Cave

📍 Local Knowledge

Cave (also known as "The Basement" or "Sete Bafos") in Portugal is widely regarded as the heaviest and most dangerous wave in the Ericeira World Surfing Reserve, suitable only for expert surfers. This is an extremely shallow, fast, and hollow right-hand reef break that breaks over a rocky platform, generating intense suction that forms a powerful, square barrel. The spot is inconsistent, requiring significant swell to work. When it does, optimal conditions are provided by a Northwest swell and offshore winds from the East (NE-SE), typically surfed during mid- to high-tide. Hazards are extreme, including impact with a razor-sharp, shallow reef, making a mistake potentially life-threatening. The best, most powerful waves occur in the autumn and winter months.