Sesimbra, Portugal

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Setúbal (São Julião, Nossa Senhora da Anunciada e Santa Maria da Graça), 20 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS), 38 km.

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About Sesimbra

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

The spot faces S (177°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (357°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 38). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 15°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in July, its warmest (2 mm shorty). No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Setúbal (São Julião, Nossa Senhora da Anunciada e Santa Maria da Graça), 20 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS), 38 km.

Water about 18°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 13 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS), direct. About 4 flights a week that month.
See flights ORD → LIS · Skyscanner from about £400 returnAd
Getting there. 1 h from the airport to Sesimbra.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Setúbal (São Julião, Nossa Senhora da Anunciada e Santa Maria da Graça), 20 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS), 38 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Sesimbra · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Sesimbra · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Sesimbra on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

Sesimbra does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.

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

Forecast and score for expert surfers at Sesimbra, each day
Day	Scorefor Expert	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	25, too small	5 ft8 ssoft	242kJ	wind from the east, 5 knots	20°C
Mon 19Oct	13, too small	3 ft7 smushy	67kJ	wind from the north-east, 9 knots, offshore	19°C
Tue 20Oct	22, too small	4 ft12 scrumbling	412kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 7 knots, offshore	17°C
Wed 21Oct	19, too small	3 ft9 scrumbling	189kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 1 knot	20°C
Thu 22Oct	31, too small	5 ft9 ssoft	417kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 5 knots, offshore	18°C
Fri 23Oct	41, fair	6 ft10 ssoft	577kJ	wind from the north-west, 13 knots, offshore	20°C
Sat 24Oct	43, fair	6 ft9 ssoft	469kJ	wind from the north, 10 knots, offshore	18°C
Sun 25Oct	30, too small	4 ft9 scrumbling	288kJ	wind from the north, 7 knots, offshore	20°C
Mon 26Oct	40, fair	6 ft8 ssoft	395kJ	wind from the north-west, 4 knots, offshore	20°C
Tue 27Oct	25, too small	4 ft8 ssoft	217kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 5 knots, offshore	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 expert surfers. Change dates

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Direct flight ORD to LIS, then 1h by road. About 13h 30 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
Thu 22 Oct
Surf Sesimbra
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 5 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
Fri 23 Oct
Surf Sesimbra
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 6 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.
Sat 24 Oct
Surf Sesimbra
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 6 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Direct flight ORD to LIS, then 1h by road. About 13h 30 door to door

Rough cost

About £730–£1,420 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.

Rough cost per person for this trip
What	How we worked it out	Each
Flights	return ORD to LIS, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag	£400–£830
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Hire car	6 days, shared	£75–£130
Food	7 days eating out	£150–£280
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£70–£115
Total		£730–£1,420

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

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Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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