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Tonel, Portugal

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

Also within 20 km of Sagres

All 15 on Sagres's map

Watch this spot We email you when Tonel is worth the trip.

Strand Praia do Tonel 4
Tonel. Photo: Dronepicr, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Tonel

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

The spot faces SW (241°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (61°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 4–15 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 2). 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 February, its coldest month (3/2 wetsuit), and 20°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January and December, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Sagres, 0.6 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.

Water about 20°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 16 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. 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

  2. Getting there. 4 h 05 from the airport to Tonel, 328 km.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in SagresAd

    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 Sagres · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Sagres · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Tonel on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

Tonel 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

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct07 ft8 sslab620kJ19°C
Mon 19Oct415 ft7 shollow217kJ19°C
Tue 20Oct455 ft12 shollow529kJ18°C
Wed 21Oct354 ft10 shollow318kJ18°C
Thu 22Oct07 ft9 sslab786kJ17°C
Fri 23Oct07 ft10 sslab782kJ19°C
Sat 24Oct08 ft9 sslab1,004kJ17°C
Sun 25Oct06 ft9 sslab659kJ18°C
Mon 26Oct07 ft9 sslab716kJ18°C
Tue 27Oct326 ft10 sslab567kJ18°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

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to LIS, then 4h 05 by road. About 16h 35 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Tonel

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 5 ft at 12 s, wind 9 kn (17 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Ponta Ruiva

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 1 kn (3 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to LIS, then 4h 05 by road. About 16h 35 door to door

The plan picks the best of 7 spots near Sagres each day: Barranco, Beliche, Mareta, Martinhal, Ponta Ruiva, Praia do Telheiro, Tonel.

The trip from Sagres, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £890–£1,685 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 LIS, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£400–£830
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£75–£130
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£890–£1,685

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

Places to eat near Sagres

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

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.