Fajã Grande, Portugal
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About Fajã Grande
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces W (278°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (98°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits expert surfers. It works in 3–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 16). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 16°C in March, its coldest month (3/2 wetsuit), and 24°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). For expert surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and April, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Fajã Grande, 0 km away (about 5 min by car).
Water about 22°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 22 h 30 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. 4 h 30 from the airport to Fajã Grande.
Accommodation.
Stay in Fajã GrandeAd
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 Fajã Grande (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Fajã Grande 1 min by car · rooms from £60 a night · 11 places to stay · where Fajã Grande stays
Places to stay in Fajã Grande · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Fajã Grande · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Fajã Grande · GetYourGuideAd
Budget 
Mid-range 
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Where it is
Fajã Grande on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Fajã Grande 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
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 67, good | 11 ft11 scrumbling | 2,725kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 6 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 50, good | 7 ft9 scrumbling | 652kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 5 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 29, poor | 6 ft7 smushy | 299kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 33, too small | 6 ft8 scrumbling | 372kJ | wind from the south, 7 knots | 22°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 18, too small | 4 ft7 smushy | 147kJ | wind from the west, 6 knots | 23°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 18, too small | 4 ft7 shollow | 176kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 6 knots | 23°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 10, too small | 4 ft9 shollow | 203kJ | wind from the south-west, 9 knots | 22°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 3, too small | 4 ft7 smushy | 107kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 17 knots | 23°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 30, poor | 8 ft7 smushy | 523kJ | wind from the north-west, 10 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 57, good | 7 ft8 scrumbling | 642kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 18°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 OctTravel out
Fly ORD to HOR, changing at LIS, then 4h 30 by road. About 22h 30 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Fajã Grande
Best 18:00 to 21:00 local time: 6 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.
- Wed 21 OctSurf Fajã Grande
Best 12:00 to 15:00 local time: 6 ft at 8 s, wind 7 kn (12 km/h).
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly ORD to HOR, changing at LIS, then 4h 30 by road. About 22h 30 door to door
Rough cost
About £815–£1,525 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 |
| 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 | £815–£1,525 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Fajã Grande
- Restaurante MaresiaPortuguese · 0.5 km from the centre
- Barraca Q'abanaPortuguese · 0.3 km from the centre
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
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.