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Praia do Preá

Ceará · Prea, Cruz

also known as Prea, Preá, Vila Preá

Part of Prea →

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

beginner-friendlyhigh crowds

On this page

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

Riding essentials

Season

Jul–Jan

Months riders and schools name

How windy

20-35 knots

Character: trade

Room to launch

huge

access rules on record, below

Water

mixed

28–29 °C in summer

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Beginner to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

high crowds · busy Jul Aug Sep Oct

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

Comandante Ariston Pessoa (JJD)

Transfer times under Getting there

On the clock

11:00 · 11:30

Commonly reported from late morning, around 11:00-11:30, through the afternoon during the windy season.

The marks are the clock times the record names, laid on a 24-hour day. The bar between the first and the last covers those hours; it is not a promise of wind.

Nearbystraight-line distance

Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.

Praia da Malhadano page yet
Barrinhano page yet
Lagoa do Paraisono page yet
Lagoa Azulno page yet
Ilha do Guajiru

The spot

The spot and season

Praia do Prea is exposed Atlantic, not a lagoon. Warm water, a very long beach, side-on trade wind, chop and small waves, with a flatter band appearing close to the sand at low tide. July to January is the core season, with August to November the strongest part and 20-35 knots the normal high-season number.

What it suits

That suits freeride, downwinders toward Jericoacoara, surfkite, big-air riding, wingfoil and kitefoil. Beginners do take lessons here, but the wind and the sea state are physical and this is no sheltered teaching lagoon.

Local rules and village

Cruz has its own 2020 kiteboarding law, so launch through an established centre or inside a marked kite zone and stay off the bather and beach-bar frontage. JJD sits close by, and the village has grown from fishing into an international kite base with boutique rooms while staying quieter and more wind-focused than Jeri village.

The wind

locals call it trade winds / ventos alisios / brisa

Direction

cross-onE to ESE

Direction to shore

cross-on

Dominant direction

E to ESE, with NE/ENE also reported

Kite sizes

4567891011121314

metres · typical quiver highlighted

The quiver, in words

For a 75-85 kg rider the working pair is 7 and 9 m.From August to November the 7 m is the everyday kite and a 5 or 6 m covers the afternoons that touch 35 knots; the 9 m belongs to June, July and the January tail.In the February-June low season, at 10-20 knots, that becomes an 11 or 12 m and a lot of waiting.

Character

trade

When it fills in: see above ↑

Average strength

20-30

Typical strength

20-35 knots in the high season; some local schools report days up to about 40 knots

Strong and consistent through the season, but the beach is fully exposed: on the windiest afternoons it feels physical rather than smooth.

The reliable kite season runs July to January, with June/February as shoulder months and February-April or February-May as the wetter/lower-wind period. August-November are the strongest months, with near-daily wind reported in peak season.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

10 ktJan
9 ktFeb
8 ktMar
8 ktApr
9 ktMay
10 ktJun
12 ktJul
13 ktAug
14 ktSep
14 ktOct
13 ktNov
12 ktDec

avg knots per month · season highlighted

Modelled monthly averages. Highlighted: the months riders and schools name (Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan).

Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (~30-yr MERRA-2 reanalysis-based model climatology (not a physical instrument record)), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds.

Every figure, month by monthKnots · Wind from · Air

Month	Knots	Wind from	Air
Jan	10 kt	E	28.3 °C
Feb	9 kt	E	27.8 °C
Mar	7.9 kt	E	27.8 °C
Apr	7.6 kt	E	27.8 °C
May	8.6 kt	E	27.8 °C
Jun	10.2 kt	E	27.2 °C
Jul	11.6 kt	E	27.2 °C
Aug	13.2 kt	E	27.2 °C
Sep	14.1 kt	E	27.8 °C
Oct	14 kt	E	27.8 °C
Nov	13.4 kt	E	28.3 °C
Dec	12 kt	E	28.9 °C

How this is modelledmodelled · ~30-yr MERRA-2 reanalysis-based model climatology (not a physical instrument record)

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

A station this far away — often inland or at an airport — can understate accelerated local wind. 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.

Cruz, Ceará (weatherspark modeled climatology; nearest windfinder-referenced station is Comandante Ariston Pessoa Airport ~20 km away) · Weatherspark (Cedar Lake Ventures, MERRA-2 reanalysis-modeled climatology) · ~30-yr MERRA-2 reanalysis-based model climatology (not a physical instrument record)

The water

Type

mixed

Standing depth

Mostly open-ocean depth over a clean sandy bottom, with no rocks or coral in the main riding area. At low tide the sea pulls back and leaves a flatter, shallower band close to shore that you can stand in at the inside edge; it is not a lagoon-style standing-depth spot and the flat band disappears as the tide fills.

Tides

Tide-sensitive beach: low tide is reported as flatter near the shore, while high tide brings more chop and small waves.

Temperature

28–29 °C summer · 26–27 °C winter

Wetsuit

No full wetsuit normally needed; boardshorts/bikini or lycra/rash vest for sun and wind exposure.

Conditions

A long exposed Atlantic beach with warm water, steady chop and small waves: freeride, surfkite, downwind, wingfoil and kitefoil water rather than butter-flat freestyle. There is a lot of sand to spread out on, but the municipal rules keep kites away from the bathing and beach-bar frontage.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Prea is not a sheltered beginner lagoon: it is windy, choppy open ocean. Beginners do learn here with schools, radio/support and careful timing, especially at lower tide and lighter-swell moments; independent beginners should treat it as demanding. Intermediates and advanced riders get the most out of the spot for freeride, downwind, surfkite, big-air-style boosting, wingfoil and kitefoil.

The scene

What riders come here for

advancedbig airfreestylewavesfreeridedownwindsurfkitewingfoilkitefoilprogression with a school

International kite village with a serious wind-sports crowd, local fishing roots, boutique pousadas and a quieter feel than Jericoacoara village. The beach is long enough to spread riders out, but the core village/kite-center frontage is busy in peak wind season.

Launch and rules

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

With a school or a boat

14 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: huge

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

3 spots nearby

All 3 spots within 40 km are under Nearby

Rescue

+55 88 98853-0232

Rescue — full text1 min read

Rescue is private here.

Rancho do Peixe's water sports centre lists rescues among its services and runs 10:00-18:00 daily (+55 88 98853-0232), and several centres keep a safety boat for their own students and clients.

No municipal lifeguard cover at Prea was confirmed for 2026, and the vehicle rules mean a support car cannot simply drive down the sand to reach you.

National emergency numbers are 193 for fire and rescue and 192 for ambulance.

Launch

Rig on the broad sandy beach in front of Prea village or at one of the established centres, several of which sit inside private clubs with a day-use fee.Launch zonesStay out of the signed bather and beach-bar frontage: under the 2020 Cruz law the permitted kite areas have to be demarcated by the riders with buoys and markers, 200 m off the break, with a 50 m signposted access lane to the water, while the municipality signs the forbidden stretches.Kites left on the sand must have their lines disconnected. The sand is deep and dry high up the beach, which makes solo landings awkward when it blows hard.

Hazards riders report 11 reported

Wind

strong, gusty wind
Strong 20-35 knot trade wind; the strongest days need experience, not just a smaller kite.
Wind direction is given both ways: side-onshore most of the time, occasionally side-offshore, which raises the stakes on any day that holds true.
Deep dry sand high on the beach makes an unassisted landing awkward in strong wind

Crowds and zones

boat/fishing traffic near the village
Fishing activity and jangada/boat traffic are part of the local beach economy, so keep separation near the village and working boats.

Waves and currents

Open-ocean chop and small waves, especially around higher tide.

Protected areas and rules

Municipal no-kite areas in front of beach bars and bather circulation zones; launching in the wrong place can lead to equipment seizure and a fine under Cruz Law 690/2020.
Vehicles are banned from the beach strip, so a pick-up after a downwinder has to be arranged and credentialed in advance

Other

choppy open-water conditions
Kite lines on the sand: Cruz Law 690/2020 requires kites to have lines disconnected while they remain on the beach.

Rules & access

2 min read

Kiting zones

Cruz Municipal Law 690 of 9 October 2020 forbids kitesurf and kiteboarding on the municipal beach stretches in front of the barracas where bathers circulate, defined by maps and descriptive memorials annexed to the law; the published text lists only the heading 'Praia do Prea' and carries no coordinates.

Kiting is permitted on the other beach areas, which must be demarcated in line with Navy determinations, and the law puts that demarcation on the riders themselves: buoys and markers approved by the competent body, a minimum distance of 200 m from the break, and a signposted sea-access lane 50 m wide.

Beach setup

The municipality's own duty is limited to putting up signs on the forbidden stretches.

Fixed structures for storing gear on the beach are not allowed, kites left on the sand must have their lines disconnected, and breaches mean seizure of the equipment plus a fine of one Brazilian minimum wage.

Road traffic

Vehicles are regulated separately and tightly.

Law 691/2020 bans motor traffic on the seafront between staked points running from the property at the east end to the ICMBio guard post at the west, with exceptions for access to properties without another route, reduced-mobility access, deliveries, cleaning, beach patrol and rescue vehicles, and fishermen.

Closing hours

Law 873/2025 added closing hours: the seafront road shuts to traffic 17:00-08:00 from 1 March to 15 June, shuts 17:00-08:00 on weekdays and all day at weekends from 16 June to 28 February, shuts all day on national and municipal holidays, and runs one-way west to east, Jeri towards Prea.

Parking and access

Complementary Law 926 of 19 December 2025 then banned entry, circulation and parking of motor vehicles on the beach strip itself; residents, service providers and sports schools need municipal credentials, vehicles accompanying sailors are allowed only with a service order carrying the itinerary, date and rider details at hours the executive is to set, and unauthorised private vehicles go to a 24-hour visitor car park charging, at 2025 values, R$15 a day for large vehicles and UTVs, R$10 for cars and quad bikes and R$5 for motorcycles.

Events and future rules

Cruz also put a Municipal Kitesurf Day into its events calendar in 2025.

A state bill sent to the Ceara assembly in March 2026 (PL 25/2026) would require schools and instructors statewide to be credentialed, certified and insured; it had not been voted in August 2026.

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

Schools that ride here

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Rider tips

Come here rather than Jeri village for stronger wind and open bump-and-jump water; the transfer from Jericoacoara is about 10 minutes.
Check the tide: low water gives the flatter band close to the beach, high water is choppier and more wave-oriented.
Bring smaller kites than a Brazilian lagoon trip needs, because 20-35 knot days are normal in season, and reserve lodging and transfers early for July-January and the November events.
Take a first session with a local centre so you know which stretch is a legal kite area under the Cruz 2020 law, and go with a guide on your first downwinder.
Leave a kite on the sand only with the lines disconnected; that one is written into the municipal law and enforced with fines.
Do not plan on driving down the beach: since December 2025 the strip is closed to vehicles, and the seafront road runs one-way west to east and shuts at 17:00, so time the drive back.

Getting there

Airport

Jericoacoara Regional Airport / Comandante Ariston Pessoa (JJD), in Cruz; Fortaleza (FOR) is the larger long-haul gateway about 270-300 km away by road.

Route

From JJD, use a pre-booked 4x4, private or shared transfer to Prea, around 20 minutes. From Fortaleza, the usual options are a private 4x4 transfer or a bus toward Jeri and Prea, with total overland travel usually 6-7 hours.Local traffic rules matter once you arrive: the beachfront road is one-way west to east, Jeri towards Prea, and closes to vehicles 17:00-08:00 from 1 March to 15 June, 17:00-08:00 on weekdays plus all day at weekends from 16 June to 28 February, and all day on national and municipal holidays.Since December 2025 motor vehicles may not enter, circulate or park on the beach strip at all; residents, service providers and sports schools need municipal credentials, a vehicle following riders needs a service order with itinerary, date and rider details, and everyone else parks in the 24-hour visitor car park at 2025 rates of R$15 a day for large vehicles and UTVs, R$10 for cars and quad bikes, R$5 for motorcycles.

Transfer

About 20 minutes from JJD to central Prea by car/4x4; about 6-7 hours from Fortaleza by bus/road transfer depending on routing and stops.

Cost level

Medium to high for rural Ceara beach travel: local transfer listings in 2026 show JJD-Prea shared 4x4 from about R$70 per person and private JJD-Prea transfers from about R$240 for up to four people; boutique beachfront accommodation is common alongside simpler pousadas.

Staying

Beachfront kite hotels, boutique villas, eco-bungalows, pousadas and guesthouses in Prea; Jericoacoara has a larger nightlife and lodging base nearby.

No-wind days

Jericoacoara National Park trips, Lagoa do Paraiso, Lagoa Azul, Buraco Azul/Caicara, Arvore da Preguica, Pedra Furada, buggy/quad rides, horseback riding, SUP/surf when suitable, restaurants and sunset dunes.

Photos

FAQ

When is the best time to kite at Praia do Preá?

The reliable season runs July to January, with August to November typically the strongest and wind often 20 to 35 knots.

Is Praia do Preá suitable for beginners?

Beginners do learn here through local schools, but it is windy, open ocean rather than a sheltered lagoon, so independent beginners should treat it as demanding.

What are the rules at Praia do Preá?

A 2020 municipal law bans kiting in front of beach bars where bathers gather, requires kite lines to be disconnected on the sand, and allows fines or equipment seizure for violations.

What is the water like?

It is open Atlantic water with regular chop and small waves, though a flatter, shallower band appears close to shore at low tide.

Are there kite schools nearby?

Yes, several, including Rancho do Peixe Water Sports Center, Wind Spirit Kitecenter and Play Kite School.

The bigger pictureEverything about Prea

Last updated: August 2026