BEST SPOTS IN ILHA DO SAL Ponta Leme Velho -This spot is in front of the Hotel Albatros, where Josh Angulo center is located and is a good spot for people who want to learn free ride and freestyle. Left side off, the wind blows stronger and constantly here than on the beach in Santa Maria. Here is where the beach ends, so be careful about rocks in Leme Velho, but near the shore there are good places to jump. When the ocean is quite stormy sometimes you will have a shore break, from here you can go up wind and then go out from Ponta Leme Velho (from the bay) where you can ride big waves up to two metres or more. Ponta do Sino - This spot is at the end of Santa Maria beach after the tourist villages, where the beautiful sailing boat by Americanino Jeans sank. Good water conditions for everybody and not dangerous. Beginners of surfing come here even during the winter season when there are small tubes of water. Better escape from the shore break which makes quite difficult to go back to the beach.Wind blowing side shore or side on-off. Ponta Preta - If you think you sow everything, you are mistaken!!! Take a taxi, hire a pick-up or simply have a beautiful walk on the beach, but do not miss visiting Ponta Preta. This beach is 1 km far from Ponta do Sino (ask anybody in Santa Maria). The paradise of surfers, the mythic spot of the Windsurf Trilogy and of Kite Board Pro Tour. This is Josh Angulo’s home, who knows any small stone of this spot and dares everything he can. Do not try to follow him!! This spot is a beautiful bay of white sanded beach ending with a small rocky hill. You can accede to the water from the beach , being careful to the shore break, which can destroy your material before you get to the water. If you follow into the water, be prepared to run after the material which will get rapidly to the rocks. Here you will “meet” the most spectacular waves in Sal (people say one of the best in the world). This is the place for expertises who can enjoy themselves with windsurf, kite or surf. All the best worldwide wave riders came here at least once in their life when the mythic Trilogy took place. This wave is only for expertises and it breaks on the rocks, rolling for hundreds metres up to the beach. The wind is side off shore up to 25 nodes. The wave has 3 sections: when the wind blows strongly the top of the wave can have small chops, but after the wave becomes glassy and with tubes. The best swell is from N-NW, while those from W break the waves faster. We suggest to study very well the spot and the waves speed before going out into the water. Every mistake will be badly paid! Rife e Calheta Funda - These two spots are quite close to each other, both have right side off/side shore. We can reach these spots from the same road, leaving Santa Maria on the way to the airport, after 11 km you will find a panel on the left side pointing “Calheta Funda”, this small road will take you to the small sanded beach. The spots right side off are the best for windsurfers who want to train on the waves, but not for beginners. (even if waves are not too big). Santa Maria -The beach of Santa Maria, near the small harbour, is one of the favourite spot of surfers especially in the early morning from 8:00 and late afternoon, from 16:00 when the waves start growing. Spot left side off, good for freestyles and free riders. Serra Negra - If you go to the north-west side of Santa Maria where the village ends, you will find the beautiful beach of “los tiburones” (the sharks), but do not be scared about this name! If you are brave, this spot is a good place to try jumping and for kite-surfing. The wind blows left side on shore, making easy to go back to the beach. (in the picture a jump by Titic). Recently it has become the favourite spot of all kitesurfers.