A Lanzada (extremo norte)Sanxenxo
borderlinein the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind (city-level)
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Large W-facing beach; classic sea-bass ground, only with a low swell and light wind.
Google MapsSanxenxo spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras
5.4
wave 0.4 m head-on
visibility5m
Today — right on the edge — wave, wind and visibility.
Sources: IPMA · NDBC · Copernicus — high confidence · data 14:38
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
Surface
Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.
spearo.app
calmupdated 14:38
Sanxenxo — solo, off the rocks
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site · wind 12 km/h
wave 0.4 m head-onwind 12, gusts 26 km/hvisibility ~7 mwindow 12:00–21:00
today, best window 18:00–21:00
fish · Visibility 7 m · Water 20.9°C
confidence low · 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.
Wednesday · today2026-07-22
07:18–22:05 · first quarter
▼ 04:00▲ 10:00▼ 17:00▲ 23:00 · 1.4 m
Hours (06→20)
12
15
18
Day's trends
Tide0.23 m
Wave0.36 m
Wind3 km/h
Water21 °C
fish activity: moonset 01:33 · moderate · moon underfoot 09:00 · high · moonrise 16:28 · moderate · moon overhead 21:10 · high
Conditions window12:00–15:00
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site fish
Hs 0.38 mperiod 4.9 s head-onwind 12→24surge 0.2viz 4 m
0.38 mup to ~0.76 · 324° head-on
4.9 sswell moderate
12→24gusts 24 km/h
0.2weak surge
0.22m/s
4 mrecent swell
20.3°C5 mm + hood
▼17:00tide falling
Atmosphere32 kmovercast
lowoff the lunar peaks
- wind 12 km/h
- northerly wind picks up after midday
- ebb — weaker inshore
confidence lowday
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 spotsThe 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
Cabo UdraSanxenxo
borderlinein the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind (city-level)
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Protected rocky cape on the Ría de Pontevedra; rock with boulders and kelp, bream and ballan wrasse; respect the protected zone.
Google MapsPraia de MontalvoSanxenxo
borderlinein the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind (city-level)
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Sand with rock at both ends; easy entry, semi-sheltered from the W.
Google MapsPunta FaxildaSanxenxo
borderlinein the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind (city-level)
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Rocky point between Montalvo and A Lanzada; drop-offs to the SW, sea bream and ballan wrasse, exposed to swell.
Google MapsRoquedo de Portonovo (Cabicastro)Sanxenxo
borderlinein the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind (city-level)
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Mixed bottom sheltered inside the ría; good for beginners.
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.
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».
Reference
What's in season,
what the law says.
Minimum sizes by caladero (in the table below). Season depends on the species and place.
In season now
- European seabass
- gilthead seabream
- salema / saupe⚠️ Do NOT eat the head/guts (ichthyosarcotoxism).
- bogue
- black seabream
- grey mullet
- red porgy
- striped red mullet
- common octopusTalla por PESO: mín. 1 kg (RD 560/1995, todos los anexos). No coger hembras con huevos.
- European conger
- pollackTalla operativa 42 cm; máx. 2 ejemplares/día (medida recreativa anual de la UE, Reg. 2025/202). ⚠️ Atlantic: recreational CLOSED 1 Jan–30 Apr (catch-and-release).
Law
- ✓Spearfishing licence mandatory; the AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY issues it (not the State) and it is valid in the exterior waters of the whole coast. Free-diving only — scuba is banned (, art. 3).
- ✓Spearfishing catch may not be sold or traded — it is non-commercial fishing ().
- ✓Night prohibited: spearfishing only in daylight (sunset to sunrise not allowed) — , art. 16.d.
- ✓Marker buoy MANDATORY: mark your position with a clearly visible buoy and stay within 25 m of it — , art. 15.
- ✓Never keep the speargun loaded out of the water — , art. 16.a.
- ✓Keep at least 300 m from professional fishing vessels that are working — , art. 12.b.
- ✓Spearfishing banned in marine reserves/protected zones (without a special permit), in ports and at busy beaches/bathing areas. The exact distance to bathing zones is set by the autonomous community.
- ✓Min. sizes by ( + + EU 2019/1241): sea bass 42 cm (rec.) / 36 cm / 25 cm Mediterranean / 22 cm Canaries; gilthead bream 20 cm and white seabream 23 cm in the Mediterranean (EU 2019/1241); grouper 45 cm. See your zone's species card.
- ✓Only species in Annex I of may be taken; keeping, landing or transporting undersized specimens is prohibited.
- ✓The licence needs a medical fitness certificate for free-diving and civil-liability insurance (or a federative licence, which includes it). Mandatory in the Basque Country/Murcia/Asturias/Galicia; the federative licence covers it in Galicia/Balearics/Cantabria; the Canaries and Andalusia do NOT require it for the individual licence (a responsible health declaration). Minimum age generally 16 (14 in Andalusia).
- ✓There is no fixed national catch cap (, art. 5 delegates it to the communities); the standard is 5 kg/person/day, with 1 specimen allowed not to count (Canaries art. 38.3; Murcia; Galicia; Basque Country). Protected species have per-piece quotas.
- ✓Galicia: «Clase C» licence (submarina), procedure PE405A on the Xunta portal; minimum age 16, medical certificate required. Galicia recognises spearfishing licences from other communities and the EU. sede.xunta.gal (PE405A).
- ✓No-take zone: Atlantic Islands National Park (Cíes, Ons, Sálvora, Cortegada) — spearfishing banned (see zones on the map).
- ⛔ Seahorses (Hippocampus) — protected (RPE).
Rules change and are REGIONAL. Before heading out, check with the competent autonomous community (licence) and the min-size table in force.
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. On a rocky/boulder shore a 0.5 m rise in swell can make the exit impossible — getting pinned/unable to climb out is the main killer.
- Headland rip: prominent points often have 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.
- Afternoon wind: on many coasts the wind builds from midday — plan to be out of the water by midday; 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.
Spearfishing in Sanxenxo: spots, seasons and rules
Spearfishing in Sanxenxo sits between exposed beach ground and Ría de Pontevedra shelter. Punta Faxilda and A Lanzada depend on SW or W exposure, swell and light wind; Montalvo has sand, rock at both ends and easy entry; Portonovo/Cabicastro is sheltered and good for starting out. Ons is not a fallback spot: it is in the Atlantic Islands National Park, where spearfishing is banned. For legal entry, Galicia uses PE405A.
TL;DR
- Sanxenxo mixes open beaches and Ría de Pontevedra shelter: A Lanzada and Punta Faxilda face W or SW, while Portonovo is sheltered.
- Roquedo de Portonovo (Cabicastro) is the beginner ground; Praia de Montalvo has easy entry and partial W shelter.
- Ons is Atlantic Islands National Park no-take; Punta Faxilda and Cabo Udra carry Natura 2000 advisory notes.
Where can you spearfish in Sanxenxo?
Separate open beach from ría shelter. Punta Faxilda has SW drop-offs, bream and ballan wrasse, but takes swell. Montalvo is sand with rock at both ends and easy entry. A Lanzada is W-facing, only for low swell and light wind. Portonovo/Cabicastro is sheltered mixed bottom and good for starting out. Cabo Udra is protected rocky cape with boulders, kelp, bream and ballan wrasse.
| Spot | Type | Depth | Level | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punta Faxilda | Rocky point between Montalvo and A Lanzada | SW drop-offs | - | - | Bream and ballan wrasse in the source, but exposed to swell. Also flagged as Natura 2000 advisory in Complexo Ons - O Grove. |
| Praia de Montalvo | Sand with rock at both ends | Rock at the beach ends | - | Easy entry | Semi-sheltered from the W. The source states easy entry, not a safety score. |
| A Lanzada (extremo norte) | Large W-facing beach | Shore break and nearby rock | - | - | Classic sea bass ground, only with low swell and light wind. |
| Roquedo de Portonovo (Cabicastro) | Mixed bottom inside the ría | Sheltered mixed bottom | Beginner ground | - | The source marks it sheltered inside the ría and good for starting out. |
| Cabo Udra | Protected rocky cape | Rock with boulders and kelp | - | - | Bream and ballan wrasse in the description. Respect the protected zone; the source flags Natura 2000 advisory, not automatic no-take. |
Can you spearfish near Ons island?
The Galicia legal block is hard on the Atlantic Islands National Park: Cíes, Ons, Sálvora and Cortegada are closed to spearfishing. Do not present Ons as a Sanxenxo spot. Punta Faxilda in Complexo Ons - O Grove and Cabo Udra carry Natura 2000 advisory notes. Check local rules and boundaries; those notes are not automatic bans outside the park.
What fish can you spearfish in Sanxenxo?
The Sanxenxo spots name bream, ballan wrasse and sea bass. The Cantabrian-NW list also includes European seabass, gilthead seabream, salema, bogue, black seabream, grey mullet, red porgy, striped red mullet, octopus, conger and pollack. Legal sizes include seabass at 42 cm, gilthead bream at 19 cm and octopus at 1 kg.
When is the best time to spearfish in the Ría de Pontevedra?
The source gives no month window for Sanxenxo. It gives Atlantic tide regime, upwelling coast and a bad SW to W sector. Use that as a sea-state filter: A Lanzada and Punta Faxilda need little sea, Montalvo has partial W shelter, and Portonovo/Cabicastro is sheltered. The Silgar webcam reads surface conditions, not underwater visibility.
Do I need a license to spearfish in Galicia?
Yes. The Galicia item says Clase C spearfishing licence, PE405A on the Xunta portal, minimum age 16 and a required medical certificate. Galicia recognises spearfishing licences from other Spanish autonomous communities and the EU. National rules still apply: freediving only, no scuba, daylight only, visible buoy within 25 m, no loaded speargun out of water, and no catch sale.
FAQ
Where can you spearfish in Sanxenxo?
The source lists Punta Faxilda, Praia de Montalvo, A Lanzada north end, Roquedo de Portonovo/Cabicastro and Cabo Udra. Portonovo is sheltered beginner ground. Faxilda and A Lanzada need little sea.
Can you spearfish near Ons island?
Ons is inside the Atlantic Islands National Park, closed to spearfishing in the source. Check charts and local rules near those limits. Natura 2000 advisory notes are not whole-area bans.
What fish can you spearfish in Sanxenxo?
The spot text names bream, ballan wrasse and sea bass. The Cantabrian-NW list also includes gilthead bream, salema, black seabream, grey mullet, red porgy, red mullet, octopus, conger and pollack.
When is the best time to spearfish in the Ría de Pontevedra?
The source gives no month window for Sanxenxo. It marks Atlantic upwelling coast and poor SW to W exposure. Use little sea for Faxilda and A Lanzada.
Do I need a license to spearfish in Galicia?
Yes. Galicia uses the Clase C spearfishing licence through Xunta PE405A, with minimum age 16 and a medical certificate. The rule is regional.
Sources
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