Madalena do Mar

Ponta do Sol · Madeira · Portugal

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Madalena do Mar is a small village on the south-west coast, with a point break over reef and pebbles. The walls are fairly forgiving and run into an inside section that only gets hollow on big swells. It is the friendliest of the south-coast points. It suits upper-intermediate surfers.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Point break, cobbles
Waves
Rights
Crowd
Some company
Season
winter, autumn
Boards
A shortboard or fish.

When it works

✓ A west to south-west swell of 1.5–2.5 m with a north-east wind.

When it doesn't

✕ Small swells, and south-easterly winds blowing onshore.

Watch out for

  • rocks

Best months

October, November, December, January, February, March

Local tips

Wear booties for the pebbles and rocks. A good choice when the west-coast points are too heavy.

Getting there

Down the road from the ER101 to Madalena do Mar village, with parking along the seafront.

Travel notes

How often it works
Works with solid west to south-west swells in winter; small or flat in summer.
Crowd and vibe
The Surf Atlas describes a friendly crowd.
Camping and vans
Madeira has only one campsite, the council-run Parque de Campismo do Porto Moniz in the Ribeira da Janela valley on the north-west tip, which reopened in 2026 after repairs. Elsewhere camping is only allowed in licensed forest camping areas run by the IFCN, with a permit.
Facilities
Cafés in the village.
Water quality
Madalena do Mar was rated excellent in the EU bathing-water assessment (EEA data from APA and the regional government) for the last three seasons.

Ideal conditions

Swell
WSW–WNW best, SSW–NW works
Size
1.5–2.5 m offshore swell; starts at 1.2 m, holds to 3.5 m
Period
10 s minimum, best from 13 s
Wind
Offshore N–E; handles onshore up to 10 km/h
Tide
mid best
Faces
SW (215°)

Live cam

Cams © their operators, shown from the operator's own feed.

Nearby spots

All spots in Madeira · All spots

Sources