Winter destination: Jeri and Brazil during the rainy season – in the right place at the wrong time?
reemedia
· 11.07.2026
If there’s one thing that’s in no short supply in north-eastern Brazil, it’s wind. From July right through to December, the state of Ceará offers virtually a 100 per cent guarantee of wind. The following rule of thumb applies: the further north the spot is, the higher the average wind speed. This means that, generally speaking, the strongest winds are found at the spots furthest north, such as Jericoacoara and Maceió – during August, September, October and November, the wind blows here daily at around 25 to 35 knots.
Although late summer in Brazil already sees extremely high wind levels, the peak season for windsurfers from Europe only really gets underway in October and November – that is, when it starts to get cold back home and a longing for sun and warmth drives water sports enthusiasts across the Atlantic. Even before Christmas, the rush begins to subside noticeably, as Ceará has a reputation for the rainy season setting in at the turn of the year, when the wind is no longer a reliable feature.
But what does that actually mean? Will we be stuck in a lull in the pouring rain, with Christmas literally going down the drain? Or will there be a lot of moaning at the highest level, whilst we get to enjoy empty spots and still plenty of wind? We spoke to long-standing experts who have a detailed understanding of the wind and weather conditions.
Wind is as certain as death and taxes
One person who should know is Fabio Nobre, founder and owner of the renowned Club Ventos in Jericoacoara. Fabio has been living in Jeri for around 30 years and has witnessed and helped shape the town’s transformation from a small, remote fishing village into an international hotspot for windsurfers, kitesurfers and wingfoilers.
For him, Jericoacoara is a spot that combines several advantages: first and foremost, of course, is the reliability of the wind: from July to December, the wind blows so consistently almost every day that, for many water sports enthusiasts, checking the relevant wind forecast websites is simply not necessary to stay informed. It’s as certain as night follows day that it will be windy. Added to this are the special conditions out on the water. Both Jericoacoara and Icaraizinho, situated slightly further south, are located at so-called point breaks. A rocky headland protects the bay where you surf, whilst the wind swell forms out in the Atlantic. The result is consistent waves, the size of which varies depending on the month and time of day, but which are almost always present. Combined with warm water – wetsuits are unnecessary all year round – and a sunny, tropical climate, this creates a setting that is unrivalled anywhere in the world.
A unique atmosphere
But it’s not just the windsurfing itself that makes Jeri so special. Fabio describes an atmosphere that’s easier to feel than to explain: sandy streets, hardly any traffic, small hotels and restaurants, artists, musicians and a creative nightlife. Everyday life slows down noticeably; the same rules apply day and night – board shorts, flip-flops, and that’s it. It is precisely this sense of slowing down that keeps many windsurfers coming back here time and again.
As far as the wind is concerned, Fabio puts the term ‘high season’ into perspective. The guaranteed wind season runs from July to December, with the strongest winds in September. October and November are particularly popular because many Europeans want to escape the bad weather at home, and this period has become ‘the’ peak travel season for north-eastern Brazil over the last two decades. During these months, windsurfers usually manage with 4.0 to 4.5 sails. Although December marks the end of the strong-wind phase with winds of 25 to 35 knots, very strong days are still possible even then – slightly larger sails may be useful, but are not essential.
The term ‘rainy season’ quickly loses its negative connotations once you’re there.
According to Fabio, days with winds below the gliding threshold are very rare, even beyond December. He explains that even January – which is often viewed with scepticism – still offers plenty of windy days, along with bigger waves and fewer windsurfers on the water. And the term ‘rainy season’ quickly loses its scare factor once you’re there. In north-eastern Brazil, ‘rain’ usually means short, localised showers – often at night or early in the morning. It is mainly cloud cover that temporarily dampens the wind. The actual peak of the rainy season is clearly in March and April. Significantly, at the time of this interview in early January, Fabio hadn’t seen a single drop of rain since May.
Spots like a skate park
Jacopo Testa, an Italian freestyle pro and bronze medallist at the 2025 World Championships, offers a more sporting perspective. For several years now, he has regularly spent the months from October until the end of the year in Jericoacoara and Maceió. For him, these spots are the perfect training ground: strong, daily winds and conditions that are tailor-made for freestyle. Jacopo compares the spots to a skate park that’s always open: perfect conditions, every day – it’s entirely up to the surfer what they make of it.
The average wind strength drops slightly in December. However, the conditions are still much better than in the Canary Islands or in Tarifa.
In October and November, in his experience, the wind blows at 30 to 35 knots almost every day, usually between late morning and afternoon. In December, he reports, the picture changes slightly: days with extremely strong winds become less frequent, but winds of around 18 to 25 knots remain the norm. At the same time, December often brings long, clean waves with wide intervals between them – a dream for anyone wanting to combine manoeuvres with the waves. Surfing is then – even through Christmas and into the New Year – predominantly done with a 4.4 freestyle sail, though sometimes a smaller or slightly larger one is used depending on the time of day. Jacopo can count the number of windless days over several months on one hand – and that’s specifically taking into account the period including Christmas and New Year.
Moderate winds continue further south
Two hours’ drive further south, in Emboaca for example, the situation is similar, albeit with more moderate wind speeds. Dennis Petersen from the Hotel Vento-Vinte reports that in October and November the wind here blows at an average of 18 to 25 knots. Over Christmas and New Year, the average wind speed drops to around 13 to 20 knots, but the frequency remains high: windsurfing is possible on an average of five out of seven days. Brief interruptions caused by clouds or short, mostly morning rain showers are to be expected, but these do not alter the fundamental advantage in terms of wind reliability compared with many other spots, such as the Canary Islands or Tarifa. Dennis sees an additional advantage of the Christmas and New Year period in the fact that the water is less crowded and the waves are higher and more powerful than during the peak season in October and November.
Cumbuco, an hour’s drive north of Fortaleza, also offers at least very consistent light wind conditions over Christmas. Manfred “Manni” Spuck, who has lived in Brazil for 30 years and used to import Fanatic boards there, describes a combination of wind, currents and thermal effects caused by the heated dunes: “Even in January, winds of 11 to 15 knots are the norm here on most days. It’s only from mid-February onwards that the wind drops noticeably as the rainy season sets in – and even then, rarely for any length of time,” says Manni Spuck.
Brazil over Christmas – the verdict
A Christmas windsurfing holiday in north-eastern Brazil isn’t really a risk, but rather a conscious choice to experience slightly different, often more varied conditions. The wind isn’t as strong as it used to be, but it still blows very consistently. At the spots, there’s about five to eight knots less wind compared to October and November – something to bear in mind if you’re packs the board bag. In Cumbuco, the southernmost point, wind speeds at the turn of the year average around 11 to 15 knots; in Emboaca, a two-hour drive north of Cumbuco and thus roughly halfway to Jeri, wind speeds are still around 13 to 20 knots. In the far north – that is, in Jericocoara, Tatajuba and Maceió – wind speeds of 18 to 25 knots prevail at this time of year. This means you’re no longer surfing with the smallest sail sizes, though that can actually be an advantage.
Rain showers are part and parcel of the tropical rhythm, but they’re no holiday killer. These brief downpours usually pass through at night or in the morning, and it may remain cloudy for a while afterwards. In the worst-case scenario, these clouds linger into the course of the day, but eventually the sky clears and the wind picks up. Anyone who questions the myth of the ‘sudden rainy season’, remains flexible and adapts their kit will discover, from December right through to well into January, a window of opportunity that is both thrilling from a sporting perspective and atmospheric – and which offers far more than its reputation suggests.
