About
Orlando Pereira was born in the famous village of Jardim do Mar and was the first surfer in Madeira Island. He was a surfer competitor and won for several years the Madeira Regional Championship.
Also high competition status he represented the region in the Nacional Surf contests as well was in the World Big Waves Championships (the only one representing Madeira), in Madeira.
He is certified by the Portuguese Institute of Sport with a professional title as a surf coach from the Universidade Lusofona de Lisboa.
He has worked more than 23 years with Tourism in Madeira Island, working in for the hotel group Porto Bay. In 2012 he has developed and created a full project of accommodation and outdoor experiences, also in his Island.
Orlando Pereira had the honor and merit to be distinguished with the Bronze medal as Promoter of Madeira island surfing destination as the most connaisseur of the best surfing spots, waves, and weather conditions of the island. having this, he is the most safer guide in the island and everybody want to be with him, following him and his waves.
But not only in Madeira he is known – Orlando Pereira is a recongized surfer in the international market and complemented his experiece and connections when working in a surf travel agency fomenting surf worldwide, including the Madeira spots in the international surfing scheme. He has developed in the last year a strategy to sell Jardim do Mar accomodations and activities. Go and check his profile and pictures in Instagram and Facebook
A Story Made of Waves
Long before Madeira became known for surfing, Orlando was already riding its waves on boards he carved by hand in Jardim do Mar. Growing up by the sea, he and his childhood friends built their own gear from wood and turned an old boat ramp into their training ground.
That passion grew into the Surf Clube Jardim do Mar, founded with childhood friends to give local youth a place to train, compete and belong. Years of hard work and countless waves later, the club became part of the village's identity.
Orlando's story was even featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine's 1998 "All About Men" special issue, recognising him as one of Madeira's pioneering surfers. Today, that same passion and local knowledge is what he brings to every rental and lesson.
In late 2020, Orlando pushed his limits further, riding an astonishing 11-metre wave in Jardim do Mar - with no inflatable vest and no jet-ski safety support, relying solely on 30 years of surfing preparation. The wave was measured and verified by coastal engineer Douglas Nemes, and is remembered as one of the biggest ever surfed on the island.
