Cave

Cave is a powerful right-hand reef break over a detached shallow reef platform that demands precision and commitment. Waves begin working around 2 to 2.5 meters and can hold sizable surf beyond 4 meters in winter swells. The break produces fast, intensely hollow barrels with an almost mechanical progression of hollow sections, each dropping abruptly into the next like stairs descending into a basement. The water's suction from reef bottom to wave face creates the spectacular spray spits that give the spot its local name. Conditions are most favorable with northwest swell, easterly winds, and low or outgoing tides; summer is typically flat. Sharp, shallow reef and urchins present serious hazards. Winter, particularly December, offers the most consistent and clean groundswell windows.

Cave was originally pioneered by bodyboarders who found it seemingly impossible for surfers to ride. Only in the last several years has the spot gained real traction among the international tow-in and big-wave community, largely through viral sessions and media coverage highlighting its radical geometry. The wave remains one of Ericeira's—and the world's—most technically and physically demanding slabs, reserved strictly for expert surfers practiced in extreme reef conditions.

Access is via a dirt road just north of Ribeira d'Ilhas, positioned between the spots Crazy Left and Coxos, south of Baía dos Dois Irmãos. Parking is limited and typically requires a short walk down an unimproved track to the water. The spot lies roughly 45 minutes north of Lisbon by car depending on traffic.