🇧🇷 Ponta de Canas, Ilhabela
Brazil · South America · All Brazil spots →
Best directionSE
Wind speed12–22kt
SeasonSep – Apr
Skill levelIntermediate
WaterFlat + chop
A mountainous, forest-covered island off São Paulo's coast, a completely different wind system from Brazil's northeast — thermal and frontal rather than trade wind, with a shorter, more variable season.
View live 5-day wind forecast →Good to know
Getting thereAbout 3.5 hours east of São Paulo International Airport (GRU) — drive to São Sebastião, then a 20-30 minute public car ferry to the island. A car is needed for the narrow island roads; free street parking at Ponta de Canas on the northern tip. The grassy lawn near the lighthouse is the main launch.
HazardsA genuinely high-traffic marine channel — São Sebastião hosts one of Brazil's major oil terminal and shipping operations, packed with cargo ships, yachts, and high-speed windsurfers. True beginners should avoid this entirely: deep water starts instantly, the channel generates real tidal current, and wind turns genuinely gusty close to the mountainous interior.
Best time of dayAfternoon, spring through autumn, when clear days trigger a strong thermal funneling effect through the island channel. On by around 1pm for a steady, dense breeze blowing cleanly cross-shore.