- Temperature
- Feels like
- Rain
- Wind
- Sea water
- Waves
- Updated
Sea water: 20.6°C, cooling sharply to around 18°C by Thursday
Waves: 2.4m
At 20.6 °C the water in Arrifana is pleasant for swimming by Atlantic standards.
Sunrise: 07:02 · Sunset: 20:10 · Day length: 13h 8m
| Day | Sea water | Waves |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 28/08 | 20.6 °C | 2.4 m |
| Saturday 29/08 | 20.3 °C | 2.1 m |
| Sunday 30/08 | 20.1 °C | 1.4 m |
| Monday 31/08 | 19.6 °C | 1.9 m |
| Tuesday 01/09 | 18.4 °C | 1.8 m |
| Wednesday 02/09 | 16.8 °C | 1.6 m |
| Thursday 03/09 | 17.8 °C | 1.2 m |
| Month | Average water |
|---|---|
| January | 16.1 °C |
| February | 15.6 °C |
| March | 15.5 °C |
| April | 16.1 °C |
| May | 16.5 °C |
| June | 18.1 °C |
| July | 17.6 °C |
| August | 17.2 °C |
| September | 17.1 °C |
| October | 18.8 °C |
| November | 17.7 °C |
| December | 16.5 °C |
Monthly averages for 2022–2025.
This page shows the water temperature at Arrifana today and over the next seven days, so you can pick the best beach day before you go.
Sea temperature moves much more slowly than air temperature. A hot afternoon does not warm the ocean, and a windy day can cool it fast. Checking the water itself is the only reliable way to know what to expect.
Arrifana is a west-facing bay in the Aljezur municipality, set under high cliffs with a small fishing harbour tucked into one corner. The headland takes some of the edge off the swell, but the bay is still open to the Atlantic and to the summer northerly, so upwelling holds the water around 17 °C in August. Winter is not much colder here than summer, and a wetsuit makes sense in any season.
The water is warmest in October, averaging 18.8 °C, and coldest in March at 15.5 °C. On the Alentejo and Vicentina coast the sea behaves like the west coast, with summer upwelling keeping the water cool even in August, so the warmest readings arrive in early autumn once the nortada eases. River-mouth beaches such as Milfontes and Odeceixe run a few degrees warmer than the open ocean.
The ocean gains and loses heat far more slowly than land, so it runs months behind the seasons. On top of that, the summer northerly wind pushes surface water offshore and draws cold deep water up in its place, which is why a heatwave on land so often coincides with a colder sea.
Arrifana is a surf spot first, with consistent Atlantic swell wrapping into the bay and schools running lessons on the beach through the summer. The small fishing harbour at the northern end sends out boats along the cliffs, and the headland above gives the view that makes the postcard. Swimming is fine on calmer days, though the water is cold enough that most people keep a wetsuit on.