Ponta Pequena

Calheta · Madeira · Portugal

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Ponta Pequena is a small point between Paul do Mar and Jardim do Mar, often called Jardim's little sister. It has a long, powerful right of about 200 m over rocks and boulders, with hollow, fast sections. Surfmarket says French surfers found it in the 1970s. Getting there is hard: by boat, or along a rough cliff path.

Level
Advanced
Break
Point break, rock
Waves
Rights
Crowd
Some company
Season
winter
Boards
A shortboard or step-up.

When it works

✓ A north to north-west swell of 2 m or more at low to mid tide, with a light north to north-east wind.

When it doesn't

✕ High tide and small swells; a west swell hits it head-on and can close it out over the rocks.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • rips
  • currents

Best months

November, December, January, February, March

Local tips

There is a channel inside the peak for paddling back out. Watch how the locals enter and exit over the rocks. The hill above Jardim do Mar gives a view over several of the nearby breaks.

Getting there

By hired boat from the harbour, or on foot along a cliff path over sharp rocks from Paul do Mar or Jardim do Mar.

Travel notes

How often it works
Breaks with solid north-west swells in winter. Wannasurf lists it as breaking only some of the time.
Crowd and vibe
Rarely crowded because of the hard access. Save The Waves says many locals moved here after the Jardim do Mar seawall changed that wave.
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
None at the point; cafés in Paul do Mar and Jardim do Mar.
Water quality
The nearby Paul do Mar harbour (Porto) and Jardim do Mar (Portinho) sites 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–N works
Size
2–3 m offshore swell; starts at 1.5 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
low, mid best, avoid high
Faces
SW (227°)

Live cam

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

Nearby spots

All spots in Madeira · All spots

Sources