Surf spot guide · Madeira, Portugal
Rarely surfed expert right at Madeira's westernmost tip, accessible only by boat or a near-vertical cliff descent.
High Waves
Large waves up to 2.7m expected at Ponta do Pargo. Peak conditions around 7:00 PM.
Exercise extreme caution when entering the water. Strong currents and large waves present. Warning valid until 9:00 PM.
Ponta do Pargo is a right-hander peeling off the westernmost tip of Madeira across a boulder bottom, producing fast, thick walls with barrel sections when a solid NW swell wraps around the headland. The wave can hold swells well above 6m and gains a second gear on the outside bommie, which detonates in bigger pulses and pushes the critical takeoff even higher. Walls are steep and the speed is unrelenting - riders need to generate immediately or the section closes out. The point is well-covered at low to mid tide, with boils and upwellings from the boulder shelf adding unpredictability to already-demanding conditions. First surfed by a small group of Portuguese surfers - To Gama, Tiago Oliveira, and Miguel Fortes among them - the spot has remained rarely surfed since its debut. Access defines the experience: a treacherous cliff trail exists but is difficult to locate and requires extreme effort to climb after a surf. The practical, standard way in is by boat, leaving from Porto Moniz, Calheta or Paul do Mar.
You’re seeing the next 3 days. A free account opens all 14, which is the difference between checking tomorrow and planning a trip.
Almost never surfed. When it breaks, you are likely to have the wave entirely to yourself. The access barrier alone filters out all but the most committed surfers.
Remote, raw, consequential
Madeira
Unsurfed Madeira boulder right, accessible only by boat, breaking hollow and fast over a shallow boulder bottom on big NW swells.
Madeira
Rarely ridden expert point near Paul do Mar producing freight-train barrels over boulders on big W-NW swells.
Madeira
Two remote righthand boulder points on Madeira's northwest cliff coast, fast and punchy, best on a moderate N-NW swell with easterly winds.
+9 MORE →Come in by boat from Porto Moniz, Calheta or Paul do Mar, as climbing the cliff trail after a session is close to impossible
Check the break from the lighthouse above before committing to entry
Wait for solid NW swell of at least 3m for the point to show its full length
Never surf alone given the remote access and shark activity
Easterly wind is offshore and usable - one of few Madeira spots not blown out by E wind
HAZARDS · KNOW BEFORE YOU PADDLE
Reached mainly by boat out of Porto Moniz, Calheta or Paul do Mar. A cliff trail exists but is extremely difficult to find and nearly impossible to climb back after surfing. No parking, facilities, or road access to the break itself.
Open in MapsThis spot typically requires a boat.
