Surfing Monte Clérigo

This is an open beach break with lefts and rights over shifting sandbanks. The beach faces north-west, so it takes north-west and west swells head on and is rarely flat, even in summer. The best conditions come with east to south-east winds, which are most common in autumn and winter; the prevailing summer northerlies blow across the lineup and chop it up. Mid tide is the usual sweet spot. On small days the banks along the main beach suit beginners and improvers, ideally with a school.

As the swell grows the waves turn powerful and can get hollow, and the southern end near the village has patches of rock and reef under the water, so only surf there if you know it. Because the banks move often, rips and currents shift from day to day and can be strong. The crowd is generally light compared with Arrifana, a few kilometres south, which is the main reason many surfers choose it.

The beach faces north-west, which makes mornings the time to shoot: the sun rises behind the dunes and front-lights the waves. In summer the sun sets almost straight out to sea, so evenings give backlit spray and silhouettes rather than detail. The clifftops at both ends of the cove are the elevated angles; from the northern side, looking south-west, you can put the pastel houses of the village behind the lineup, lit from the side in the morning.

From the sand the peaks are close enough for 200–400 mm, while the cliffs need up to 500 mm. At low tide the rocks and pools at the southern end give low foreground for wide shots. Swimming with a housing is only for strong swimmers comfortable reading rips, because the currents here move with the banks. A clean morning peak with the village on the hill is the frame people remember.

From Aljezur take the road towards Arrifana and turn off following signs for Monte Clérigo; the drive is under 10 minutes, and around 1 h 30 min from Faro airport. A free car park sits behind the beach, with a timber boardwalk and steps to the sand, plus accessible parking and ramps. Facilities include restaurants, toilets, showers, a first-aid post and lifeguards in summer, when a seasonal surf school also operates. A coastal walk continues north to Praia da Amoreira.