CapeVerdeIslands.org

En nog een WordPress site

  • Home
  • Travel & accomodations
    • Flights
    • Cape Verde holiday
    • Hostels
  • Islands
    • Location & islands
    • Sal
    • Boavista
    • Sao Vicente
    • Santiago
    • Fogo
    • Santo Antao
    • Maio
    • Sao Nicolau
    • Brava
  • About Cape Verde
    • Climate and weather
    • History
    • Travel information >
      • Practical information
      • Vaccinations
      • Currency and money
      • Transport Cape Verde
      • Visa
      • Embassies
      • Cape Verdean words
    • Culture
    • Food & drinks >
      • Restaurants
      • Local specialties
      • Special drinks Cape Verde
      • Grogue alcoholic beverage
    • Did you know…
    • Real estate
    • Travel reports
  • Activities
    • Places of interest
    • Activities per island
    • Water sports >
      • Surfing
      • Diving
      • Snorkelling
      • Fishing
    • Cape Verde with children
    • Best of…>
      • Top 5 beaches
      • 7 natural swimming pools
      • 7 natural wonders Cape Verde
      • 4 top hikes Santo Antao
      • 9 handy and beautiful Cape Verdean Creole words
  • Inspiration & Facts

Surfing Sal

Sal is a perfect place for board surfing, kite- and windsurfing. It is even one of the best surfing spots in the world. Therefore, the world championships windsurfing and kite surfing were held here. The pleasant climate, the lovely warm sea water, the constant northeast trade wind, the many surf spots and facilities make Sal a perfect place for every type of surfer. On this island of Cape Verde, there are plenty of surf spots for both beginners and more advanced surfers. This is because the waves vary by location and most beaches are sandy which makes them a good starting point. All along the southern coast there are surf schools where you can rent equipment or have instructions.

Best time to surf?

In the period between late December and March are the biggest waves on Sal. Depending on the swell in some places the waves may reach a size of 2 meters. You can mostly find them on the West Coast. These waves are a good challenge for the experienced surfers. For beginners or surfers who want to sport in a relaxed way the east coast is ideal. In June and October, the average wind force is 3 to 4 Beaufort (10-15 knots). In the months of November and December, it will rise to a gentle breeze, 5 Beaufort (16-21 knots). January to March are the months when you can expect the strongest winds. On average, the wind will be from 5 to 7 Beaufort (17-28 knots). Finally, in April and May, the average wind force is 5 Beaufort (17-28 knots). Do you want to know the actual wind force and the 7-day forecast on Sal? See the current forecast.windsurfing sal

Facilities

There are many rentals of surf boards, sails and other surfing gear at Sal. Especially in the area of Santa Maria (South Coast). Various lessons can be taken to learn to surf or improve the surfing technique. The sea temperature in Cape Verde is warm and a wetsuit is not really needed in the months of June to December. Then the sea temperature has an average of over 25 degrees Celsius. In the other months the sea temperature drops to an average of 23 degrees Celsius. A shortie wetsuit of 3mm will be fine. If you do not wear a wetsuit, take case of the sun radiation. Cape Verde is close to the equator and without protection you will soon have a sunburn.

Surf spots

Below we have briefly described some great surf spots on Sal. It is indicated whether these are suitable for beginners or for experienced surfers. Certainty there are many more undiscovered surf spots on Sal. If you miss a nice surfing spot in this list, please let us know.

East coast

  • Cabessa
    Location: east side of Sal
    Wind: generally onshore wind (wind comes to the island) or crosswind
    Difficulty: beginners
    Surf Spot: Cabessa is a small surfing spot where the wind is not so strong because the place is partially shielded by a mountain. The waves are easy and small.
  • Kite Beach (formerly Shark Bay)
    Location: east side of Sal
    Wind: generally onshore winds or crosswinds
    Difficulty: beginners and advanced
    Surf Spot: Kite beach was formerly known as Shark Bay. Contrary to what you might expect by this ancient name there are no sharks here. Kite Beach is both a place for beginners and advanced surfers and is very popular. At rising tide the waves are great. If it is low tide the waves are smaller at Kite beach, though it may be shallow in some places.
  • Serra Negra
    Location: east side of Sal, direction north
    Wind: generally onshore winds or crosswinds
    Difficulty: beginners and advanced
    Surf Spot: more to the northeast of Sal here are secluded beaches like Serra Negra. There are minimal / no facilities here, but it is a great place for surfers who like space. There is a greater chance to meet sharks here.kite surfing sal

South coast

  • Santa Maria
    Location: south coast of Sal
    Wind: cross wind and onshore wind at one end of the long beach. On the other side there mainly crosswind and onshore wind.
    Difficulty: good place for beginners
    Surf Spot: you can surf at one of the most beautiful beaches in Cape Verde at the tourist resort of Santa Maria. The beaches are wide and spacious, but there are many tourists. It is convenient that many surf facilities are close by. The waves at Santa Maria are relatively calm but there is a strong wind coming from the land.
  • Lembje
    Location: south coast of Sal
    Wind: crosswinds
    Difficulty: advanced
    Surf Spot: the water is relatively calm at the beaches of Lembje, but the strong wind on the beach and some rockets in the water can make it more difficult. You can also surf from the beach of Santa Maria to Lembje and this is also a much easier place to start from
  • Beach at Riu Hotel
    Location: south coast of Sal
    Wind: offshore wind
    Difficulty: advanced
    Surf Spot: the wind is often stronger than elsewhere on Sal and is generally offshore. It is also next to the famous Ponta Preta beach where the PWA world championships surfing are held. More experienced surfers and kite surfers can enjoy themselves on the small waves. For kitesurfers there is enough space to rig and launch the kite. The location is superb with sand dunes and some hotels.surfing sal

Westcoast

  • Ponta Preta
    Location: west coast of Sal
    Wind: offshore wind
    Difficulty: advanced
    Surf Spot: Ponta Preta is a world renowned surf spot and also one of the best places in the world to surf. Here are also regularly held the world championships. This surf spot  is often a challenge for advanced surfers. Besides great conditions, the environment is also brilliant. The short distance to the tourist town of Santa Maria makes it easy to watch surfing here or go surfing yourself (if experienced).
  • Ali Baba
    Location: west coast of Sal
    Wind: offshore wind
    Difficulty: advanced
    Surf Spot: this surf spot belongs with Ponta Preta to one of the best in Sal. You can expect big and long waves here and sometimes with high intensity. Ali Baba is a surf spot for advanced surfers, nut it is also a good place to watch windsurfers, surfers a kitesurfers.
  • Secret Spot
    Location: west coast of Sal
    Wind: offshore wind
    Difficulty: intermediate / advanced
    Surf Spot: The PWA surf championships are held at Ponta Preta. However, if surf conditions there are not good, the surfing circuit goes to the Secret Spot. Here the waves are regular it is safe surfing and not crowded.
  • Cural Joul
    Location: west coast of Sal
    Wind: offshore wind
    Difficulty: advanced
    Surf Spot: many surfers from Cural Joul start from the surf spots Fontana or Ali Baba. These places are more pleasant and safer to start from. Cural Joul is known for its high waves that can be frighteningly intense. A spot for experienced surfers. You can find most surfers only if the waves are smaller. This is also the first place where you can get the waves.
  • Fontona
    Location: west coast of Sal
    Wind: offshore wind
    Difficulty: intermediate / advanced
    Surf Spot: a convenient and safe starting point to explore other parts of the coast (e.g. Cural Joul). Especially for kite surfers since this is the only good place in the area of this particular bay to start easily your kite.
  • Canoa
    Location: west coast of Sal
    Wind: crosswindsDifficulty: advanced
    Surf Spot: a spot for experienced surfers. The surfers come to Canao to ride the bigger waves. The waves at this on the surf spot do easily break because they come from the side. In addition, here the wind is stronger than in other places. Canoa is relatively safe and has a small beach, a perfect location for more experienced surfers.
  • Monte Leo
    Location: west coast of Sal
    Wind: crosswind / variableDifficulty: beginners and advanced
    Surf Spot: Monte Leo offers great calm beaches, crystal clear water, flat surface water and is still an undiscovered paradise for surfers.
  • Caleheta Funda
    Location: west coast of Sal
    Wind: crosswind / variable
    Difficulty: beginners and advanced
    Surf Spot: This surf spot is visited frequently. However, it does offer very good waves. From the beach you can easily go to deeper water where the waves are. The wave intensity is high, so it  is a good place to jump for example during kiting.
All our favorite tips, information and hidden gems in Sal: Travel Guide Sal ►

Comments

  1. gary owston says

    28/12/2022 at 08:40

    Hi. Coming to Sal tomorrow, never been B4. Do I need a full or half wetsuit? Thanks

    Reply
    • CapeVerdeIslands.org says

      29/12/2022 at 13:52

      Hello,

      A short wetsuit is for most people fine in Januari / February (coldest months in terms of water temperature).

      Best regards,
      Team CapeVerdeIslands.org

      Reply
  2. James Crisp says

    31/12/2021 at 11:13

    Hi, what is the best place to rent a board for a week?

    Also, what is the best spot for 4-6ft intermediate beach break waves? I’ve heard Rife on the west coast is good?

    Thanks
    James

    Reply
    • CapeVerdeIslands.org says

      01/01/2022 at 14:10

      Hi James,

      We personally like Rife for wave sailing. This is an excellent spot. On the West coast you can get really good waves, but be aware of the swell (in case you are not that experienced).

      Best,
      Team CapeVerdeIslands.org

      Reply
  3. Freddy says

    27/10/2021 at 09:38

    Thanks for informative and good spot description.
    We will be visiting Sal in Dec/Jan and go kite surfing, Wind conditions are always give in “average” and here on your site your refer to beaufort. What I mean is that is you say wind speed is e.g. 3-4 beaufort on average and it does not tell me how much the wind is blowing during the day when we surf? For instance IF the wind would be 3 Beaufort also during the day it means not enough wind to kite (3 Beaufort = 3-5m/s…)
    Can you tell me what the typical wind speed is (not the average of 24h) during the day is, at end of December? Please use m/s or knots?

    Thanks in advance 🙂

    Reply
    • CapeVerdeIslands.org says

      27/10/2021 at 16:45

      Hello Freddy,

      The information you are searching for can be found on this page under the section “Best time to Surf”. Also the speed in knots – in average – you can expect is stated there ;-).

      Best,
      Team CapeVerdeIslands.org

      Reply
  4. Mira says

    12/09/2019 at 12:25

    Hi,
    what is the weather in July. I mean condtion for surfing. We want visit sal next Summer.
    Thank you Mira

    Reply
    • CapeVerdeIslands.org says

      14/09/2019 at 16:33

      Hello Mira,

      In the summer months the atmosphere changes. Expect an average wind force of around 3 to 4 Beaufort.

      Best,
      Team CapeVerdeIslands.org

      Reply
  5. Arian says

    12/04/2017 at 19:55

    What are the cost when we want to hire a kiteset for a day?

    Reply
    • CapeVerdeIslands.org says

      17/04/2017 at 09:35

      Hi Arian,

      If you are renting a kite set you can expect that it cost around 75 Euros for a single day. For two days it will be around 125 Euro. The price is an indication. Pricing depends on the island where you are, the rental period, time of year and the surf club where you rent the kite. Hope this helps. Enjoy your holiday!

      Best,
      Team CapeVerdeIslands.org

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

"Cape Verde one of the best
travel trips"
-National Geographic-
"Beaches and islands of Cape Verde
in top-10 best of the world"
-Lonely Planet-
"Cape Verde in world's top 10
ethical destination"
-EthicalTraveler.org-

Travel tips Cape Verde

Weather in Cape Verde
Location and islands
Cheapest flights
Practical information
Inspiration & Facts
FAQ

CapeVerdeIslands.org

About us
Deals and packages
Hire a travel consultant
Islas de Cabo Verde (Portuguese version)
Ilhas de Cabo Verde (Spanish version)
Kapverdische Inseln (German version)
Îles du Cap-Vert (French version)
Contact

Follow us!

We are passionate about Cape Verde, always looking for new discoveries. At CapeVerdeIslands.org we share unique places, interesting findings and must-know travel tips with you. Never miss an update. Follow us...
Facebook Capeverdeislands.org Pinterest Capeverdeislands.org

CapeVerdeIslands.org © 2015–2023, publisher Wildebeast Media (CoC 55725783) ·
Partners · Disclaimer · Privacy & cookies