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Sugarloaf Pão de Açucar, Brazil

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

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19 06 2021 Foto do dia
Praia de Fora, 1 km away. Photo: Palácio do Planalto from Brasilia, Brasil, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Sugarloaf Pão de Açucar

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

The spot faces SE (129°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (309°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea is about 22°C in July, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 26°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually March, April, May and June, with about 3 good days in 7; in December, about 1. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Rio de Janeiro, 4.9 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots and 2 wind sports spots.

Water about 23°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 19 h 20 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Rio de Janeiro Galeão – Tom Jobim International Airport (GIG), changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).

    See flights MDW → GIG · Skyscanner from about £505 returnAd
  2. Getting there. 40 min from the airport to Sugarloaf Pão de Açucar.

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Rio de JaneiroAd

    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 Rio de Janeiro (ad) 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.

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

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Forecast

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

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Sugarloaf Pão de Açucar, each day
DayScore for intermediatesSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct51, good4 ft8 s199kJwind from the north-north-east, 5 knots24°C
Mon 19Oct17, poor6 ft8 s363kJwind from the south, 6 knots22°C
Tue 20Oct49, good4 ft7 s190kJwind from the south-south-east, 3 knots22°C
Wed 21Oct49, good4 ft8 s163kJwind from the east-south-east, 4 knots22°C
Thu 22Oct42, fair4 ft8 s146kJwind from the east-north-east, 5 knots23°C
Fri 23Oct42, fair3 ft8 s122kJwind from the north-east, 2 knots24°C
Sat 24Oct24, too small2 ft8 s49kJwind from the north-west, 4 knots, offshore26°C
Sun 25Oct37, fair3 ft6 s67kJwind from the east, 4 knots26°C
Mon 26Oct37, fair3 ft5 s60kJwind from the west-north-west, 7 knots, offshore27°C
Tue 27Oct0, too big7 ft11 s1,087kJwind from the west-south-west, 11 knots22°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. 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 MDW to GIG, changing at ATL, then 40 min by road. About 19h 20 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Sugarloaf Pão de Açucar

    Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Sugarloaf Pão de Açucar

    Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Leme

    Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Laje do sheraton

    Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Laje do sheraton

    Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 3 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to GIG, changing at ATL, then 40 min by road. About 19h 20 door to door

The plan picks the best of 16 spots near Rio de Janeiro each day: Arpoador, Baixio, Castelinho, Flamengo, Forte de Copacabana, Ipanema, Laje do sheraton, Leblon, Leme, Pontão do leblon, Posto 5 - Copacabana, Posto 6, Praia do Diabo, Sao Conrado, Shore break expresso escorpiao, Sugarloaf Pão de Açucar.

The trip from Rio de Janeiro, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £865–£1,665 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to GIG, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£505–£1,045
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£30–£50
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£120–£195
Food7 days eating out£120–£220
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£55–£90
Total£865–£1,665

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

Places to eat near Rio de Janeiro

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

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