Surfing Praia do Tonel

Tonel is a beach break with lefts and rights over sandbanks, with rocks scattered across the bottom and more of them near the cliff bases and in the shorebreak. The bay faces west, slightly south, and works on west to north-west swells, with west-south-west also fine. East and north-east winds are offshore; the usual north-west sea breeze tends to fill in by late morning, especially in summer.

Mid to mid-low tide is the usual window: at high tide the sand almost disappears and backwash gets strong, while dead low turns dumpy and some rocks break the surface. Small summer days suit improvers and school groups, but most of the year this is an intermediate wave, and in winter it can get hollow and hold big swells, well over head high, for experienced surfers only. The rock stack in the centre creates rips that locals use as a channel; if you don't know them, stay in sight of the lifeguards. Autumn to spring is prime time.

The beach faces west, so the morning sun comes from behind the cliffs at your back and lights the waves from the front, although the high cliffs can leave the sand in shade early on. By late afternoon the sun drops over the sea, which gives backlit spray, silhouettes and a sunset straight out from the beach. The clifftop by the access ramp above the beach is the obvious elevated angle over the peaks either side of the central rock, roughly 150–400 metres away, so 200–500 mm works well.

From the sand, 150–400 mm is enough. Keep well back from the cliff edges, which are high and prone to rockfall. The rock stack makes a strong frame: a surfer on a wave with the dark stack in the frame, or a wide shot with the fortress promontory to the south. Shooting from the water suits experienced swimmers who can read the rips around the rock.

Tonel sits just outside the centre of Sagres on the road towards the Fortaleza de Sagres, about 10 minutes on foot from town. There is a small car park by the beach and roadside parking, plus a larger car park at the fortress roughly 300 metres away. A wide ramp cut into the cliff leads down to the sand. In summer there is a beach bar, toilets, board rental and lifeguards, and surf schools from Sagres bring groups here.