Madeira surf is year-round quality in a land where the volcanos have produced some seriously good point breaks. Check out this full guide for more info…
An introduction to Madeira surf
Madeira might not get the same plaudits as mainland Portugal when it comes to the surf, but this island isn’t to be overlooked. The bean-shaped speck in the mid-Atlantic actually offers some fantastic quality. It’s a place that’s forged by volcanos and tectonic movements, with a coastline of soaring cliffs and jagged rock buttresses. The Atlantic flows all around. Where it meets the land, it’s sort of the perfect combo for epic point breaks, which we’d say are the number one attraction here for wave seekers.
Although the Madeiran archipelago actually consists of four smaller island chains, the real action is shared between the main two: Madeira and Porto Santo. Of those two, Madeira itself steals the show. There’s surf on both the west, north, and south coasts, with the former being the best of the bunch. That’s the home of epic rights (now competition-pedigree rights) like Jardim de Mar.
It’s not all good news. Given the outrageous topography of this land, simply reaching the Madeira surf can be a chore. This island also doesn’t lend itself so well to beginner surfers, although there are one or two places where you might find a snad-bottomed break to practice on.
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This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in Portugal
Madeira surf at a glance
The good:
- World-class right-hand point breaks
- Year-round surf
- Stunning setting
The bad:
- Breaks are often hard to get to
- Lacks beginner options
What’s in this guide to Madeira?
Where is Madeira?
Location is key when you come to think about the surfing in Madeira. The island is bathed on all sides by the Atlantic. It’s about 500 miles from the mainland of Portugal at its nearest point (which just so happens to be the surf town of Sagres) and the nearest other place are actually the Spanish Canaries, which are 300 miles to the south. If all that says one thing, it should say “swell”. NW-SW compass directions are all picked up here with ease.
Getting to and around Madeira
The vast majority of travelers (AKA – anyone who’s not on a cruise ship) will enter Madeira via the air. The main and really the only airport here is the Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport in Funchal. We have literally NO IDEA who it’s named after but it’s where all the main flights arrive. There’s a solitary US link heading there on Azores Airlines from JFK. The rest come in from Europe, from where there’s actually a decent selection, including plenty of low-cost flights on budget carriers like Ryanair and easyJet.
We’d rent a car in the airport and then head straight out from there. Most of the surf breaks here are on the opposite side of the island to the city of Funchal. The drive is about an hour to the main breaks of Jardim do Mar, where the best surf really begins. Alternatively, you can book onto a planned surf camp who usually do pick ups at the airport.
A guide to Madeira surf spots
Part of the fun of surfing in Madeira is in touring the coast roads and the cliffs on the hunt for new breaks that might (or might not) be rideable. There are still lots of those left. However, there are some key spots that have made it onto the mainstay itinerary for surfers here, spread mainly across big Madeira island, with one or two on Porto Santo to boot. Check them out below…
Lugar de Baixo
Lugar de Baixo hoovers up the crowds because it’s the nearest of all the Madeiran breaks to central Funchal. It’s not bad at all – a quick right hander that rifles into a barrel when its just about high tide and just after. However, it’s the crowds that keep us away. Watching is fun, though.
Madalena do Mar
Our pick of all the intermediate waves on offer in Madeira. This one’s a reef break with hefty, forgiving walls of water that move slowly into the inside section and rarely hollow out. They are actually great to rip up and practice bottom turns and lip turns on. The crowd is also quite friendly, despite the relative closeness to Funchal.
Jardim do Mar
Jardim do Mar is the star of the Madeira surf scene. This right hander forms right in front of the harbor of the uber-cute fishing town of the same name. The place looks a little like Mundaka, which is cool. Entry to the break is now made easy thanks to a concrete jetty, but it’s still uber-wet and hard to cross. Jump in and start the paddle to the take-off point, which is a few duck dives out. The wave breaks right and can offer pretty long rides of 50m+ that lick around the headland. It holds really well on bigger swells and is a tantalizingly sectiony break with hollow and wally sections alike.
We’ve got a complete guide to surfing in Jardim do Mar right here
Ponta Pequena
Ponta Pequena hides between the cliffs on the western side of Madeira island, neatly midway from Jardim do Mar to Paul do Mar. Getting here is the trick. Some hire a boat from the nearby harbor. Others walk it, but the cliff trail is a gnarly beast with spiky rocks. If you make the break is real nice. It’s a right hander off a point and there’s rarely a big crowd. The wave will peel inwards and the boils will sort of draw a line where you can go and then paddle back through in the channel.
Paul do Mar
A rocky seabed right next to a squiggling coast road helps to create a sort of point break here, although it’s a little sloppy and breaks more like a beachy. Either way, the wave improves in quality after the drop in if you can make it up onto the high right shoulder, which varies between being cuttable and hollow depending on the size.
Ponta do Pargo
With the full force of the NW and W swells hitting this far western end of the island, did you expect anything less than a gnarly gun wave. XXL, it can hold triple overheads and thwacks right with huge walls of water. It’s not easy to reach and it’s super dangerous if you get caught on the inside.
Achadas da Cruz
The remote village of Achadas da Cruz is a north coast gem that occupies a headland where the offshores are easterlies. That’s great news on medium swells, when the duo of rights here work at their best. The finest of the two is a short but fast right with a steep drop in and the potential to hollow out. Local usually have this one wired.
Ribeira da Janela
Kudos to this wave. A corker and a rare left on among the right-heavy Madeira surf, it’s long and challenging with very interesting sections that get hollow and fat alike. The peak likes to froth a little, so wait a little to the left of the center and you should find the drop easier.
Seixal
This is a great-fun break that curls into a open rock bay on the north side of the island, using the breakwater to create regular lefts. Usually not too busy and with jetty waves that suit lower intermediate levels on smaller swells, we think it’s one worth remembering.
Contreiras
A really shallow rock reef that’s got some very cool barrels on huge winter swells, Contreiras isn’t for the faint hearted and has broken boards and bones in its time. If you dare then the reward will be pretty nice barrels and a fast pocket that reminds us a little of a European Uluwatu.
Fajã da Areia
Fajã da Areia is a sad story of construction trumps surf. Sorry, but this once-epic wave (a contender for one of the best XL breaks in Europe, no less) is now just a shadow of it’s former self, needing massive storm swells to really get going. The culprit? A new jetty project that all but ruined the party. Thanks guys. Tamed, though, now it is, there are still waves here with options for all levels.
Porto Santo – a whole other island!
Porto Santo is the second most populous island in the Madeira chain. We think it looks way more like the Canaries, what with its dusty mountaintops and beige-sand beaches. There’s some great surf here, too, although the main scene is sun-soaked holidaying. Beginners are right at home on Cabeço Beach. It gets well-protected waves over a sandy bottom.
Where to stay when surfing in Madeira?
Madeira is packed to bursting with fine hotels. In fact, the island has a rep for being one of Europe’s top R&R destinations, so you won’t be hungry for great places to bed down after a session.
Madeira Surf Camp
Madeira Surf Camp is the number one surf camp on the whole island. It’s actually one of the very few options that’s dedicated entirely to wavecraft, so we can’t recommend it enough if you want inside info on spots and conditions. The hotel is also downright lovely, done out like a Portuguese posada with deck spaces that overlook the mountains. You can pick from private doubles or twins.
Madeira Surf Lodge
Not to be confused with the Madeira Surf Camp listed above, the Madeira Surf Lodge makes its home in São Vicente, close to the more beginner-friendly waves of the north shore. It’s one of the best options for those learning to surf, since lessons can be organized right on site and the instructors are – in our experience – pretty fantastic. Rooms are homey and cozy and you’ll be surrounded by lush laurel forests the whole stay. Definitely one worth checking out this!
Pestana Churchill Bay
Treat yourself to a bit of luxury at this four-star hotel on gorgeous Churchill Bay. Access to the south-coast breaks is pretty easy from here, and you can cruise all the way to the west too. Returning, you can look forward to a gorgeous pool framed by high volcanic cliffs and modern rooms with big, plush beds.
Surf camps in Madeira
Want a full-on surf experience in Madeira? The good news is that the island has enough waves and spots to nurture a couple of great camps. We love:
- 8 Day Authentic MSL Surf Camp in Calheta – This eight-day package is run by Madeira Surfing Life (MSL for short), a well-rated surf and lifestyle brand that has a deep knowledge of the island. It includes accommodation for seven nights and six surf lesson sessions. It includes six lessons over eight days in all
- 8 Day Unforgettable Surf Camp in Porto da Cruz – More suited to beginners, this surf camp out of Porto da Cruz includes transfers to the beach every day, experienced instructors, and a good mix of surf spots to meet the specific demands of the surfer.
Step-by-step guide to planning your Madeira surf trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the Madeira surf…We use Skyscanner and only Skyscanner for this. The reason? We’ve always found it the best site for comparing deals from basically ALL airlines and somehow seems to offer deals that beat going direct.
Step two: Book your surf lodge. There’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check how close EXACTLY that hotel is to particular breaks. Or Book Surf Camps, which is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages.
Step three: Book surf lessons and other activities For advance booking, you can use GetYourGuide or Viator. To be fair, though, we usually just leave this until we’re there – it’s easy to book in person in most surf destinations.
When to surf in Madeira?
Winter is the best time to surf in Madeira. December and January in particular get the full brunt of the strongest NW swells that really fire up the best right-hand point breaks on the island, especially Jardim do Mar. However, the surf season actually runs from September to March, and we’ve scored great waves even outside of that time. Summer has smaller groundswells and can see spots like Madalena do Mar and Porto Santo lend themselves to the beginner crowd, although we’s probably stick to mainland portugal for learning. No need for wetsuits in hotter months (March-October). Bring a 2mm or 3/2 max for the winter. Booties can be a gift for getting in and out of Madeira’s predominantly rocky bays.
Surf rental in Madeira
It’s not as easy getting surf rentals in Madeira as it is getting them on mainland Portugal. But it’s still not hard. Madeira Surf Center is the go-to option on the north coast. Their affiliated with the Madeira Surf Lodge and serve the main beaches below the cliffs around São Vicente. Orlando Pereira has a surf schools near the peelers of Jardim do Mar, but we’re not certain that they offer simple rentals – you might have to book a proper lesson.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
6 comments
Hi there,
I am going to spend around 2 months this year (October & November) on either Tenerife or Madeira. Which island is better spot for beginner surfer at that time? Thanks a lot and best rgds!
Hey – I think we messaged you on insta in the end with info. Just in case – we’d totally recommended Tenerife over Madeira as a beginner. Madeira tends to be rockier point breaks and can get big as winter approaches. Tenerife has more sheltered spots and better surf camp options.
heading to Madeira in February. I am a 68 year old long boarder. any suggestions on where to go and where to rent a long board
Hey – we have to say Madeira isn’t a great option for longboarding, especially not on the bigger winter swells. We’d probably say that Cabeço Beach (stunning Cabeço Beach!) is your best bet, but that means heading over to Porto Santo. For rentals, head to the Madeira Surf Center in Sao Vincente.
Hi ,
Great info info here on the waves specifically. What’s the likely chances of decent waves and some size in May ? Is it risky to get quality and size on the later of the shoulder season ? And are winds harder to get right ?
Thanks
Madeira can be big in May, no doubt. We’ve seen it overhead that time. You will probably have fewer days of proper strong Atlantic W and NW though. Wind is a strange one on the island. North and south get different conditions. Around Ponta do Pargo and the surf spots out west, it’s actually NE dominant in summer, which is offshore. You’ll just want to watch out for those very hot and occasional Leste winds off the Sahara. All in all, we probably wouldn’t hesitate going in May for a surf, so long as you don’t mind risking some flat days and doing some stuff out of the water.