Praia de Santa Mónica is a stunning beach on Boa Vista's southwest coast, named after the famous California beach. The wave is a fun left that breaks along the endless white sand beach. When NE trade winds blow, conditions here are often offshore and clean. One of Cape Verde's most beautiful surf settings.
Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.
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Water temp
24°C
Wetsuit
Boardshorts / Rashguard
Difficulty
4/10
Crowd level
2/10
Access: Sandy SW coast. Offshore in NE winds.
Praia de Santa Mónica is a beach break in Boa Vista, Cape Verde, that mostly breaks left.
Praia de Santa Mónica picks up swell from the S round to the WSW, and it's best when it's coming straight out of the SSW. It starts working at around 1m and handles up to about 2.5m, with the sweet spot around 1.7 to 2.1m. Period matters too: aim for 14s or longer, as anything under 10s tends to be weak. These are the numbers our scoring uses, so treat them as a guide rather than a promise.
A NE wind is dead offshore at Praia de Santa Mónica, and anything from the NNE round to the E keeps it clean. The morning is typically the best window, roughly 6am to 11am. Light winds from other directions can still be fine; strong offshores can make it hard to get into waves.
Praia de Santa Mónica is at its best around mid tide, roughly 0.3m to 2m on the local chart.
The most reliable run of swell at Praia de Santa Mónica comes Oct to Mar. There's a second window in Apr and Sep too. SW and NW swells. Sandy SW coast. Offshore in NE winds.
The water at Praia de Santa Mónica averages around 24°C, so boardshorts or a rashguard will do. It shifts a few degrees through the year, so check the season before you pack.
It's more of an intermediate wave, rated 4/10 for difficulty, so newer surfers are best off sticking to the smaller days. The lineup is usually quiet (crowd 2/10). Sandy SW coast. Offshore in NE winds.
The nearest airport on our list is BVC, then it's roughly a 30-minute drive. Sandy SW coast. Offshore in NE winds.
The closest breaks we track are Ervatao (29 km), handy when Praia de Santa Mónica isn't working.
Peak: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar
Secondary: Apr, Sep
SW and NW swells. Sandy SW coast. Offshore in NE winds.
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