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Bureh Beach, Sierra Leone

Stay in Freetown: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Freetown

Watch this spot We email you when Bureh Beach is worth the trip.

Freetown-aerialview
Freetown, the nearest town, 33 km away. Photo: David Hond, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Bureh Beach

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces W (285°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (105°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 38). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 27°C in August, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in April, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best months are usually October and November, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Freetown.

Water about 28°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 24 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to FNA, changing at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Mohammed V International Airport (CMN).

    See flights ORD → FNA · Skyscanner from about £485 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 05 from the airport to Bureh Beach.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Freetown, 33 km (about 1h 00 by car)Ad

    No town with beds to book is nearer Bureh Beach: plan on the drive each day you surf.

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay in Freetown, 33 km away on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Freetown · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Freetown · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Bureh Beach on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct172 ft8 smushy28kJ28°C
Mon 19Oct192 ft9 scrumbling46kJ27°C
Tue 20Oct171 ft12 shollow52kJ28°C
Wed 21Oct332 ft10 scrumbling103kJ27°C
Thu 22Oct282 ft9 scrumbling72kJ28°C
Fri 23Oct212 ft8 scrumbling54kJ27°C
Sat 24Oct142 ft8 smushy29kJ28°C
Sun 25Oct131 ft8 scrumbling23kJ27°C
Mon 26Oct101 ft9 shollow14kJ28°C
Tue 27Oct172 ft9 scrumbling36kJ28°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to FNA, changing at JFK and CMN, then 1h 05 by road. About 24h 35 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to FNA, changing at JFK and CMN, then 1h 05 by road. About 24h 35 door to door

The trip from Freetown, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £975–£1,855 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to FNA, estimated from distance and season, changing at JFK and CMN, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£485–£1,000
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£70–£115
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£165–£280
Food7 days eating out£155–£290
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£65–£105
Total£975–£1,855

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Freetown

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Nearest beds: Freetown, 33 km (about 1h 00 by car) · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.