Baixa da Viola

Ribeira Grande · Azores · Portugal

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Baixa da Viola (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/sao-miguel-baixa-da-viola.

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Baixa da Viola, also called Pico da Viola, is a big-wave reef off São Miguel's north coast. Swells come out of deep water onto a shallow rock reef and jump up into steep, powerful walls. The lefts are usually the better side, with hollow sections. Surfmarket says it can reach about 6 m and is sometimes surfed with tow-in.

Level
Experts only
Break
Reef break, reef
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Quiet
Season
winter
Boards
Big-wave guns, or tow boards on the biggest days.

When it works

✓ A large, long-period north to north-west swell with a south wind.

When it doesn't

✕ Anything small, and any north wind.

Watch out for

  • reef
  • rocks
  • rips
  • currents

Best months

November, December, January, February, March

Local tips

Only for big-wave surfers with safety support, proper equipment and local knowledge. Never surf it alone.

Getting there

From the coast road near Lomba da Maia, then about 5 minutes on foot to the cliff above the reef.

Travel notes

How often it works
Needs a big winter North Atlantic swell to wake up.
Crowd and vibe
Usually empty; a small group of local and visiting big-wave surfers watch for the right winter swells.
Camping and vans
We found no listed campsite close to this spot; ask the tourist office in Ponta Delgada or the parish council (junta de freguesia) about camping parks before you go.
Facilities
None.
Water quality
No monitored bathing water at the reef. The nearby Calhetas da Maia site was rated excellent in 2025 and 2024 (EEA data from the Azores regional government).

Ideal conditions

Swell
NW–N best, WNW–NNE works
Size
4–6 m offshore swell; starts at 3 m, holds to 8 m
Period
13 s minimum, best from 16 s
Wind
Offshore SSE–SSW; handles onshore up to 10 km/h
Tide
mid best
Faces
N (350°)

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 Azores · All spots

Sources