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Faja da Areia, Portugal

Stay in São Vicente: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of São Vicente

All 13 on São Vicente's map

Watch this spot We email you when Faja da Areia is worth the trip.

About Faja da Areia

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces N (358°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (178°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 10). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 18°C in March, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 24°C in September, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually June and July, with about 3 good days in 7; in February and March, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is São Vicente, 2.3 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.

Water about 23°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 17 h 50 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to FNC, changing at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS). About 4 flights a week that month.

    See flights ORD → FNC · Skyscanner from about £385 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 50 min from the airport to Faja da Areia.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in São VicenteAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in São Vicente · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in São Vicente · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Faja da Areia on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct346 ft6 shollow222kJ16°C
Mon 19Oct528 ft8 shollow731kJ15°C
Tue 20Oct446 ft8 shollow380kJ16°C
Wed 21Oct153 ft6 shollow67kJ16°C
Thu 22Oct395 ft9 shollow404kJ18°C
Fri 23Oct406 ft9 shollow525kJ16°C
Sat 24Oct396 ft9 shollow465kJ16°C
Sun 25Oct365 ft9 shollow426kJ17°C
Mon 26Oct334 ft10 shollow308kJ18°C
Tue 27Oct274 ft10 shollow315kJ17°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to FNC, changing at LIS, then 50 min by road. About 17h 50 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Faja da Areia

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 6 ft at 8 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Ponta Delgada

    Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 6 ft at 9 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Ponta Delgada

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 6 ft at 9 s, wind 5 kn (10 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Ponta Delgada

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 6 ft at 9 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to FNC, changing at LIS, then 50 min by road. About 17h 50 door to door

The plan picks the best of 3 spots near São Vicente each day: Faja da Areia, Ponta Delgada, São Vicente.

The trip from São Vicente, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £845–£1,610 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to FNC, estimated from distance and season, changing at LIS, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£385–£805
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£45–£80
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£160–£265
Food7 days eating out£150–£280
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£70–£115
Total£845–£1,610

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.