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.
point your camera
0 m
Surface
Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.
spearo.app
calmupdated 11:45
Vila Nova de Milfontes — solo, off the rocks
DON'T GO
don't go · wave 1.2 m (occasionally up to ~2.4 m)
wave 1.2 m head-onwind 25, gusts 40 km/hsurge pounding the rocksvisibility ~1 m
today, best window 12:00–15:00
fish · Visibility 1 m · Water 18.3°C
confidence medium · 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 · today2026-09-09
07:11–19:52 · new moon
▲ 01:00▼ 07:00▲ 14:00▼ 20:00 · 2.8 m
Hours (06→20)
06
09
12
15
18
Day's trends
Tide-0.42 m
Wave1.64 m
Wind17 km/h
Water18 °C
fish activity: moonrise 05:08 · moderate · moon overhead 12:10 · high · moonset 19:01 · moderate · moon underfoot 00:00 · high
Conditions window12:00–15:00
don't go fish ·
Hs 1.20 m · roughperiod 5.6 s head-onwind 25→40surge 3viz 1 m
1.20 mrough · up to ~2.40 · 301° head-on
5.6 sswell moderate
25→40gusts 40 km/h
3pounding the rocks
0.28m/s
1 mrecent swell
18.3°C5 mm + hood
▲14:00tide turn near
Atmosphere34 kmlandmarks visible
highmoon overhead
wave 1.2 m (occasionally up to ~2.4 m)
steep wind-wave — choppy surface, careful on entry
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.
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: 1391 spots across 205 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.
Praia das Furnas (sea side)Mira river mouth / sea side · Praia das Furnas (lado mar)
dangerous
⛔ Banned here
exposed head-on to the swell today
window
Early morning in summer, before the crowds and the wind; the beach is packed in high season.
tide
Neap tides and slack water — strictly avoid spring ebb/flood when the river-mouth current peaks.
shelter
The rock furnas (caves) at the cliff base give local wind shelter; the river side is calmer, but the sea side is open to the west.
conditions
Only in flat conditions and small swell, on the ebb, when sandy pockets open between the rocks; any fresh swell makes the mouth dangerous.
hazard
Strong tidal currents on both the river and sea sides of the mouth (documented) are the dominant danger — risk of being swept into the channel. Bathing beach and the river-mouth navigation channel — spearfishing is prohibited.
access
South bank of the Mira via the bridge from Milfontes; parking and boardwalks to the beach, entry off sand/rocks by the caves.
More a landmark and fallback flat-sea snorkel than a hunting zone: river mouth = ban plus currents. Read the tide phase from land first.
Early morning before the daytime nortada builds; season late spring to early autumn.
tide
Best at low/incoming tide — the reef labyrinth is exposed and the entry is shorter; at high water the shorebreak hits the rocks.
shelter
Small cove at the cliff base, partly shielded from N wind by the headland and the rock arch at the south end; no shelter from clean W/SW swell.
conditions
In a small-swell window (below roughly 1–1.5 m) with a moderate N/NE wind, typically summer. On this exposed Atlantic shore it is only diveable when the sea is flat.
hazard
Shorebreak over the reef and rock arch on exit is the dominant danger — as swell builds you can get pinned on the rocks. The Klemens wreck adds entanglement/snag points. Treated-wastewater outfall at the north end.
access
Dirt road south of Milfontes to a clifftop car park, then a path/scramble down to the small beach by the arch. Rock entry.
The most reef-like entry in the area — sargo/cuttlefish in the rocks; all inside the SW Alentejo Natural Park, where spearfishing restrictions apply.
Praia do Malhão (south) — GalésMalhão south end / Galés rocks · Praia do Malhão (sul) — Galés
dangerous
exposed head-on to the swell today
window
Early summer morning in dead-calm conditions; do not enter outside that window.
tide
Low/incoming tide to expose the Galés rocks and shorten the swim across the exposed front.
shelter
The south section of Malhão is sheltered from S wind and gets less direct NW swell than the main beach; the Galés rock spur breaks the wave front.
conditions
A rare window: only in a long flat spell with small swell and light nortada. It is primarily a powerful surf beach — not freedive-able most of the year.
hazard
Exposed surf beach: heavy shorebreak and rip currents along the Galés rocks — a real risk of being swept offshore. No lifeguard at the south end, rock entry into breaking surf.
access
Dirt road from Brunheiras / N390 to the Malhão car parks, then a dune path to the south end and the Galés rocks.
The Galés rocks hold fish, but this is known heavy surf — scout from land only, enter solely in a rare dead-calm.
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.
point your camera
≈
Surfacing
Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.
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 · Vila Nova de Milfontes
Spearfishing in Vila Nova de Milfontes: spots, seasons and rules
Updated 2026-07-09 · By Oleksandr, spearfisher
Spearfishing in Vila Nova de Milfontes is not about the beach by the river; it is about choosing the one reef entry that avoids the Mira mouth. Praia do Patacho is the main candidate, with reef, a rock arch and the Klemens wreck creating structure for seabream, cuttlefish and reef fish. Furnas sits in the river-mouth current and navigation context, while Malhao/Gales is marked red/scout on an exposed surf beach. If Patacho is not clean and small, skip Milfontes for the day.
TL;DR
Vila Nova de Milfontes is ruled by the Mira river mouth: scenic, but with tidal current and water that can turn dirty fast.
Praia do Patacho is the defensible hunting entry, thanks to reef structure and the Klemens wreck, but only in small swell.
Furnas is a river-mouth and channel reference, not a spearfishing recommendation; Malhao/Gales is red/scout surf coast.
Best spearfishing entry in Vila Nova de Milfontes
Only Patacho belongs in the hunting table. Furnas is a river-mouth warning and Malhao/Gales is too exposed and red/scout for a best-spots list.
Spot
Type
Depth
Level
Access
Notes
Praia do Patacho
Reef, rock arch and Klemens wreck area
Shallow to moderate reef maze; wreck structure requires care
Intermediate to advanced
Dirt road south of Milfontes to the clifftop parking, then a trail down to the small beach by the arch.
Needs small swell, roughly below 1 to 1.5 m, and a readable exit. Shorebreak on the reef and snag points around the Klemens are the main hazards.
Conditions and season essentials
Patacho is a late spring to early autumn, early-morning option before the nortada builds. Low or rising tide exposes the reef maze and shortens the entry; high water pushes shorebreak onto the rocks. A treated-water discharge is noted at the north end, so check the water, not just the forecast. Furnas is not the fallback: the Mira mouth has strong tidal current, and spearfishing is prohibited in the channel. National rules apply: licence from age 16, apnea only, daylight only, Alfa buoy within 30 m, and minimum sizes such as sea bass 36 cm and octopus 750 g.
✓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).
Portugal
Spain