Ponta Dos Capelinhos, Portugal
Also within 20 km of Capelo
- Praia do Norte Surf spot · 3.9 km from Capelo
Watch this spot We email you when Ponta Dos Capelinhos is worth the trip.
About Ponta Dos Capelinhos
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces W (271°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (91°). 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 very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 3). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hard and thick, like a slab. The sea is about 16°C in March, its coldest month (3/2 wetsuit), and 24°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually August, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Capelo, 3.9 km away (about 10 min by car).
Water about 21°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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From Chicago: about 18 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to HOR, changing at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS). About 4 flights a week that month.
See flights ORD → HOR · Skyscanner from about £325 returnAdGetting there. 35 min from the airport to Ponta Dos Capelinhos.
Accommodation.
Stay in CapeloAd
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 Capelo (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Capelo 7 min by car · rooms from £60 a night · 2 places to stay · where Ponta Dos Capelinhos stays
Places to stay in Capelo · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Capelo · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Capelo · GetYourGuideAd
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Where it is
Ponta Dos Capelinhos on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Ponta Dos Capelinhos does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 0, too big | 7 ft12 sslab | 1,235kJ | wind from the north-east, 2 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 0, too big | 7 ft9 sslab | 885kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 4 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 44, fair | 3 ft9 shollow | 153kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 13 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 0, too big | 6 ft8 sslab | 399kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 2 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 34, poor | 5 ft8 shollow | 258kJ | wind from the north-west, 6 knots | 21°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 51, good | 4 ft7 shollow | 177kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 3 knots | 20°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 35, poor | 4 ft9 shollow | 226kJ | wind from the south-west, 10 knots | 21°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 19, too small | 3 ft8 shollow | 96kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 8 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 13, poor | 4 ft6 smushy | 103kJ | wind from the south-west, 20 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 16, poor | 5 ft7 shollow | 188kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 12 knots | 20°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 intermediate surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly ORD to HOR, changing at LIS, then 35 min by road. About 18h 35 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Ponta Dos Capelinhos
Best 12:00 to 15:00 local time: 3 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
- Thu 22 OctSurf Praia do Norte
Best 18:00 to 21:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, wind 6 kn (11 km/h).
- Fri 23 OctSurf Ponta Dos Capelinhos
Best 12:00 to 15:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).
- Sat 24 OctSurf Praia do Norte
Best 18:00 to 21:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, wind 10 kn (18 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly ORD to HOR, changing at LIS, then 35 min by road. About 18h 35 door to door
The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Capelo each day: Ponta Dos Capelinhos, Praia do Norte.
Rough cost
About £765–£1,435 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 HOR, estimated from distance and season, changing at LIS, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £325–£670 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | £25–£40 |
| 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 | £765–£1,435 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
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