Cadjau, Cabo Verde
Also within 20 km of Tarrafal
- Tuna Point Dive site · 0.8 km from Tarrafal
- Franciscus Dive site · 0.9 km from Tarrafal
- Chinese Wall Dive site · 1.1 km from Tarrafal
- King Fisher Wall Dive site · 1.1 km from Tarrafal
- Colonato Dive site · 1.8 km from Tarrafal
- Agu Doli Dive site · 2.1 km from Tarrafal
- Lighthouse Dive site · 2.5 km from Tarrafal
Watch this spot We email you when Cadjau is worth the trip.
About Cadjau
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces W (259°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (79°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 5). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hard and thick, like a slab. The sea is about 23°C in February, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 28°C in September, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Tarrafal, 1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 7 dive sites.
Water about 27°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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From Chicago: about 20 h 50 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to RAI, changing at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS). About 4 flights a week that month.
See flights ORD → RAI · Skyscanner from about £415 returnAdGetting there. 1 h 10 from the airport to Cadjau.
Accommodation.
Stay in TarrafalAd
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 Tarrafal (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Tarrafal 2 min by car · rooms from £60 a night · 14 places to stay · where Cadjau stays
Places to stay in Tarrafal · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Tarrafal · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Tarrafal · GetYourGuideAd
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Cadjau on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 22, too small | 2 ft11 shollow | 125kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 8 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 14, too small | 2 ft6 shollow | 32kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 9 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 14, too small | 2 ft12 shollow | 82kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 8 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 21, too small | 2 ft11 shollow | 95kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 12 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 19, too small | 2 ft9 shollow | 95kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 15 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 16, too small | 2 ft9 shollow | 60kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 12 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 23, too small | 3 ft5 shollow | 48kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 13 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 41, fair | 5 ft7 shollow | 186kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 18 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 43, fair | 5 ft7 shollow | 175kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 14 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 26, too small | 4 ft7 shollow | 115kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 8 knots, offshore | 27°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
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly ORD to RAI, changing at LIS, then 1h 10 by road. About 20h 50 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly ORD to RAI, changing at LIS, then 1h 10 by road. About 20h 50 door to door
Rough cost
About £905–£1,720 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to RAI, estimated from distance and season, changing at LIS, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £415–£865 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £70–£115 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £165–£280 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £155–£290 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £65–£105 |
| Total | £905–£1,720 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
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Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.