Cabo Polonio Surf Guide

Cabo Polonio in West Uruguay is an exposed beach break that has fairly consistent surf. Autumn and winter are the favoured times of year for waves. The best wind direction is from the east northeast. Tends to receive distant groundswells and the ideal swell direction is from the southwest. Waves at the beach break both left and right. Best around low tide. Even when there are waves, it's not likley to be crowded. Be wary of rips - they make surfing here dangerous.

Cabo Polonio Spot Info

Type:Rating:Reliability:Todays Sea Temp*:
Beach3fairly consistent
15.3°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Cabo Polonio:

The best conditions reported for surf at Cabo Polonio occur when a Southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the East-northeast.

What's the best time of year to surf Cabo Polonio (for consistent clean waves)?

januaryBest Season: summer
The best time of year for surfing Cabo Polonio with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Summer  and most often the month of January. Clean surfable waves are typically found 6% of the time in January while 16% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 78% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
6%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
16%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
78%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Cabo Polonio Location Map

Interactive Cabo Polonio surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The nearest passenger airport to Cabo Polonio is El Jaguel International (Punta Del Este) Airport (PDP) in Uruguay, which is 117 km (73 miles) away (directly). The second closest airport to Cabo Polonio is Carrasco International (Montevideo) Airport (MVD), also in Uruguay, 210 km (130 miles) away.

  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.
Cabo Polonio Surf Forecasts:
Todays Surf Summary
Sunday, 17 May 2026, 19:05 Local Time
SunMon
6PM9PM0AM3AM
Wave (m)
1.4
S
1.4
S
1.3
S
1.3
S
Period (s) 8 8 9 9
Wind (km/h)
25
20
20
15
Wind State cross-
on
cross-
on
on cross-
on

Swell History at Cabo Polonio

Surf stats for Cabo Polonio, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

Wind History at Cabo Polonio

Wind stats for Cabo Polonio, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.


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