Guide to kitesurfing in Spain

Overview

In Spain you can kite almost all year, as long as you pick your coast by season. Tarifa, at the southern tip of Andalusia, is still the reference: two winds take turns there, the Levante and the Poniente, and the town lives for kiting from spring to autumn. The Canary Islands add the trade winds, which are especially steady in summer.

The rest of the country is quieter but very varied. The Costa Brava works with the tramontana and summer thermal breezes. The Mar Menor is a shallow lagoon, handy for learning. Galicia and the Cantabrian coast face the Atlantic.

When to go

Spain does not have one season but several, depending on the area.

• Tarifa and the Strait: the season runs from spring to autumn. The Levante, an easterly wind, is strong and gusty. The Poniente, a westerly, is steadier and gentler.
• Canary Islands: the north-east trade winds blow mostly from May to September, peaking in July and August. Winter is less reliable but brings waves.
• Costa Brava: the tramontana, a gusty northerly, blows mostly in spring, autumn and winter. In summer a thermal breeze picks up in the afternoon.
• Mar Menor: a light to moderate thermal wind picks up in the afternoon, from March to October. Bring a big kite.
• Galicia and the Cantabrian coast: our statistics show October to March as the windiest months, with Atlantic lows passing through.

Pick an area above the table to see its month-by-month averages.

Where to kite in Spain

Tarifa has the best-known spots. Los Lances is the long beach north of town. Valdevaqueros is popular because it works in both Levante and Poniente. In Levante the wind blows offshore at Los Lances, which calls for experience.

In the Canary Islands, Fuerteventura has two hubs: the Sotavento lagoon in the south, which fills with the tide and gives flat water, and Flag Beach near Corralejo in the north. Famara on Lanzarote and El Médano on Tenerife complete the archipelago.

On the Mediterranean, Sant Pere Pescador, in the Bay of Roses, is the main spot on the Costa Brava, with a long sandy beach. Further south, Los Alcázares, on the Mar Menor, lets you stand far from the shore. The Ebro Delta, the Balearic Islands and the Valencia coast also have many spots.

Practical info

Getting there. For Tarifa, Málaga airport is the most convenient, with car rental on site. For the Costa Brava, aim for Girona or Barcelona. In the Canary Islands, each main island has its own airport.

Beach rules. In Tarifa, during the bathing season, kiting is only allowed in marked zones, which are closely enforced in summer. Other Spanish beaches may apply similar rules. Ask on site or at a school before you go out.

Gear. In Tarifa, small kites often come out on Levante days. On the Mar Menor it is the opposite: the wind is lighter. The main spots have schools and rental.