rife:

In the middle of nowhere, at a coastal area consisting of stones, sand and dust, there is a track leading to a sheltered bay. The entrance from the open sea to the bay is guarded by a reef that hinders open sea swells to enter the bay. The constant trade winds blow side to sideoffshore and don´t have enough room to create windchop inside the bay. The reef is perfectly situated to create a very nice right that starts breaking at the small cliffs at the north side of the bay and builds rippable walls all the way into the channel. The reef holds waves up to 4m faces before it starts to close out.

South of the bay the coast offers more reefs, that work good, when the swell is too small to produce decent waves over the reef at the entrance of the bay.

The coastline in this area is basicly sharp lava and rocks which are sometimes covered b a bit of sand. This means that cuts in boards or feet are a common occurance.

surfing: due to the currents, the wave at the reef doesn´t really favour surfing. It can be o.k. with a longboard.

windsurfing: the place has the perfect setup for down the line wavesailing with a lot of comfort. The bay is large enough to offer a fun playground and a very safe resting area. There You can get enough speed to cross the reef either through the channel or use the ramps for decent jumps. On bigger days You have room enough to time Your save and easy going out over the reef in between sets or, if You want that, wait for the right ramp. Outside going upwind is no problem. You can choose Your wave and ride it into the channel or inside the bay for some more tricks or just to bring down Your adrenalin level. The wave breaks very predictable and offers an end section where with some timing You can bust a final aerial. The only thing You have to avoid is trying to get back into the bay via the channel. The current will drag You on the rocks so the best way to get back in is by riding the waves.

If there are more than 10 sailors on the water, things get difficult as the reef is the key to sail that place. So remember wave etiquette and respect the rules! Especially the people coming with the surfaris of the windsurfing resort in Santa Maria should obey the rules to avoid wasting everybody´s day. Remember: the one who has the wave first and is closest to where it starts breaking has absolute priority!!!!!!!!

kiteboarding: try it here, You will love it!!

check out the galleries of da place and windsurfaction to get a better impression and have a look at the info board for knowing what stuff to bring