Kitesurfing in Prea
The small fishing village of Prea is 7.5 mi upwind from the popular resort of Jericoacoara. The kite spot itself begins at the eastern end of the village and is located directly on the open Atlantic. There is no offshore reef, lagoon or estuary here. That means, if you want to kite directly in Prea, you have to do without flat water for better or worse. The closest flat water spot is on Barrinhas Beach, which is 4 miles upwind away. However, there is only flat water there at low tide
But the spot not only offers an extremely high wind probability, but often a few knots more wind than the other kite spots in this region. The decisive factor for this is the local dune landscape, which gives the trade wind an additional boost. That is the reason why Prea is sometimes referred to as a strong wind area by one or the other.
In 2004 Mikaili Sol was born in Prea. At the age of 14, she was already a multiple world champion and is considered one of Brazil’s greatest young talents.
Spot and wind conditions
shallow flat water choppy wave < 5 ft
There are no space problems whatsoever on the miles-long, fine sand beach. There is also plenty of room for everyone on the waterfront. There are no stones or reefs at the kite spot. Numerous cones on the beach and an unmistakably large yellow buoy in the water separates the beginners area from the rest. But that alone does not make Prea a suitable spot for beginners. If you can’t stay upwind, you shouldn’t go into the water here. The only standing area is directly on the beach and at high tide the shore break makes it difficult to get out.
On some days it can happen that the wind blows weakly from the south and thus offshore in the morning to mid-morning. From 11 a.m. at the latest, it then turns into the main wind direction and remains reliably sideonshore for the rest of the day. From the afternoon on, the wind reaches a strength of a little more than six Beaufort on a normal day.
Tide
Since kiting in Prea is done exclusively in the open sea, conditions are dependent on the tides.
While you only have to deal with a slight choppy wave at low tide, it gets really choppy at high tide. If you are a beginner you should get out of the water before the tide arrives. The conditions are roughly the same as in the sea off Cumbuco, although somewhat rougher, as the wind is usually stronger here.
Dangers zones
If the wind is still blowing offshore in the morning, wait until it turns. This happens around noon at the latest. If you are heading towards Jeri, you have to expect some fishing boats on the beach of Prea. At the western end of the village there are several huge rocks 300 yards in the sea. However, you can already see them from a great distance.
Watch your lines on the beach. There are quite a lot of vehicles and motorcycles on the beach. The same applies during launching and landing a kite. Do it right near the beach and not across the sandy road.
Kitesurf Downwinder
A trip to the 4 mi east flat water spot in Praia de Barrinha is recommended and can be combined very well with an easy kitesurf downwinder back to Prea. This route is also suitable for downwind beginners. A downwind trip to the flat-water spot Guriu, 15 mi away, on the other hand, is only recommended for experienced kitesurfers. The prominent neighbouring town of Jericoacoara is the destination of numerous kitesurf downwinders that start in Cumbuco. From there, the route continues mostly via Barra Grande to Atins.
Spot overview
Prea location description
The village is located at the eastern end of Jericoacoara National Park. Apart from the paved main road, the streets consist of compact sand. A four-wheel drive vehicle is not necessary, even if you want to take a trip to Jeri. You should allow 30 minutes for the 7.5 mi route if you still want to use the car’s shock absorbers afterwards.
A lot has changed in recent years, especially in terms of accommodation. Not only upwind along the beach, some new high quality pousadas for kitesurfers have been built. If you want to stay overnight at a reasonable price, you can do so in town, but you will have to do without a room with a sea view. You don’t have as much choice in restaurants as in hotels. For a very special evening, more than a few go to Jeri. If you don’t have your own car, simply take one of the off-road shuttles.
There are also several pharmacies and supermarkets in the village, some of which offer a surprisingly wide range of products. There are also a few clothing shops, but if you fancy a shopping spree, Jericoacoara is the place to be.
Directions
The drive from the airport in the metropolis of Fortaleza takes about 4 hours and the distance is 177 mi. Most of the route leads along the well-developed and asphalted main road CE-085. Only the last 8 miles are on a side road to Prea. Jericoacoara National Airport is less than 12 miles from Prea. But only very few international guests will be able to enjoy such a short journey.
Accommodation and restaurants
Even though there are now some alternatives, if you are looking for upmarket accommodation, it is hard to go past Rancho do Peixe. With the associated kite centre Rancho do Kite, which is in a prime location directly on the beach, a kitesurfer is offered everything he needs. Despite its rather remote location, Prea has nothing to hide when it comes to the choice of accommodation.
Most restaurants in Prea serve good Brazilian cuisine. In addition to the Brazilian national dish Feijoada, it consists primarily of fish, seafood, beef and chicken. But don’t worry, pizza, burgers and sushi are also represented, as is French and Italian cuisine. For an even bigger choice, consider an evening excursion to Jeri.
Additional Activities
The choice of other activities is quite limited in Prea. You can take a buggy tour to the sand dunes, the national park or to Lagoa do Paraiso. Some accommodations offer yoga as well as a regular transfer (partly free of charge) to Jeri.
