- Temperature
- Feels like
- Rain
- Wind
- Sea water
- Waves
- Updated
Sea water: 20.9°C, cooling sharply to around 18°C by Thursday
Waves: 2.4m
At 20.9 °C the water in Sagres is pleasant for swimming by Atlantic standards.
Sunrise: 07:03 · Sunset: 20:10 · Day length: 13h 7m
| Day | Sea water | Waves |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 28/08 | 20.9 °C | 2.4 m |
| Saturday 29/08 | 20.0 °C | 2.2 m |
| Sunday 30/08 | 19.4 °C | 1.5 m |
| Monday 31/08 | 19.0 °C | 1.9 m |
| Tuesday 01/09 | 18.2 °C | 1.9 m |
| Wednesday 02/09 | 17.3 °C | 1.7 m |
| Thursday 03/09 | 18.2 °C | 1.4 m |
| Month | Average water |
|---|---|
| January | 16.6 °C |
| February | 16.1 °C |
| March | 15.8 °C |
| April | 16.5 °C |
| May | 17.0 °C |
| June | 18.5 °C |
| July | 18.0 °C |
| August | 17.6 °C |
| September | 17.7 °C |
| October | 19.5 °C |
| November | 18.3 °C |
| December | 17.4 °C |
Monthly averages for 2022–2025.
This page shows the water temperature at Sagres 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.
Sagres stands on the southwestern corner of mainland Europe, beside Cabo de São Vicente, at the point where the south coast turns north into the open Atlantic. Two coastlines meet at the headland, so Mareta and Martinhal face south while Tonel and Beliche face west, and one pair is always out of the wind. Upwelling around the cape pulls cold water up to the surface, which holds the sea near 17.5 °C in August while beaches an hour east run two or three degrees warmer. The south-facing side usually feels the milder of the two.
The water is warmest in October, averaging 19.5 °C, and coldest in March at 15.8 °C. The Algarve peaks in late summer, well after the hottest weather on land, and September usually beats June comfortably.
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.
Surfing and windsurfing are what bring most people here, with Tonel and Beliche taking the Atlantic swell and the south coast offering calmer water for lessons. Boats run out along the cliffs to Cabo de São Vicente, and diving and fishing trips leave from the small harbour. For swimming, Mareta and Martinhal are the sheltered choice, and a wetsuit is sensible in any season.