Photo: Mauro Soares · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Praia do Matadeiro
A small, cliff-framed cove in the far south of the island, reached on foot in about fifteen minutes from Armação. What makes Matadeiro worth the walk is its swell window: it wants E/NE swell with S/SW wind, which is the opposite of what Joaquina, Praia Mole and Moçambique want. That makes it a genuine alternative rather than a lesser version of the same day — when the island's east-coast breaks are onshore and ragged, Matadeiro is often the clean option. It is friendly at modest size and turns into hollow A-frames when a bigger east swell arrives.
Next 7 days
The best-rated window in the cached forecast.
This is the week's best-rated wave quality, not a suitability call. Take the 2-minute quiz to see how Praia do Matadeiro fits your level.
Surf outlook
our estimate (what does this mean?)
A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.Sunrise around 05:28, sunset around 18:28 today.
mean sea level (what does this mean?)
The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.Times on this card are local to Praia do Matadeiro. The star call is our own estimate, calculated from the forecast height, period and wind speed — not measured, and not a suitability or safety assessment. How we rate explains the scale. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com, licensed CC BY 4.0. Fetched .
Live conditions
Period (what does this mean?)
Time between waves. Longer period = more powerful, better-organised waves.Swell (what does this mean?)
Waves made by distant storms, smoother and more ordered than the choppy waves a local wind whips up.Wind (what does this mean?)
Offshore wind (land to sea) holds waves up and smooths their faces; onshore wind (sea to land) makes them crumble and close out sooner.Estimated wave energy (what does this mean?)
How much power each metre of wave front carries (kW/m), worked out from height and period — higher numbers mean waves that push harder.Calculated by us from the height and period above, not measured — and it describes the swell offshore, not the wave at the break.
Waves from DWD Global WAM, wind from ECMWF IFS, for a model grid point 0 km from the break. Fetched . Times on this card are local to Praia do Matadeiro. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com, licensed CC BY 4.0. Not a suitability or safety assessment — check local conditions and ask your instructor.
Surf Snapshot
Estimated seasonal guidance — not a live forecast.
When to surf Praia do Matadeiro, month by month
Estimated from our authored seasonality — not a live forecast.
Peak season: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec (High).
| Month | Surf consistency |
|---|---|
| Janpeak | High |
| Febpeak | High |
| Marpeak | High |
| Aprpeak | High |
| May | Moderate |
| Jun | Moderate |
| July | Moderate |
| Aug | Moderate |
| Sept | Moderate |
| Oct | Moderate |
| Novpeak | High |
| Decpeak | High |
Does this wave fit your level?
Rated for Levels 2-6 · Best at Level 4.
Take the 2-minute quiz to see if Praia do Matadeiro fits you today.
Find my Level →Beginner notes
One of the more forgiving waves in the south of the island on a small, clean day, and the walk in keeps the crowd honest. But it is a cove with rips, no road and thin facilities, so it suits improvers who can already get themselves out of trouble rather than someone's first session. On a big east swell it turns hollow and is no longer a beginner proposition.
Hazards
- rip currents
- no road access — a walk in from Armação
- hollow A-frames on a bigger east swell
- limited facilities
Nearby spots
The closest graded spots to Praia do Matadeiro, straight-line distance.
- Praia da Armação~2 km · Levels 3-6
- Lagoinha do Leste~2 km · Levels 4-7
- Praia do Morro das Pedras~5 km · Levels 4-7
- Praia do Campeche~8 km · Levels 3-7
- Praia dos Naufragados~11 km · Levels 5-7
Best months to surf here
In-season months for Brazil, from our editors’ season calendar.
How this spot is sourced
Cross-checked against 4 sources, last checked August 2026.
Sources disagree on exact position. Treat that figure as unsettled — we would rather say so than pick one and sound certain.