Greece
Paralia Marikes, in Rafina, Attica, is a spacious and relatively uncrowded beach, located 1.5 km from the city center. It is a local spot appreciated for its cleanliness and easy access from Athens.
The wind often blows from the north, with conditions suitable for riders who know the area. The atmosphere remains calm, away from crowded tourist spots.
Close to the port of Rafina, it is a convenient starting point to explore other destinations like Evia by ferry.
Les données de vent affichées ici proviennent d’ERA5 (via Open-Meteo) sur 4 ans, retraitées pour refléter des conditions réalistes.
👉 Le vent moyen a été calibré pour éviter la sous-estimation habituelle des modèles.
👉 Les rafales ont été corrigées par un ratio médian afin d’éviter des valeurs extrêmes irréalistes.
👉 Chaque jour est résumé par le vent médian (P50) observé pendant les heures utiles (8h–20h), puis classé dans des plages de vent.
👉 Le mode pondéré mélange vent moyen et rafales pour refléter au mieux le vent ressenti.
chopchopThe spot of Paralia Marikes mainly works with a north wind, which comes in side-shore relative to the east-west oriented beach. This orientation creates a choppy water surface with sometimes small kickers near the shore, ideal for freestyle or wakestyle once you are confident.
Launching is done directly from the wide sandy beach, with enough space for takeoff without disturbing bathers during the day. The navigation area extends offshore, but you need to go well upwind to avoid the swimming area and occasional fishermen.
No pronounced tidal effect in the Mediterranean, so the water surface remains constant, but be careful of the chop that forms quickly with winds above 20 knots. Sessions are better early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the thermal rises from the land.
Ideal conditions are a north wind 15-25 knots, side-shore, for a rideable water surface without too much power. Avoid days that are too strong beyond 30 knots if you are not an expert.
The water surface is typically choppy, with a clean sandy bottom and a gradual depth. Small waves form with strong winds, but nothing more than 1 meter.
Currents are generally weak along this exposed coast, with no major channel nearby. Tides are minimal in the Mediterranean, with less than 30 cm of variation.
Opt for kite sizes of 9 to 12 m² in typical conditions of 15-25 knots. Go larger in winter or light winds, and smaller for summer gusts.
The dominant wind comes from the north, often thermal in summer, with strengths of 15 to 40 knots in nearby spots like Loutsa. At Paralia Marikes, it is consistent but less extreme, around 15-25 knots on average.
No specific local name, but it follows the regime of Greek meltemi, side-shore on this beach.
The Mediterranean climate of Rafina offers hot summers with temperatures around 25-30°C and mild winters around 10-15°C. The best months for kiting are from May to October, with a wind score of 73/100 throughout the year according to the data.
Little rain in season, but summer meltemi winds bring reliable wind.
The depth is gradual with a sandy bottom. You can stand up to about 50-100 meters from the shore according to local sources.
In summer, the water reaches 22-26°C, a shorty is sufficient. In winter, it drops to 15-18°C, plan for a 3/2.
