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Ceará · Caucaia · Caucaia (Icaraí/Tabuba)

Lagoa da Barra Nova

lagoonbeginner-friendlylow crowds

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

On this page

Wind
- Month by month
Forecast
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Hazards
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Nearby Praia da Tabuba 4 km · Lagoa do Parnamirim 6 km · Cumbuco 9 km · Lagoa do Cauípe 12 km · Pecém Reef 24 km · Taibinha 26 km · Taíba 31 km · straight-line distance

SeasonJan, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Decthe months riders and schools name How windy15-25trade Launchroom to launch not ratedno access rules on record Waterlagoon28°C in summer LevelBeginner to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section Schools1named at this spot From the airportno transfer time published

When it fills in

peaks midday and into the afternoon

Lagoa da Barra Nova is a small lagoon, about 800m x 200m, sitting between the Icaraí and Tabuba beach neighborhoods of Caucaia with a sandbank between it and the open sea. It is shallow and you can stand in most of it.

The trade winds blow 15-25 knots from July to January and that is the season; February to June the wind is lighter, which is fine for a first lesson and dull for anyone else. This is a beginner and freeride lagoon, close enough to Fortaleza to ride on a day trip and quieter than Cumbuco.

The water chops up when it blows, so do not expect a mirror. The Barra Nova Kitesurf Center (BNK) runs IKO instruction from the beach. Nobody has recorded the water temperature, the hazards or whether there is any rescue; assume boardshorts and no boat.

The wind

locals call it trade winds

Direction

cross-onE to NE

Character

trade

fills in: peaks midday and into the afternoon

Typical strength

15-25

Steady in the Jul-Jan season, with gusts and chop when it blows hard; lighter the rest of the year.

July-January is the season, trades at 15-25 knots. Feb-Jun is lighter and better for lessons than for riding.

Also on record

15-25

Direction to shore

cross-on

Forecast

Month by month

Jan, riders' month62
Feb49
Mar30
Apr26
May59
Jun84
Jul, riders' month96
Aug, riders' month99
Sep, riders' month100
Oct, riders' month98
Nov, riders' month95
Dec, riders' month91

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.

12Jan29°
11Feb30°
10Mar30°
10Apr30°
11May30°
12Jun29°
14Jul28°
15Aug27°
16Sep28°
15Oct28°
14Nov29°
13Dec29°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	62%	11.5 kt	E	27.3°C	29.4°C
Feb	49%	11 kt	E	27°C	29.5°C
Mar	30%	9.6 kt	ESE	26.5°C	30°C
Apr	26%	9.7 kt	ESE	26.6°C	30.2°C
May	59%	11.2 kt	SE	26.8°C	29.7°C
Jun	84%	12.4 kt	SE	26.5°C	28.6°C
Jul	96%	13.8 kt	SE	26.5°C	27.8°C
Aug	99%	15.1 kt	ESE	27°C	27.4°C
Sep	100%	15.9 kt	ESE	27.2°C	27.5°C
Oct	98%	15 kt	ESE	27.5°C	27.9°C
Nov	95%	13.6 kt	E	27.9°C	28.5°C
Dec	91%	13.2 kt	E	27.9°C	29°C

modelled

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2020-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2020-2024

The water

Type

lagoon

Standing depth

shallow

Tides

a sandbank separates the lagoon from the open Atlantic

Temperature

28°C summer · 27°C winter

Wetsuit

boardshorts year-round (tropical)

27–30°C waterboardshorts year-round (tropical)

A shallow lagoon roughly 800m by 200m, between the Icaraí and Tabuba beach neighborhoods of Caucaia, choppy rather than glass-flat despite being enclosed.

Your level

beginnerintermediateadvanced

Shallow enough to stand and learn in. The lighter Feb-Jun wind is the beginner window; anyone past their first season will want Jul-Jan.

The scene

What riders come here for

beginnerflat waterfreeridebeginner learning

small local lagoon scene close to Fortaleza, quieter and less touristed than Cumbuco; the Barra Nova Kitesurf Center is the anchor operation

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

1 school names this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch is not rated

no access rules on record

Somewhere else

Praia da Tabuba, 4 km

Praia da Tabuba Lagoa do Parnamirim Cumbuco

Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.

Launch

Sandy beach on the lagoon shore. Barra Nova Kitesurf Center (BNK) teaches here with IKO instructors.

No hazard is on record here

Nobody has flagged a hazard for this spot in what we have read. That is a gap in the record, not a safe beach.

Rules & access

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Rider tips

Close enough to Fortaleza for an easy day trip.
Off-season (Feb-Jun) lighter wind is good for beginner lessons.
Close enough to Fortaleza for an easy day trip rather than a dedicated stay.
Off-season (Feb-Jun) light wind is used deliberately for beginner lessons here.
Lessons and rental run through the on-site Barra Nova Kitesurf Center (BNK).

Getting there

Airport

FOR — Fortaleza (Pinto Martins) International Airport

Route

Short drive from Fortaleza into Caucaia, to the Icaraí/Tabuba beach area

Cost level

budget

Staying

Bungalows and guesthouses near the lagoon; described in one source as sparse and somewhat out of the way

No-wind days

Fortaleza city and its beaches, a short drive away

Photos

natural coastal vegetation in Caucaia, the spot's area — RonaldoMorais / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ

When is the best time to kitesurf at Lagoa da Barra Nova?

The prime season is July to January with consistent trade wind, while lighter wind from February to June suits beginner training specifically.

Is Lagoa da Barra Nova suitable for beginners?

Yes, the shallow lagoon is good for swimming and learning, and the lighter off-season wind is specifically recommended for beginners.

What is the wind like?

Trade wind runs 15-25 knots in season, generally steady but with gustier or choppier patches.

Are there kite schools nearby?

Yes, the Barra Nova Kitesurf Center offers IKO-qualified instruction on site.

Last updated: August 2026