Is it worth the trip?
14Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: too small (2 ft swell at 5 s), 4 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 34kJ
- Wind
- NE 8 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Wed 4 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 15kJ
- Wind
- NE 7 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 12kJ
- Wind
- E 8 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 18kJ
- Wind
- NNE 14 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 7kJ
- Wind
- NNE 15 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 5kJ
- Wind
- SSE 7 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Mon 9 · 21 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 24kJ
- Wind
- SSE 15 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 222, too small
- Tue 316, too small
- Wed 414, too small
- Thu 513, too small
- Fri 64, too small
- Sat 71, too small
- Sun 810, too small
- Mon 921, too small
- Tue 1027, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces NEtakes swell from the NE
- Offshore: SWwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 3–13 ftof swell
- Water 26 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 22, too small | 2 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 38kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 16, too small | 2 ft7 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 34kJ | wind from the north-east, 8 knots | 25°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 14, too small | 2 ft5 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 15kJ | wind from the north-east, 7 knots | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 13, too small | 2 ft5 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 12kJ | wind from the east, 8 knots | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 4, too small | 2 ft6 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 18kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 14 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 1, too small | 1 ft5 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 15 knots | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 10, too small | 1 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 5kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 7 knots | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 21, too small | 2 ft5 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 24kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 15 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 27, too small | 2 ft5 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 27kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 6 knots, offshore | 25°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovLow 02:15 −0.6 mHigh 08:42 +0.5 mLow 15:22 −0.4 mHigh 21:35 +0.4 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:12 −0.5 mHigh 10:51 +0.5 mLow 17:25 −0.5 mHigh 23:40 +0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 05:58 −0.6 mHigh 12:27 +0.7 mLow 18:43 −0.6 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
the spot and its town
Barra on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Barra
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NE (30°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (210°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 300 m out (1 in 30). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 24°C in July, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 28°C in January, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Praia da Barra, 0.2 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 wind sports spot.
Water about 26°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,290–US$2,540 each
about US$1,290–US$2,540 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to VNX, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL and JNB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$891–US$1,850 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$60–US$100 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$147–US$248 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$134–US$241 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$60–US$100 |
| Total | about US$1,290–US$2,540 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
about 5 min by car · 34 places to stay
about US$54/nightcountry average
About Praia da Barra its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Praia do Tofo on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 26 places to stay
- Beds in Tofinho on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 20 places to stay
About US$54 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 36h 25m
About 36h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → VNX, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB), then 5h 40m by road
Flights MDW → VNX on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.