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

Berlengas · Portugal
5.3
wave 0.9 m head-on
visibility3m

Today — right on the edge — wave, wind and surge pounding.

Sources: IPMA · NDBC · Copernicus — high confidence · data 01:35

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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0 m

Surface

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

spearo.app
calmupdated 01:35
Berlengas — solo, off the rocks
BORDERLINE
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site · wind 13 km/h
wave 0.9 m head-onwind 13 km/hsurge pounding the rocksvisibility ~4 m
today, best window 06:00–09:00
fish · Visibility 4 m · Water 21.8°C
confidence high · verdict for the selected day
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
06:30–20:58 · first quarter
▼ 04:00▲ 10:00▼ 17:00▲ 23:00 · 1.1 m
Hours (06→20)
06
09
12
15
18
Day's trends
Tide0.13 m
Wave0.92 m
Wind12 km/h
Water22 °C
fish activity: moonset 01:11 · moderate · moon underfoot 08:40 · high · moonrise 16:25 · moderate · moon overhead 21:00 · high
Conditions window06:00–09:00
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site fish ·
Hs 0.90 mperiod 5.8 s head-onwind 13→19surge 2.1viz 3 m
0.90 mup to ~1.80 · 342° head-on
5.8 sswell moderate
13→19gusts 19 km/h
2.1pounding the rocks
0.25m/s
3 mrecent swell
21.8°C5 mm + hood
▲10:00tide rising
Atmosphere27 kmlandmarks visible
highmoon underfoot
  • wind 13 km/h
  • cross sea from several directions
  • flood — water rising
confidence hightwilight
Open the seafloor map with entry points

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

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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
−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
Fort of São João Baptista — rocky covesFort causeway / south coves · Forte de São João Baptista — rocky coves
closed
in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind
window
May-September season. Early morning quieter — by day the causeway fills with foot traffic to the fort/hostel. 5 mm wetsuit.
tide
Mid-to-high water best: at low tide the causeway rocks dry out and entry/exit gets sharp. The tiny Praia Cova do Sonho nearly vanishes at high tide.
shelter
Coves by the fort causeway on the south side — shielded from NW by the island, but open to S and SW swell, which enters unobstructed.
hazard
Entry over sharp granite by the causeway — cuts and a battering on exit if swell builds. Spearfishing is BANNED (reserve).
access
On foot from the island along the causeway to the Fort of São João Baptista, entering the rocky coves beside it. Ferry in from Peniche first.

The fort's rocky coves are the island's second main snorkel area after the beach. Snorkel/freedive only, taking any species is forbidden.

Google Maps
Carreiro do Mosteiro BeachHarbour cove / boat pier · Praia do Carreiro do Mosteiro
closed
best candidate for today
in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind
window
May-September; ferries from Peniche run only in season. Mornings before the day-boats land the crowds. Water rarely above 18°C — 5 mm wetsuit.
tide
Tide not critical — deep cove by the pier; more water over the entry reef at high tide.
shelter
SE-facing cove, sheltered from the prevailing NW swell and wind by the island itself. The only sandy entry on Berlenga.
hazard
The real danger is boat traffic: the cove is the ferry and tour-boat pier. Stay close to shore, dive flag/buoy essential. Spearfishing is BANNED here (marine reserve).
access
Straight off the beach by the pier, right where the Peniche ferry lands (~30-50 min). Sandy entry, no rocks.

Snorkel / discovery-freedive only: all of Berlenga is a Nature Reserve, hunting banned everywhere. The entry reef holds wrasse, moray eels and sea bass.

Google Maps
Gruta Azul / Furado Grande — north cliffsNW cliffs / sea caves
closed
exposed head-on to the swell today
window
High summer in a rare window only. Never solo: tunnels and caves demand a buddy and safety, no breath-hold inside alone.
tide
Slack water in flat calm; on any building swell the cave mouths become a trap, tide won't save you. Current timing is critical.
shelter
Almost no shelter: the open NW side of the island, full in the Atlantic swell and NW wind. No lee here.
hazard
Entrapment in a tunnel/cave as swell builds is the dominant lethal danger; plus impact on granite and tour-boat traffic at the Gruta Azul. Spearfishing is BANNED.
access
No shore access — the north side drops sheer. Realistically boat/kayak from the island only. Scout from the water in calm before entering.

Scout from the water in flat calm. The famous cave zone (Gruta Azul, Furado Grande tunnel, Carreiro dos Cações, Ponta da França) is beautiful but expert terrain, not solo.

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.

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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
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 · Berlengas

Spearfishing in Berlengas: spots, seasons and rules

Updated 2026-07-09 · By Oleksandr, spearfisher

Spearfishing in the Berlengas must start with legality. The archipelago is the Berlengas Nature Reserve, a UNESCO marine reserve with no-take zones and restricted spearfishing. The main island entries are flagged as protected water, so do not frame Carreiro do Mosteiro, the fort coves or the cave zone as hunting spots. Use them only for non-take freediving where allowed, and verify current boundaries before leaving Peniche.

TL;DR

  • Berlengas is a reserve-first article: do not treat it as a list of hunting spots.
  • The archipelago has no-take protection and restricted spearfishing; check ICNF, DGRM and the harbour authority before carrying a gun.
  • Carreiro do Mosteiro and the fort coves are water references for freediving or snorkel, not capture recommendations.

Berlengas water entries that are not hunting spots

This is not a best-spots list for shooting fish. It is a legality-first reference for protected water on Berlenga Grande. The red/scout cave zone is intentionally excluded.

SpotTypeDepthLevelAccessNotes
Praia do Carreiro do MosteiroHarbour cove and sandy entryDeep cove beside the pierEasy non-take freedive, boat awareness requiredBoat from Peniche, entry beside the landing beachSheltered from NW swell by the island, but busy with ferries and tour boats. Do not use it as a spearfishing spot.
Fort of São João Baptista covesGranite coves by the causewayShallow to mid rocksIntermediate non-take freediveWalk from the island to the fort causeway, then enter from the rocksClear, scenic water for observing fish. South or SW swell makes the sharp-rock exit unsafe.

What matters most before diving Berlengas?

Law and exposure. The Berlengas are protected reserve waters, with total-protection areas and restricted spearfishing. Boat access from Peniche only works in settled seas. Carreiro is the sheltered SE-facing entry; the fort coves are also lee-side in NW swell. The NW cave coast has almost no shelter and carries cave, surge and tour-boat risk. A flagged buoy is still essential for any freedive.

FAQ

Is spearfishing allowed in the Berlengas?

Do not assume it is. The reserve has no-take areas and restricted spearfishing; verify current rules with ICNF, DGRM and the harbour authority.

Is Carreiro do Mosteiro a spearfishing spot?

No. Treat it as a protected harbour-cove reference for snorkel or non-take freediving, with heavy boat traffic.

Why is the cave zone not listed?

Gruta Azul and Furado Grande are red/scout terrain with cave entrapment, surge and boat risks.

When is the water best?

Usually in the May to September boat season during calm weather, especially on the lee side of the island.

Which Portugal rules still apply?

License from age 16, breath-hold only, daylight only, flagged buoy within 30 m, minimum sizes and daily catch limits.

Sources

Region: Centre

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