Surf spot

Populo

Forecast conditions and map view for Populo in Azores, Eastern group. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: Azores, Eastern group
Coordinates: 37.7499, -25.6239

Metric
Metric	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00
Wave height (m)	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.9	0.9	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.6	0.6	0.5
Wave direction	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	ENE	ESE	ESE	ENE	ENE	E	E	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	SSE	ESE	ESE	S	E	E	S
Wave period (s)	7.5	7.6	7.1	7	6.8	6.8	6.7	6.5	6.5	6.5	6.3	6.3	6.1	6.3	6.2	5.9	5.7	5.8	6	5.3	7	7.3	7.4	7.5	7.4	7.4	7.4	6.7	5.3	4.8	4.8	5.4	5.4	5.2	5.2	5.3	5.3	5.3	5.3	5.3	5.2	5.2	5.2	5.2	5.1	5	4.8	5	5	7.8	6.2	6.3	8.6	5.5	5.6	8.4
Wave energy (kJ)	37	42	49	51	46	45	39	37	34	32	31	29	23	26	24	20	18	19	21	13	37	43	51	51	48	48	45	36	29	27	29	43	47	53	58	58	54	54	54	55	56	53	43	36	33	33	30	29	26	40	31	32	40	25	26	39
Wind speed (km/h)	4.2	3.3	2.1	1	2.9	1.9	1.3	1.6	1.6	2.1	1.3	2.1	4.2	4.7	6.6	6.1	5.9	7.4	8.9	12	12.5	16	17.9	18.6	17.3	16	19.6	19.9	20.6	20.6	18.5	13.1	13.9	12.5	16.6	15.6	15.5	19.5	16.1	11.1	9.5	6	6.2	5.8	11.5	8.9	7.1	7.3	5.6	6.1	5.1	4.1	4.7	5.4	2.3	2.2
Wind direction	ESEGlassy	SGlassy	WSWGlassy	NEGlassy	ENEGlassy	NNEGlassy	NEGlassy	SSWGlassy	SSEGlassy	ESEGlassy	NEGlassy	NNEGlassy	NNEGlassy	NNEGlassy	NNEOffshore	NECross-off	NECross-off	NECross-off	NNECross-off	NECross-off	NECross-off	NNEOffshore	NNEOffshore	NECross-off	NECross-off	NECross-off	NECross-off	NECross-off	NECross-off	NECross-off	NECross-off	ENECross-off	NECross-off	NECross-off	NECross-off	NECross-off	ENECross-off	NECross-off	NECross-off	NECross-off	ENECross-off	ENECross-off	NECross-off	ENECross-off	ENECross-off	ENECross	ENECross	ENECross-off	ENECross-off	ECross	ECross	ESEGlassy	EGlassy	SECross-on	SSEGlassy	EGlassy

Populo (Pópulo), Azores — Eastern group (São Miguel)

Populo is a well-known, accessible surf spot on the south coast of São Miguel in the Azores, near Ponta Delgada. It’s an exposed Atlantic beachbreak that can produce fun, hollow waves when the swell lines up, making it a popular option for locals and visitors alike.

Wave type

Beachbreak
Can form peaky lefts and rights
Best on a solid, clean groundswell with favorable sandbanks

Best conditions

Swell: Works on north and northwest swells, with some west swell depending on size and direction
Wind: Best with light offshore or light variable winds; strong onshore winds can quickly mess it up
Tide: Often works best around mid tide, though this can change with sand movement

Skill level

Generally intermediate
Can be friendlier on smaller days, but bigger surf can get powerful and punchy

Hazards

Rips and strong currents can develop
Heavy shorebreak on larger swells
Shifting sandbanks mean conditions can change fast
Crowds are possible, especially when the surf is good

Atmosphere

Easy access from town
Popular with the local surf community
Good choice if you want a spot close to Ponta Delgada without a long drive

Overall

Populo is a convenient, reliable urban beachbreak with plenty of potential when the Atlantic delivers. It’s not the most protected or forgiving wave, but when conditions line up, it can offer short, punchy sessions close to the city.