Surf: This European point/reefbreak gem peels down a series of rocky shelves and outcrops into a small bay. Coxos is long, fast and hollow when it hits the slabs just right. Power is the key word as swells unload out of deep water. It can handle big waves if the swells are clean and from the NW. When all the conditions come together you will see why this is Portugal’s best wave. Environment: Entry and exit is tricky, getting caught inside is harrowing, the rips are brutal and urchins love the place as do the large local crew. Respect. Surf: General: Europe's best right, Coxos is the crown jewel of Portugal. The wave, which is like a reef/pointbreak, breaks along a shallow rock shelf into a very small bay. Swells muscle their way in from deep water just offshore and form into fast-moving symmetrical right walls that seem to concentrate all their power into the base of the wave rather than the lip, similar to many Hawaiian waves. There's no easy entry at Coxos. You've got to paddle like mad, get to your feet and start driving, otherwise you'll get sucked over and end up on the reef. Tides: Past low towards medium tides generally best. Size: Well overhead to 2-3x overhead. Wind: East (though the inside can handle a light onshore) Swell: NW to W swells. Bottom: Lava reef. Paddling: Definitely some work on the bigger and better days. Spot Rating: One of the best waves in the country when it is working. Access: Dirt parking lot on the side of the hill. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Definitely an issue -- with a fairly tight takeoff zone, serious punishment if you blow it and a tight-knit cadre of locals who known the spot very well, you'll be lucky to get waves. Local Vibe: While most Portuguese surfers are very nice, Coxos is their diamond, and they can get very protective. As always, humility and respect appreciated. Environment: Not bad. Hazards: Trying to get a wave. Season: Autumn and Winter.