must keep 50 m from your signalling buoy and from boats flying flag Alfa (art. 7.º n.º 6). The figure that circulates — «30 m between hunters» — is wrong: 30 m is the distance to YOUR OWN buoy.
✓What you may take into the water: the CAPTURE gear on a spearfishing dive is the speargun, a shellfish knife, a gaff (puxeiro) and an arrelhada (, art. 3.º n.º 3). That is not a ban on everything else: art. 4.º n.º 1 expressly allows equipment for cold protection, for buoyancy, for protection or safety and for carrying the catch, and any other equipment that does not permit the direct capture of specimens. Bait and groundbait are PROHIBITED in spearfishing (art. 5.º n.º 3). You may not carry or keep a speargun and a breathing apparatus aboard at the same time, nor carry the gun ready to fire out of the water or in a zone where spearfishing is banned (art. 3.º n.º 6). On any recreational-fishing boat the whole crew wears a lifejacket (art. 4.º n.º 3).
✓Where recreational fishing is closed altogether (, art. 8.º n.º 1): in marked shipyard zones (no exception) and in aquaculture establishments — in the LATTER only, fishing is possible when the concession-holder or owner formally authorises it; the shipyard bar has no such carve-out; within 100 m of the mouth of any marked sewage outfall; over beach-concession waters, to the extent the POOC sets; and in other zones closed by the port or maritime authority. For spearfishing and boat fishing specifically (n.º 2) the navigation channels of port and river bars, the approach channels and the buoyed channels are closed. There is NO «300 m from the beach» rule on the mainland — that number comes from Madeira's own act; on the mainland the distance is set by the POOC and by the capitania's edital.
✓The border rivers Minho and Guadiana: spearfishing is BANNED along both international stretches — bilateral Portugal-Spain agreements, art. 9.º n.º 3 (Minho, RAR 34/2023, in force since 26-05-2023) and art. 6.º n.º 1 (Guadiana, RAR 173/2025, in force since 07-12-2025), both reading «É proibida a pesca submarina». On the Guadiana it is also a serious offence (art. 19.º), and a 100 m strip alongside the Sapal de Castro Marim reserve is closed separately (art. 5.º). The stretches run from the confluence with the Trancoso / the Chança down to the closing line at each mouth.
✓On the other Portuguese-Spanish border river stretches (outside the TIRM and the Guadiana maritime-jurisdiction zone) — Decreto 30/88, art. 6.º n.º 1: harpoons, gigs, tridents and any blunt instrument used to take fish are prohibited (al. e), as is «a pesca ou caça subaquática» with artificial light, and night fishing (al. g).
Rules change. Before heading out, check with DGRM / ICNF / Capitania and the defeso table.
Praia da Galé
Reef shelf (Galé, Chiringuito)
Shallow reef shelf
More open fallback
Large 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.
Portugal
Spain