Beach
both
Level 5/10

Tarrafal de Monte Trigo

Santo Antão, Cape Verde
🏝️Remote🚶Difficult access

Tarrafal de Monte Trigo is a remote fishing village on Santo Antão Island accessible only by boat or a long hike. The remoteness means you'll likely surf alone, with powerful waves breaking on volcanic rock. The NE trade winds blow offshore here, creating excellent conditions when swells arrive.

Tarrafal de Monte Trigo surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast
Today19
2
Poor
1.3m@11s
17km/h
Sun20
5
Poor
1.3m@10s
16km/h
Mon21
16
Poor
1.1m@11s
14km/h
Tue22
9
Poor
0.9m@13s
15km/h
Wed23
27
Poor
1.0m@14s
18km/h
Thu24
61
Fair
1.3m@15s
18km/h
Fri25
63
Fair
1.2m@13s
22km/h
Sat26
48
Fair
1.1m@13s
3km/h
Sun27
44
Poor
0.8m@12s
6km/h
Mon28
72
Good
1.2m@13s
3km/h
Groomed 5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 14 km/h · PM 18 km/h · Tide at 7am (0.2m)
Swell
1.3m
NNE(17°)
Score: 15/25
Period
11s
Medium period swell
Score: 8/25
Wind
17km/h
NE(39°)
Score: 1/25
Weather
29°C
0.0mm32%
First light 5:59amSunrise 6:29amSunset 6:39pmLast light 7:09pm
Windswell0.6m@3sSecondary0.4mConfidence
100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 9:10am–5:36pm · through highIdeal tide: 0.3–2.0m
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
°C
24°
28°
31°
30°
28°
23°
26°
30°
30°
27°
24°
27°
31°
31°
28°
25°
28°
30°
31°
28°
25°
28°
32°
33°
30°
26°
30°
34°
33°
30°
27°
29°
29°
28°
27°
27°
28°
29°
29°
28°
26°
29°
30°
29°
28°
27°
29°
30°
29°
28°
2m1.0
sec
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
swell
windkm/h
12g35
17g44
19g45
19g47
17g43
10g31
16g41
18g48
17g44
16g42
6g24
12g34
16g40
18g44
15g42
10g29
14g37
18g44
17g44
16g40
14g37
17g45
21g57
19g53
18g47
13g40
14g44
21g55
21g58
18g58
16g53
23g72
26g84
24g85
19g81
3g18
3g23
3g32
3g43
3g45
6g31
7g35
7g37
4g39
3g37
3g25
2g23
3g23
3g25
3g23
tidem
7:15am0.2m
1:10pm0.5m
7:15pm0.3m
2:00am0.5m
9:00am0.3m
3:00pm0.4m
9:00pm0.3m
3:50am0.6m
10:30am0.2m
4:50pm0.5m
10:15pm0.2m
5:10am0.6m
11:30am0.2m
5:42pm0.5m
5:54am0.7m
12:10pm0.2m
6:20pm0.6m
6:30am0.8m
12:45pm0.1m
7:00pm0.7m
12:37am0.1m
7:03am0.9m
1:22pm0.1m
7:30pm0.8m
1:18am0.1m
7:36am0.9m
1:51pm0.1m
7:57pm0.8m
1:54am0.1m
8:10am0.9m
2:20pm0.0m
8:30pm0.8m
2:30am0.0m
8:46am0.9m
2:51pm0.0m
9:02pm0.9m
Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

7:15 am
Low tide - 0.24m
1:10 pm
High tide - 0.47m
7:15 pm
Low tide - 0.25m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

2
Poor
Components
Swell Direction0/25
Swell Size15/25
Swell Period8/25
Wind1/25
Raw Score24/100
Adjustments
🌊💨 Windswell-3
🌊 Tide+1
💨 Gusty Wind-5
⚠️ Weak Component-15
Adjusted Score2/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score2
🌊 Partly in the tide window

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to VXE, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
NW (315°)
Direction range
280° - 350°
Size range
1m - 3m
Ideal size
1.9m - 2.5m
Height multiplier
0.97×
Ideal period
14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
E (90°)
Offshore range
60° - 130°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid
Optimal range
0.3m - 2m

Water temp

23°C

Wetsuit

Springsuit / 2mm

Difficulty

5/10

Crowd level

1/10

Access: N and S exposure, dead offshore in NE trades.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Tarrafal de Monte Trigo?

The Tarrafal de Monte Trigo profile favors mid tide, ideally between 0.3m and 2m on the local tide chart. Compare this preference with the forecast tide and local conditions before choosing a session.

What wind direction is offshore at Tarrafal de Monte Trigo?

The Tarrafal de Monte Trigo profile uses wind from E (90°) as its preferred direction, with an offshore range of 60° to 130°. Wind speed matters too: light winds outside that range can still produce surfable conditions, while strong offshore winds can make takeoffs difficult.

What swell size and direction work best at Tarrafal de Monte Trigo?

The Tarrafal de Monte Trigo scoring profile favors swell from NW (280° to 350°), a swell-height range of 1m to 3m, and a reference period of 14s. These are model inputs, not guaranteed breaking-wave heights or a promise that the surf will suit every ability.

When is the best time of year to surf Tarrafal de Monte Trigo?

The main season at Tarrafal de Monte Trigo is Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. A secondary window runs Apr, Sep. Winter NW swells. N and S exposure, dead offshore in NE trades.

How do I get to Tarrafal de Monte Trigo?

The spot profile lists VXE as a nearby airport. The estimated road transfer is 180 minutes. A boat transfer is also required. The profile estimates $50 USD; confirm the current price and departure point with an operator. N and S exposure, dead offshore in NE trades.

What kind of wave is Tarrafal de Monte Trigo?

Tarrafal de Monte Trigo is a beach break, a peak with lefts and rights. Difficulty is rated 5/10.

Best Season

Peak: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar

Secondary: Apr, Sep

Winter NW swells. N and S exposure, dead offshore in NE trades.

Getting There

Airport
VXE
Drive time
180 min
Boat required
$50
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion