The trade wind, live.
From August to January the easterly trade enters the northern coast on roughly 95% of days — the reason world-tour wingfoil athletes train here. Watch São Miguel do Gostoso, Galinhos and Macau in real time.
Sertões Kitesurf corridor · 175 kmForecast for São Miguel do Gostoso
Open-Meteo · updated every 30 min
São Miguel do Gostoso
Ideal conditions right now
- Current wind
- 18km/h
- Gusts
- 26km/h
- Direction
- S158°
Best windows (next 3 days)
- 2026-05-24
- 2026-05-25
- 2026-05-26
- 2026-05-27
- 2026-05-28
- 2026-05-29
- 2026-05-30
Kitesurf trails
Classic downwinds and local spots between Pipa and Icapuí, with map, distance and best season.
- Downwind · 55 km
São Miguel do Gostoso → Galinhos
Classic ~55 km downwind along the northern coast. Riding at 20–28 kt past empty white-sand beaches, ending at Galinhos by ferry.
- Downwind · 40 km
Galinhos → Macau
40 km of flat-water riding past pink salt pans and shallow lagoons. Intermediate level, ideal as the second day of the northern downwind chain.
- Downwind · 50 km
Macau → Ponta do Mel
50 km along a desolate coastline of dunes and oil rigs. Advanced — there are no exit points for 35 km, only the open ocean.
- Downwind · 30 km
Ponta do Mel → Icapuí (CE)
Final 30 km that crosses the state line into Ceará. Half-day ride past red cliffs and remote fishing villages.
- Spot
Praia de Maceió — São Miguel do Gostoso
The main launch beach in Gostoso. Side-onshore wind, mixed flat and chest-high waves. Schools, rental, the whole local scene.
- Flat water
Lagoa Grande
Glass-flat freshwater lagoon west of Gostoso. Beginner heaven — knee-deep, no current, schools run there in the morning.
- Flat water
Galinhos Estuary
Inside the village, kilometres of glassy estuary water protected from ocean swell. Perfect for foiling and freestyle progression.
- Downwind · 10 km
Tibau do Sul → Praia do Madeiro (Pipa)
Short 10 km southern coast leg under southeast trade winds, past cliffs, dolphin bays and the iconic Praia do Madeiro. Intermediate level, peak September to December.
- Offshore
Parrachos de Maracajaú
Offshore flat-water spot over the coral reef belt, 7 km from shore. Catamaran shuttle, advanced level, only on calm-sea forecast.
- Flat water
Diogo Lopes
Fishing village inside the RDS Ponta do Tubarão reserve. Clean east trade wind, flat water between estuary and mangrove.
- Flat water
Soledade
Sheltered bay between Galinhos and Macau, the classic lunch stop on the northern downwind chain. Flat water, 15–28 kt trades.
- Spot
Praia de Upanema (Areia Branca)
Wide Areia Branca beach, host of KiteFest BR each October. 15–25 kt trade wind, no reef, room for hundreds of kites.
- Spot
Dunas do Rosado (Porto do Mangue)
Beach below Brazil's second-largest mobile dune complex. 20–30 kt trade wind, Sertões Kitesurf 2021 stage.
- Spot
Praia de Pernambuquinho (Grossos)
Fishing village at the mouth of the Mossoró river. Among the strongest winds in RN: 25–32 kt October to December.
- Spot
Praia do Farol (São Bento do Norte)
Midway stage of the Gostoso → Galinhos downwind with a century-old lighthouse on the dune cliff. Side-on wind 22–28 kt.
- Spot
Praia de Enxu Queimado (Pedra Grande)
Stage 1 of Sertões Kitesurf 2021. A quieter alternative to Gostoso in the same wind belt.
- Downwind · 30 km
Tourinhos → Praia do Marco
Short 30 km downwind along the Touros coast, ending at a Portuguese colonial monument in a reef-pool bay.
- Spot
Lagoa do Sal (Touros)
Wave spot IKSURFMAG names as 'the best waves in the region'. 20 min from Gostoso.
- Offshore
Perobas (Touros)
Coral belt sister to Maracajaú, 20 km from Gostoso. Advanced offshore flat-water spot with half-metre depth over reef.
- Spot
Pititinga (Rio do Fogo)
Fishing-village beach south of Maracajaú. Beginner-friendly, 18–25 kt light trades, no tourist scene.
- Flat water
Barra do Cunhaú (Canguaretama)
River-mouth flat water on one side, ocean wave on the other. Largest school cluster on the south coast. 75 km from Natal.
- Spot
Sibaúma (Tibau do Sul)
Quilombola fishing village at the river mouth, cliffs and tidal pools. Intermediate spot, wind blows harder here than in Pipa.
- Spot
Cacimbinhas (Tibau do Sul)
10 km beach-break south of Tibau with a small dune lagoon. Beginner wingfoil scene + dune-sledding.
- Flat water
Lagoa de Guaraíras (Tibau do Sul)
Brackish lagoon at the south end of the Tibau peninsula. The only truly beginner-friendly flat-water spot on the south coast.
- Flat water
Galos (gêmea de Galinhos)
Twin village of Galinhos on the north side of the Aratuá estuary. Same flat water, fewer people, no commercial strip.
- Spot
Tourinhos (São Miguel do Gostoso)
Petrified-dune cliffs and offshore-reef 'blowholes'. Intermediate spot with few riders.
- Flat water
Lagoa do Bonfim (Nísia Floresta)
Largest natural lake in eastern RN, 40 km south of Natal. Documented wingfoil and windsurf scene.