Paul do Mar

Calheta · Madeira · Portugal

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Paul do Mar is a fishing village on a strip of flat land below the cliffs of Madeira's west coast, with a long, fast right breaking over rocks along the shore. On a good north swell the sections link up into long walls with hollow parts. It handles big swells and hits hard. A seawall built in 2003 now causes backwash at high tide.

Level
Advanced
Break
Point break, rock
Waves
Rights
Crowd
Some company
Season
winter, autumn
Boards
A shortboard on normal days and a step-up when it gets big.

When it works

✓ A north to north-west swell of 1.5–3 m with a light north-east wind.

When it doesn't

✕ A west swell splits it into separate peaks, and wind bending around the cliffs often makes it choppy.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • rips
  • currents

Best months

October, November, December, January, February, March

Local tips

Watch how local surfers get in and out over the rocks before you paddle out. Above 2 m it is for experienced surfers only, and never surf it alone.

Getting there

The village is reached by road down from the ER101 or along the coast road from Jardim do Mar. The wave breaks next to the coast road, with parking in the village.

Travel notes

How often it works
Regular in winter when north-west swells run, but fickle: a wannasurf visitor waited three weeks for it to line up, because wind wrapping round the cliffs often spoils it.
Crowd and vibe
Usually 10–20 surfers or fewer. Respect the local surfers, who know the rocks and currents.
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 and a small harbour in the village; no surf services on the shore.
Water quality
The bathing site at Paul do Mar's harbour (Porto) and nearby Ribeira das Galinhas 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
WNW–N best, W–NNE works
Size
1.8–3 m offshore swell; starts at 1.2 m, holds to 4.5 m
Period
11 s minimum, best from 14 s
Wind
Offshore NNE–E; handles onshore up to 10 km/h
Tide
mid best
Faces
WSW (238°)

Live cams

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

In the guides

Nearby spots

All spots in Madeira · All spots

Sources