Contreiras

Porto Moniz · Madeira · Portugal

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Contreiras (wave height, swell, wind, tide and a 0–10 rating for every hour of the next 16 days) are only shown on SurfCams. They change every hour, so this text doesn’t contain them. To check today’s surf, open https://surf-cams.com/spot/contreiras.

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Contreiras, below the coast road between Ribeira da Janela and Seixal, is said to be the longest left on Madeira. Powerful walls break over a very shallow rock reef and turn into barrels on big winter swells. It is one of the most dangerous waves on the island. The Surf Atlas says it has broken boards and bones.

Level
Experts only
Break
Reef break, rock
Waves
Lefts
Crowd
Some company
Season
winter, autumn
Boards
A step-up or gun.

When it works

✓ A north to north-west swell of 2–4 m with a south to south-east wind.

When it doesn't

✕ Any strong wind spoils it, and small swells do not break properly.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • reef
  • currents

Best months

October, November, December, January, February, March

Local tips

Surfmarket advises never to surf it alone; go with a local. The lighter the wind, the better the wave.

Getting there

Not signposted, but easy to reach from the ER101, with parking spaces nearby.

Travel notes

How often it works
Unreliable: it needs a big north swell and light winds, from October to March.
Crowd and vibe
Usually 10–20 surfers or fewer; the barrels are rarely busy.
Camping and vans
The council-run Parque de Campismo do Porto Moniz sits in the Ribeira da Janela valley, about 100 m from the beach there, with showers, toilets, a laundry and a cooking area. It reopened in 2026 after several months of repairs; it is the only campsite on Madeira. Nearest campsite about 1.5 km away.
Facilities
None at the spot.
Water quality
No official bathing site is listed at the spot. Nearby Porto Moniz and Seixal were rated excellent in the EU bathing-water assessment (EEA data from APA and the regional government) for the last three seasons.

Ideal conditions

Swell
NW–N best, W–NNE works
Size
2.2–3.5 m offshore swell; starts at 1.8 m, holds to 4.5 m
Period
12 s minimum, best from 15 s
Wind
Offshore SSE–SW; handles onshore up to 10 km/h
Tide
mid best
Faces
NNE (20°)

Live cam

No cam at this spot yet: the forecast and the guide are on the map.

Nearby spots

All spots in Madeira · All spots

Sources