Jardim do Mar
Jardim do Mar is a powerful right-hand point break over boulders, below the village on its fajã. It works best with a north-west swell and an easterly, offshore wind, and on big days the faces reach six metres and more. It is an expert wave.
The best window is short: roughly the hour and a half before low tide, when there is enough water to get in and out. A concrete sea wall built along the village in the 2000s changed the way the swell bends around the point, made the inside section shallower and the wave more dangerous; many local surfers now ride Ponta Pequena, another right-hand point nearby.
- swell season
- Oct–Mar
- peak of the north-west swells
- Dec–Jan
- wave faces on the biggest days
- 6 m+
Paul do Mar and Ponta Pequena
Paul do Mar, five minutes away through the tunnel, has a right-hander that breaks along the harbour walls. The village hosted part of the 2001 world surfing championships. On smaller days it can be more forgiving than Jardim do Mar, but the walls and rocks make it a place for experienced surfers.
Ponta Pequena, between the two villages, is where many locals go when Jardim do Mar is crowded or too shallow. Respect the local crews: these are small villages and the line-ups are theirs first.
Season, water and gear
- Season: the swell is most consistent from October to March. Summer is usually flat on this coast.
- Wind: easterly (offshore) winds clean the waves up; the north-east trade winds that keep Calheta sunny often help.
- Water: about 18 °C in late winter and 24 °C in September. A 3/2 mm wetsuit covers the winter, a shorty or boardshorts the late summer.
- Boots: you enter and leave over boulders and concrete, so reef boots help.
- Boards: bring a step-up for the big days; broken boards are part of life here.
Learning to surf? These are not beginner waves. Ask a surf school on the island which beach suits the day. Sea temperatures for every month are in the weather guide.
Watching the waves
The promenade at Jardim do Mar is the best grandstand on the coast, and on a big winter afternoon the light and the spray are spectacular. Stay behind the sea wall when sets are breaking. Afterwards, eat in Paul do Mar (where to eat) or drive up to Ponta do Pargo for the sunset (sunset spots).