Riacho Doce
Surf spot · Brazil
Is it worth the trip?
30Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 3 ft swell at 4 s
Mon 2 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 smushy
- Energy
- 80kJ
- Wind
- E 8 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Tue 3 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 31kJ
- Wind
- E 7 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Wed 4 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 37kJ
- Wind
- NE 6 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Thu 5 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 37kJ
- Wind
- ENE 10 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Fri 6 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 40kJ
- Wind
- NE 9 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Sat 7 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 48kJ
- Wind
- NNE 7 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Sun 8 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 39kJ
- Wind
- NE 9 kn
- Temp
- 31°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 132, too small
- Mon 222, too small
- Tue 335, poor
- Wed 430, poor
- Thu 523, too small
- Fri 630, too small
- Sat 732, poor
- Sun 826, poor
- Mon 921, too small
- Tue 1017, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces SEtakes swell from the SE
- Offshore: NWwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 27 °Cno wetsuit
- Best Apr–May3 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 32, too small | 2 ft11 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 110kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 7 knots | 30°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 22, too small | 2 ft9 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 80kJ | wind from the east, 8 knots | 30°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 35, poor | 3 ft4 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 31kJ | wind from the east, 7 knots | 29°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 30, poor | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 37kJ | wind from the north-east, 6 knots | 30°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 23, too small | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 37kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 10 knots | 30°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 30, too small | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 40kJ | wind from the north-east, 9 knots | 30°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 32, poor | 3 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 48kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 7 knots | 30°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 26, poor | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 39kJ | wind from the north-east, 9 knots | 31°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 21, too small | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 32kJ | wind from the north-east, 10 knots | 31°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 17, too small | 2 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 22kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 7 knots | 30°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
- Sun 1 NovLow 02:21 −0.7 mHigh 08:45 +0.5 mLow 14:54 −0.5 mHigh 21:04 +0.6 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 03:49 −0.7 mHigh 10:11 +0.5 mLow 16:22 −0.5 mHigh 22:28 +0.7 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 05:09 −0.7 mHigh 11:27 +0.6 mLow 17:35 −0.5 mHigh 23:40 +0.8 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.
Best time to go
best Apr–May
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr3of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May3of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot and its town
Riacho Doce 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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More surf near here
5 places
- Cruz das Almas 8.8 km away
- Rainha 10.7 km away
- Pedra Virada 13.7 km away
- Salgema 14.6 km away
- Praia do Pontal 17.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Riacho Doce
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SE (131°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (311°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 600 m out (1 in 61). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 26°C in July, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in March, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April and May, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Maceió. Within 5 km we also list 1 mountain bike area.
Water about 27°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$978–US$1,870 each
about US$978–US$1,870 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 ORD to MCZ, estimated from distance and season, changing at GRU, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$529–US$1,100 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$40–US$60 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$174–US$295 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$161–US$295 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$74–US$121 |
| Total | about US$978–US$1,870 |
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
23 min by car · 26 places to stay
about US$67/nightcountry average
About Maceió its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Paripueira on Booking.com
28 min by car · 17 places to stay
- Beds in Praia do Francês on Booking.com
55 min by car · 55 places to stay
Nearest beds: Maceió, 13 km (about 25 min by car)
About US$67 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 21h 45m
About 21h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → MCZ, changing at São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU), then 35 min by road
Flights ORD → MCZ on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.