Is Stella Maris good for beginners?

Stella Maris is rated Beginner: the median wave is 0.9 m and 81% of days are mellow (0.4 to 1.2 m).

How warm is the water at Stella Maris?

The yearly mean sea temperature is 27°C, so most of the year you want boardshorts.

World › Brazil › Bahia › Stella Maris

Stella Maris 60.0

#3191 of 5756 surf spots in the world · 🇧🇷 Brazil · Bahia · near Salvador

Works almost every day, wind is the enemy here, no off season.

Works all yearWarm waterBeginner friendlyBeginner

Photo: DlauriniJr · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Surf score60.0 /100

Surfable days100% of the year

Clean days1% groundswell + friendly wind

Groundswell6% period 11 s+

Typical size0.9 m 3.1 ft median

Water27°C boardshorts

Best time to surf Stella Maris

The best time to surf Stella Maris is March, April, June. It rarely works. In June the water sits around 27°C, so pack boardshorts, and the typical wave is 1.2 m. The nearest airport is SSA (3 km) and the nearest town is Salvador (18 km).

Month	Surfable	Clean	Size	Water	Suit
Jan	97%	0%	0.8 m	27°C	boardies
Feb	98%	0%	0.8 m	28°C	boardies
Mar	99%	4%	0.9 m	28°C	boardies
Apr	100%	3%	0.9 m	28°C	boardies
May	100%	1%	1.0 m	28°C	boardies
Jun	100%	6%	1.2 m	27°C	boardies
Jul	100%	1%	1.2 m	26°C	boardies
Aug	100%	0%	1.2 m	26°C	boardies
Sep	100%	1%	1.1 m	26°C	boardies
Oct	100%	0%	1.0 m	26°C	boardies
Nov	100%	2%	0.9 m	26°C	boardies
Dec	100%	0%	0.9 m	27°C	boardies

Why 60.0

Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and multiplied by its weight; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world scores 100. Wave quality and what the spot does on its best days carry more than half of it, which is what separates this from a ranking of where the water is warm.

Wave quality 34.7%

21.2

Best days 22.4%

6.1

Clean days 18.4%

0.2

Consistency 10.2%

10.2

Season spread 4.1%

4.1

Water comfort 6.1%

6.1

Access 4.1%

4.0

The detail

Faces 135° with 53% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 24% of days. Mean peak period 8.2 s. Days over 3 m: 0%. On its best tenth of days it reaches 1.4 m, with a peak period of 9 s. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 81%. Months that work: 12 of 12. Coordinates -12.936, -38.324 (OpenStreetMap).

What it costs to be here

Living here

€1,180/ month

typically €1,040 – €1,320

Rent, one bedroom€616

Groceries€248

Eating out€140

Getting around€81

Phone + internet€86

Renting by the month, cooking most days, local transport.

One month here

€2,290/ month

typically €2,020 – €2,560

Somewhere to stay€1,350

Eating out€481

Car, transfers, fuel€313

Data + extras€146

Short stays, eating out, a car or transfers.

49% cheaper if you live here instead of visiting

Airport and town on the doorstep, so the local estimate is 8% above the country average. Estimate: World Bank PPP price level for Brazil (2025, United States = 1.00) applied to a fixed surfer basket, then adjusted for how remote the spot is. Your own number moves with the season and how you live.

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See the cabin

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