Surf spot

Praia Brava - Pontal do Atalaia

Forecast conditions and map view for Praia Brava - Pontal do Atalaia in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro Norte. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: Brazil, Rio de Janeiro Norte
Coordinates: -22.9830, -42.0217

Metric
Metric	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00
Wave height (m)	1.1	1.1	1.2	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.2	1.1	1.1	1.1	1.2	1	1	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	1	1.2	1.3	1.3	1.4	1.1	0.9	1.2	1.2	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.4	1.5	1.6	1.6	1.6	1.6	1.5	1.4	1.3	1.3	1	0.8	1	0.9	1.3	1.9	2	2	2	2	2.3	2.4	2.4	2.4
Wave direction	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	SE	ENE	E	E	ENE	E	E	E	E	E	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	S	SSW	SSE	S	S	S	S	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SE	SE	SSE	S	SW	SSW	SSW	S	S	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	S	S	S
Wave period (s)	10.3	10.5	10.6	10.9	10.8	10.8	10.6	10.4	10	9.8	7.5	5.8	5.9	6	5.7	5.7	6.3	6.3	6.4	6.5	5.5	6.5	6	5.8	5.7	5.5	6.3	6.5	6.5	6.7	6.7	6.6	7	7.3	7.3	7.4	7.4	7.2	7.3	7.3	7.8	7.9	6.4	9.8	5.2	8.3	5.8	6.9	7	7.1	7.3	7.4	8.7	8.9	9.2	9.2
Wave energy (kJ)	254	277	321	393	398	379	353	304	251	218	148	89	75	66	47	41	50	49	47	46	56	114	124	123	122	75	68	124	122	147	145	143	189	250	280	280	267	249	227	224	209	198	85	128	50	122	119	358	392	411	435	438	792	907	964	975
Wind speed (km/h)	6.6	10.6	15.5	6.2	9.5	8.1	13.3	15.8	14.1	11.3	32.4	25.7	22.7	24.7	22.7	21.7	11.7	18.6	9.9	10.8	13.8	15.3	14.8	18.6	17.8	16.9	15.2	16.1	17.2	8.7	17.9	20.4	13.3	28.6	9.9	18	16	7.6	7.4	6.5	13.8	22.1	17	14.8	13.2	19.2	14.3	18.4	17.6	18.2	13.1	19.6	22.8	22.7	24.1	27.2
Wind direction	NWOffshore	NECross-off	NECross-off	NOffshore	SOnshore	SSEOnshore	ESECross-on	NECross-off	NECross-off	NNECross-off	WSWCross	WCross	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	WSWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SEOnshore	SSEOnshore	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	ECross-on	ECross	ENECross	ENECross	NECross-off	ENECross	ENECross	ENECross	NECross-off	SEOnshore	SWCross-on	NWOffshore	NNECross-off	NECross-off	ECross	SECross-on	WCross	WSWCross	WSWCross	WCross	SWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SOnshore	SSEOnshore	SEOnshore	SECross-on	ESECross-on	ECross-on	ECross-on	ECross	ECross	ECross

Praia Brava – Pontal do Atalaia is a scenic surf spot in Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. It’s part of the famous Pontal do Atalaia area, known for dramatic cliffs, clear blue-green water, and postcard-worthy beaches.

Surf description

Wave type: Mostly beach break with shifting peaks, depending on sandbanks and swell direction.
Wave quality: Can be very good when conditions line up, offering fast, punchy waves that suit experienced surfers.
Best swell: Usually responds well to south and southeast swells, with some exposure to east swell depending on the spot setup.
Wind: Best with offshore or light winds from the west/northwest. Strong onshore winds can make it messy quickly.
Crowd level: Can get busy, especially in peak season, but it’s generally less packed than the most famous Rio beaches.
Difficulty: Often considered intermediate to advanced, because waves can be hollow, powerful, and sometimes shallow over sandbanks.

What to expect

Clean, clear water and a beautiful natural setting.
Conditions can change quickly with tides and sand movement.
On bigger swells, the spot can get powerful and less forgiving.

Best for

Surfers looking for a scenic, quality beach break
Those comfortable handling stronger, faster waves
Visitors who want a mix of surf and spectacular beach scenery