Ribeira da Janela – Madona

Porto Moniz · Madeira · Portugal

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Ribeira da Janela – Madona (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/ribeira-da-janela.

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Ribeira da Janela, called Madona by local surfers, is a long, powerful left over rocky reef on the north coast near Porto Moniz. It is a rare left on an island of rights. The take-off is steep and fast, and the wave can run for hundreds of metres with walls and hollow sections. It breaks close to big rocks, and getting in and out is dangerous.

Level
Experts only
Break
Point break, reef
Waves
Lefts
Crowd
Some company
Season
winter, autumn
Boards
A shortboard or step-up.

When it works

✓ A north-north-west swell of 2–3 m from mid to high tide, with a south to south-west wind.

When it doesn't

✕ Low tide, when the rocks come into play, and north-east trade winds.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • reef
  • localism
  • currents

Best months

October, November, December, January, February, March

Local tips

The peak can be foamy; The Surf Atlas suggests paddling slightly left of centre for an easier drop. It is hard to find, so surfmarket suggests going with a local guide or instructor.

Getting there

Off the coast road east of Porto Moniz, near the Ribeira da Janela valley. The spot is not signposted.

Travel notes

How often it works
Breaks only once in a while, with solid north-west swells in autumn and winter.
Crowd and vibe
Usually 10–20 surfers when it is on. Surfmarket says the locals are calm if you show respect; wannasurf lists localism.
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 km away.
Facilities
None at the spot; Porto Moniz village is a few minutes away.
Water quality
No official bathing site is listed at the spot. Porto Moniz nearby 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
NW–N best, WNW–NNE works
Size
2–3.2 m offshore swell; starts at 1.6 m, holds to 4.5 m
Period
11 s minimum, best from 14 s
Wind
Offshore SSE–SW; handles onshore up to 10 km/h
Tide
mid, high best, avoid low
Faces
NNE (25°)

Live cam

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

In the guides

Nearby spots

All spots in Madeira · All spots

Sources