Overview
Praia da Salema is a long, sheltered stretch of sand on the Algarve, with average but genuinely fun peaks that suit beginners and improvers. A run of mediocre rights, lefts, and peaks breaks over a sandy bottom, leaving plenty of room to spread out along the beach.
When It Works
The beach draws swell from the southeast through south to northwest (SE-S-NW) and comes into its own in winter, with the best window from December to February. It works from 2.8 m / 9 ft to 3.8 m / 12 ft of swell, and because it picks up less than nearby Zavial, it stays more manageable when the coast is firing. Waves run anywhere from thigh high to head high, with peaks that offer both lefts and rights.
Wind and Tide
Salema is best at low to mid tide, and a rising tide is generally the better call. The cleanest conditions come with a north-northwest (NNW) offshore wind, and there is a workable wind window from northwest to north (NW-N).
Local Tips
This is an easy-going, quiet lineup with a fairly reserved feel, and it rarely gets crowded. It suits beginners and intermediates, and paddling out is easy when the surf is small. Almost any board works here, from shortboards and fish to funboards, longboards, SUPs, and bodyboards. Keep an eye out for rips when the swell is big.
Access
Salema is a good-sized resort village with car parks right at the beachfront.
