# Cumbuco - Praia do Cumbuco — Cumbuco, Brazil

The beach in the village of Cumbuco, about 30 km west of Fortaleza, is the kite reference in Ceará: many schools, shops and pousadas for kiters, and the starting point for downwinds towards Barra do Cauípe and beyond. It has held the Blue Flag (Bandeira Azul) distinction since the 2022/2023 season.

It works with the trade wind, which blows almost daily from July to January, strongest from August to December and in the afternoon, when the heat from the dunes reinforces it. From the east, it comes in side-onshore. From May to July and on some mornings, it comes more from the southeast, with an offshore component: wait for it to turn. February to April is the rainy season and the wind is less consistent. The water has chop and a small shorebreak; at low tide, sandbanks leave flatter areas and small waves, and at high tide, the beach becomes very narrow.

The marked launch area is the sand in front of Duro Beach, which has a kite centre, and the following 200 metres to the east. There is space to launch along almost the entire beach, and downwind, towards the west, there are fewer people. Guides say it is suitable for all levels, but in season it gets crowded with schools, kites and bathers, and schools usually give the first lessons in the Lagoa do Cauípe: if you are learning, do it with a school. In front of the village centre, the fishermen's jangadas go out and return to the beach: do not ride between them or near bathers. Buggies and quads circulate on the sand, and there are thefts of equipment: do not leave anything unattended. There are restaurants, pousadas and kite shops in the village; parking is in the streets. In case of emergency call 193 (fire brigade) or 192 (SAMU). The best time is from August to December.

Photos: "Praia do cumbuco" by Fabiobarros (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons; "Cumbuco2" by Parpan05 (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons; "Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, Kitesurf in Cumbuco Beach - panoramio" by Boris Karpuk (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons; "Kitecumbuco2" by Elissonm (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

- **Sports:** Kitesurf
- **Difficulty:** Intermediate
- **Location:** Cumbuco, Brazil (-3.62585, -38.72543)
- **Favourable wind directions (where the wind blows from):** E (90°), SE (125°)
- **Wind range (knots):** 14–28
- **Best months:** July, August, September, October, November, December, January

## Wind by month (% of days per strength)

| Month | <7 kn | 7–13 kn | 13–20 kn | 20–35 kn | >35 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2 | 69 | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 2 | 91 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| March | 10 | 88 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| April | 13 | 86 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 4 | 93 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| June | 1 | 89 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| July | 1 | 64 | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| August | 0 | 29 | 71 | 0 | 0 |
| September | 0 | 16 | 84 | 0 | 0 |
| October | 0 | 17 | 82 | 1 | 0 |
| November | 0 | 27 | 73 | 0 | 0 |
| December | 0 | 39 | 61 | 0 | 0 |

## Local winds

- **Alísio del este** — E (90°), 15–28 kn. The trade wind that crosses the Atlantic: it blows almost every day from July to January, strongest in mid-September and in the afternoon, when the heat from the dunes reinforces it. From August to December it comes from the east; from November to January, slightly more from the east-northeast. It comes in side-on, from the right looking at the sea, and slightly onshore.. Side-on wind: the drift goes towards the west, towards the village centre, the jangadas and the bathers. Leave space downwind.
- **Alísio del sudeste** — SE (125°), 14–24 kn. At the start of the season (May to July) and on some mornings, the trade wind turns east-southeast and southeast, lighter and more gusty. At this beach, which faces north-northeast, it comes in side-offshore.. With southeast the wind has an offshore component (side-off), especially in the morning: if you fall, you drift out to sea. Do not go out alone and wait for it to turn east in the afternoon.

## Zones

- **Launch (Duro Beach)** — Launch zone
- **Praia do Cumbuco** — Navigation zone

## Points of interest

- **Duro Beach Kite Center**: Hotel and kite centre in front of the launch (Rua Beatriz Correia 64). Its guests ride out front; the first lessons are in the Lagoa do Cauípe.
- **Blue Wind**: Kite centre next to the beach, according to OpenStreetMap. Confirm it is still open.
- **Kiteline**: Sports centre next to the beach, according to OpenStreetMap. Confirm what it offers.
- **Jangadas and bathers**: In front of the village centre, the fishermen's jangadas are beached on the sand and go out and return to the sea. It is also the area with the most bathers: do not ride between them.
- **Buggies and quads on the sand**: Buggies and quads circulate on the beach even though it is not permitted: look before setting up and launching.
- **Village centre restaurants**: Restaurants and bars in the Colônia de pescadores, one street back from the beach.
- **Windtown Beach Hotel**: Hotel for kiters west of the village, downwind, with equipment storage and setup area. The beach is less crowded there.
- **Hotel Kariri Beach**: Hotel next to the beach, at the western end of the riding area.

## Hazards

- Very busy beach in season: schools, kites and bathers
- Jangadas and other boats leaving and entering in front of the centre
- At high tide the beach becomes very narrow
- Southeast wind with offshore component in the morning
- Theft of equipment and items on the beach

## Obstacles

- Jangadas beached on the sand in front of the centre
- Bathers, schools and other kites
- Buggies and quads on the sand
- Walls and coconut trees at the back of the beach at high tide

## Facilities

- School
- Showers
- Restaurant
- Parking

[See it on Ventus Surf (3D map, zones and live forecast)](https://ventus.surf/spots/cumbuco-praia-do-cumbuco-8cV5ODKN0TzDwF4Zp7hA?lang=en)