Machico

Machico sits in a sheltered bay on Madeira's northeastern coast, roughly 17km from Funchal, and delivers punchy beach-break peaks when the right swell finds its way in. It needs at least 6ft of swell to wake up, and once it does it favors low to mid tide when the banks have some shape. Wind protection from the surrounding hills can keep it cleaner than more exposed spots on the island, but the wave quality trends sloppy rather than groomed, so don't expect hollow perfection. Weekdays you'll likely have it to yourself, weekends bring a small local crew, particularly bodyboarders who know these banks well. Bottom: sand. Season: autumn and winter swells. Consistency: moderate to low. Bring a board you don't mind thrashing on a forgiving, mushy peak rather than your high-performance shortboard.