Italy
The Spiaggia di Vignola in Vignola Mare, northern Sardinia, is a white sandy beach bordered by a lively campsite in season. It is a popular spot for kiters due to its proximity to the sea and practical facilities like a supermarket and an on-site restaurant.
The area offers a family-friendly atmosphere with a pool and tennis court for non-surfers. The 16th-century Spanish tower overlooks the beach, adding a historical touch to the landscape.
There is a kite school in the southern part, ideal for progressing safely.
The wind data shown here comes from ERA5 (via Open-Meteo) over 4 years, reprocessed to reflect realistic conditions.
👉 Average wind has been calibrated to avoid the usual underestimation of models.
👉 Gusts have been corrected by a median ratio to avoid unrealistic extreme values.
👉 Each day is summarized by the median wind (P50) observed during useful hours (8am–8pm), then classified into wind ranges.
👉 The weighted mode mixes average wind and gusts to best reflect felt wind.
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flatThe spot works well with winds from northwest to west (maestrale and ponente), which are side-on relative to the south-facing beach. Winds from northeast and east (grecale) are perfect, bringing more regular and powerful conditions. However, be careful, the wind can be böig on the water even if it is more stable on land, due to the shading from surrounding reliefs.
Launching is done directly from the wide sandy beach, with a take-off area on the sandstreifen at the water's edge. The navigation area is in the sheltered bay, but there is a lagoon part to the south where kiting is allowed, perfect for twintip in flat. Prefer surfing at sea when waves form with grecale.
Paid parking is abundant near the spot, and the campsite facilitates long stays. A local school offers courses in the southern lagoon.
Ideal conditions are with 15-25 knots from northwest to northeast, for a smooth water surface in the lagoon or choppy at sea.
The water surface is often choppy with maestrale, but can become wave powerful under grecale. The southern lagoon remains flat and protected.
Currents are generally weak in the protected bay. Tides have a moderate range, with no major impact on navigation.
Opt for sizes of 9 to 12 m² in typical conditions, smaller like 7-9 m² when the grecale strengthens.
The wind regime is dominated by maestrale (northwest) and grecale (northeast), blowing regularly at 15-25 knots in season. These thermal winds strengthen in the afternoon, making sessions predictable.
The Mediterranean climate of Costa Smeralda offers warm summers around 25-30°C and mild winters around 10-15°C. The ideal season for kiting extends from March to October, with sunny days almost guaranteed.
The depth is gradual with a sandy bottom near the shore. You can stand for a good distance from the beach.
In summer, the water reaches 22-25°C, while in winter it drops to 15-18°C. A shorty wetsuit is sufficient from June to September.
