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Praa Sands, UK

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

Also within 20 km of Praa Sands

All 16 on Praa Sands's map

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Praa Sands -2
Praa Sands. Photo: Chris Combe from York, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Praa Sands

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

The spot faces S (195°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (15°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 19). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 10°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 17°C in August, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, March, April and May, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Praa Sands, 0.1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots.

Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 16 h 50 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to NQY, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB).

    See flights ORD → NQY · Skyscanner from about £380 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 20 from the airport to Praa Sands, 68 km.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Praa SandsAd

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

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

    See all places to stay 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 Praa Sands · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Praa Sands · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Praa Sands on Google Maps · Directions

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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 18Oct252 ft5 smushy18kJ12°C
Mon 19Oct272 ft12 shollow127kJ12°C
Tue 20Oct373 ft10 shollow196kJ13°C
Wed 21Oct244 ft11 shollow311kJ12°C
Thu 22Oct65 ft9 smushy370kJ14°C
Fri 23Oct155 ft11 shollow524kJ12°C
Sat 24Oct75 ft9 smushy318kJ14°C
Sun 25Oct284 ft9 scrumbling239kJ15°C
Mon 26Oct114 ft9 smushy295kJ15°C
Tue 27Oct173 ft8 smushy105kJ14°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 NQY, changing at DUB, then 1h 20 by road. About 16h 50 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Praa Sands

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 31 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 10 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 24 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 11 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to NQY, changing at DUB, then 1h 20 by road. About 16h 50 door to door

The trip from Praa Sands, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,110–£2,070 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 NQY, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£380–£795
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£105–£175
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£250–£420
Food7 days eating out£240–£445
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£100–£170
Total£1,110–£2,070

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

Places to eat near Praa Sands

  • StonesreefBar and grill · 0.5 km from the centreFood hygiene 5 of 5, Feb 2025
  • The WelloeBar and grill · 0.5 km from the centreFood hygiene 5 of 5, Jan 2025

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; food hygiene ratings from the Food Standards Agency (Open Government Licence). Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · 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.