Porto da Cruz – Alagoa

Machico · Madeira · Portugal

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Alagoa is a very small black-sand beach at Porto da Cruz, sheltered from big storms. Soft, shifting peaks break both ways, with the lefts usually the most regular. It is a good place for a first go at surfing. It is also sheltered from most winds.

Level
Beginners
Break
Beach break, sand
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Crowded
Season
winter, autumn, spring
Boards
A foam board or longboard.

When it works

✓ A small north to north-west swell under 1 m at low tide; it works in almost any wind.

When it doesn't

✕ Above about 1 m the waves close out across the whole beach.

Watch out for

  • crowds
  • rocks

Best months

October, November, December, January, February, March, April

Local tips

Experienced surfers should head to Maiata or other breaks nearby; this beach belongs to the schools.

Getting there

A five-minute walk from parking in Porto da Cruz village.

Travel notes

How often it works
Works on small north swells through the winter; it is protected from big storms.
Crowd and vibe
Packed with surf school students, especially at weekends.
Camping and vans
There is no campsite on this side of the island. The nearest licensed forest camping area is at Ponta de São Lourenço near Caniçal (permit needed).
Facilities
Surf schools, cafés and the village promenade.
Water quality
Alagoa was rated good in the last two EU bathing-water assessments and excellent before that (EEA data from APA and the regional government).

Ideal conditions

Swell
NNW–NNE best, WNW–ENE works
Size
0.5–0.9 m offshore swell; starts at 0.3 m, holds to 1.3 m
Period
7 s minimum, best from 10 s
Wind
Offshore S–W; handles onshore up to 20 km/h
Tide
low best, avoid high
Faces
NE (55°)

Live cam

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

Nearby spots

All spots in Madeira · All spots

Sources