Today — sit it out.
Sources & confidence
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.
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.
Safety gates
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
Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.
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.
Leave your email — and the moment a window opens at Boca de Tomatlán, we'll send the go / no-go verdict. Email is all we need.
What's missing? Tell us what you'd like to see — new spots, species, data or features. We read everything.
Visibility and what drives it — post-storm clearing, river plume, temperature and the thermocline.
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: 3016 spots across 406 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.
See all spotsRelief and bottom type, tides, and the depths of each spot.
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.
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 mapCliff coves on the south side of the bay between Yelapa and Majahuitas, 6–15 m; a water taxi from Boca de Tomatlán is the only way in, there is no road. The pin lands on the Yelapa hillside, on land. Coords approx.
Google MapsRock-and-boulder shore between Quimixto and Las Ánimas, 4–18 m, boat only. The pin sits in the water just off the rocky point near Quimixto (GeoNames point); work the boulders along the shore. Coords approx.
Google MapsColomitos cove lies ~1 km west of the pin, which landed inside Boca de Tomatlán village. Reached on the coastal trail or by water taxi; rock and boulder, sheltered, 3–15 m. Coords approx.
Google MapsSOLO 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.
Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.
Spearfishing from Boca de Tomatlan is about reaching rocky coves by panga, not jumping from the village beach. The useful references are south of the bay: Yelapa/Majahuitas outside Los Arcos, Quimixto/Las Animas and Colomitos/Chico's reef. They are intermediate yellow-safety dives because of boat traffic, swimmers and exit planning. Carry the CONAPESCA/SADER permit, hunt on breath-hold only, and skip any reserve, coral area or unclear boundary.
Choose rock with clear pickup, low surface traffic and separation from Los Arcos and bathing areas. A quiet cove in the morning can become a snorkel stop later.
| Spot | Type | Depth | Level | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South coves (Yelapa/Majahuitas) | Rocky coves | 6-15 m | Intermediate; boat dive | Panga from Boca de Tomatlan | Useful rocky water outside Los Arcos. Check anchoring, panga traffic and pickup before entering. |
| Quimixto / Las Animas | Rock reef | 4-18 m | Intermediate | Boat access | Reef for cabrilla, reef fish, barracuda and grouper. Avoid active beach and tourist traffic. |
| Colomitos / Chico's reef | Shallow rock reef | 3-15 m | Intermediate in calm sea | Short boat run or walk plus checked entry | Close and tempting, but discard it when swimmers or snorkel groups are present. |
Go early, before panga traffic, beach use and snorkel stops build through the day. Low sea, workable visibility and moving water are the main checks. After rain or runoff, the Banderas Bay edge can dirty quickly and shallow rock becomes hard to read. The legal baseline is national: CONAPESCA/SADER permit, apnea only, one band or pneumatic speargun, five fish per day, and no shooting in reserves, ANP cores, coral areas or uncertain polygons.
Rules change. Before heading out, check with CONAPESCA/SADER (E5CINCO permit), CONANP (no-take marine ANPs) and NOM-059; apnea only.
Use the south coves such as Yelapa/Majahuitas, Quimixto/Las Animas and Colomitos, subject to reserve and swimmer checks.
This guide excludes Los Arcos. Avoid protected, snorkel-heavy and unclear water.
Usually yes. Boat support makes pickup, swimmer separation and site choice more realistic.
Yes. Use the individual CONAPESCA/SADER recreational-sport fishing permit.
No. Spearfishing is apnea only.
