Praia da Cordoama.

Cordoama is a broad, cliff-framed beach break stretching roughly 2km along the wild west Algarve coastline north of Sagres. The sandy bottom throws up multiple peaks across the entire bay, ranging from forgiving shoulders on knee-to-head-high swells to fast, hollow and bowly walls when NW swells arrive with enough size and period. A mirador on the clifftop gives a commanding view of the full stretch before paddling out - worth using to identify the better-shaped peaks and spot the scattered submerged rocks hidden across the floor. On small summer swells in light SE winds the beach is genuinely accessible to most ability levels, but the picture changes sharply once swell height and period climb: the take-offs quicken, the lips thicken, and low tide closes the whole beach out with punishing dump sections that have no obvious escape route. North winds render it unrideable. Stormrider rates it highly consistent, and the sheer width of the beach means crowds are absorbed across the peaks rather than stacking on one spot. Castelejo, a stronger and more sheltered break, lies 1.2km to the south and is worth checking when Cordoama is too big or too blown out.