Macao is the most accessible surf spot for Punta Cana resort guests—a beach break that can produce hollow waves on good days. The wave attracts both tourists and locals, offering a taste of DR surfing without the long drive to Cabarete.
Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.
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Water temp
27°C
Wetsuit
Boardshorts / Rashguard
Difficulty
4/10
Crowd level
4/10
Access: Near Punta Cana. Tourist-accessible.
Macao is a beach break in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, with peaks that run both left and right.
Macao picks up swell from the ENE round to the ESE, and it's best when it's coming straight out of the E. That's a tight window, so it needs the swell direction to line up. It starts working at around 0.6m and handles up to about 2m, with the sweet spot around 1.2 to 1.7m. Period matters too: aim for 12s or longer, as anything under 8s tends to be weak. These are the numbers our scoring uses, so treat them as a guide rather than a promise.
A W wind is dead offshore at Macao, and anything from the WSW round to the WNW keeps it clean. The morning is typically the best window, roughly 6am to 10am. Light winds from other directions can still be fine; strong offshores can make it hard to get into waves.
Macao has a preferred tide range, roughly 0.2m to 2.5m on the local chart.
The most reliable run of swell at Macao comes Nov to Mar. There's a second window in Sep to Oct too. Accessible from Punta Cana resorts. Hollow on good days.
The water at Macao averages around 27°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. Expect a moderate crowd (4/10) when it's on. Accessible from Punta Cana resorts. Hollow on good days.
The nearest airport on our list is PUJ, then it's roughly a 30-minute drive. Near Punta Cana. Tourist-accessible.
Peak: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar
Secondary: Sep, Oct
Accessible from Punta Cana resorts. Hollow on good days.
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