Ilha de Tavira, Portugal
Also within 20 km of Tavira (Santa Maria e Santiago)
- Tavira Kite spot · 0.4 km from Tavira (Santa Maria e Santiago)
- Manta Rota Surf spot · 12.3 km from Tavira (Santa Maria e Santiago)
- Ilha da Fuzeta Surf spot · 12.5 km from Tavira (Santa Maria e Santiago)
- Praia de Altura Surf spot · 14.3 km from Tavira (Santa Maria e Santiago)
Watch this spot We email you when Ilha de Tavira is worth the trip.
About Ilha de Tavira
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SE (150°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (330°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–6 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.2 km out (1 in 123). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 16°C in January, its coldest month (3/2 wetsuit), and 22°C in July, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For beginners the best months are usually January, February, October and December, with about 2 good days in 7; in June, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Tavira (Santa Maria e Santiago), 3.1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 wind sports spot.
Water about 21°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 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Faro - Gago Coutinho International Airport (FAO), changing at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS). About 4 flights a week that month.
See flights ORD → FAO · Skyscanner from about £410 returnAdGetting there. 55 min from the airport to Ilha de Tavira.
Accommodation.
Stay in Tavira (Santa Maria e Santiago)Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Tavira (Santa Maria e Santiago) (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Tavira (Santa Maria e Santiago) 6 min by car · rooms from £60 a night · 65 places to stay · where Ilha de Tavira stays
Places to stay in Tavira (Santa Maria e Santiago) · Booking.com AdFuseta 22 min by car · rooms from £60 a night · 30 places to stay
Places to stay in Fuseta · Booking.com AdAltura 23 min by car · rooms from £60 a night · 30 places to stay
Places to stay in Altura · Booking.com AdVila Real de Santo António 36 min by car · rooms from £60 a night · 14 places to stay
Places to stay in Vila Real de Santo António · Booking.com AdOlhão 38 min by car · rooms from £60 a night · 63 places to stay
Places to stay in Olhão · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Tavira (Santa Maria e Santiago) · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Tavira (Santa Maria e Santiago) · GetYourGuideAd
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Ilha de Tavira on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 19Oct | 4, too small | 1 ft3 s | 0kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 5 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 2, too small | 1 ft2 s | 0kJ | offshorewind from the north, 1 knot, offshore | 22°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 2, too small | under 1 ft9 s | 2kJ | offshorewind from the north, 1 knot, offshore | 21°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 2, too small | 1 ft2 s | 0kJ | offshorewind from the north, 5 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 3, too small | 1 ft2 smushy | 0kJ | offshorewind from the north, 6 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 4, too small | 1 ft2 smushy | 1kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 2, too small | 1 ft3 smushy | 0kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 8 knots | 22°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 1, too small | under 1 ft2 s | 0kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 5 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 13, too small | 1 ft4 smushy | 4kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 2 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 28Oct | 0, poor | – | – | – | – |
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 Tue 20 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates
- Tue 20 OctTravel out
Fly ORD to FAO, changing at LIS, then 55 min by road. About 17h door to door
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Too small: under 1 ft at best.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
- Sun 25 OctRest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
- Mon 26 OctTravel home
Fly ORD to FAO, changing at LIS, then 55 min by road. About 17h door to door
The trip from Tavira (Santa Maria e Santiago), with every spot near it
Rough cost
About £900–£1,705 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to FAO, estimated from distance and season, changing at LIS, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £410–£850 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £75–£130 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £160–£265 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £150–£280 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £70–£115 |
| Total | £900–£1,705 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
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Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.