Kitesurfing locations

Any location with consistent, steady side-onshore winds (10 to 35+ knots, 5 to 18+ m/s), a large open body of water and a good launch area is suitable for kitesurfing. Kitesurfing takes place along ocean shores, usually off beaches, on large lakes, on bays and inlets and occasionally on rivers.

Some of the world's top kitesurfing locations are listed below in alphabetic order. Many of these destinations can provide kitesurfing training and equipment rentals.

Locations

Africa

Cape Verde

• Boa Vista, Cape Verde
• Sal, Cape Verde
• Sao Vicente, Cape Verde

Egypt

• Dahab
• El Gouna
• Hamata
• Hurghada
• Marsa Alam
• Port Safaga
• Ras Sudr
• Sharm El Shaikh^[1]
• Soma Bay

Kenya

• Che Shale Beach,^[2]
• Diani Beach, South Coast ^[3]
• Manda Bay Lamu ^[4]
• Nyali Beach ^[5]
• Watamu Beach,^[6]

Libya

• Tripoli
• Farwah, Zwara, West Tripoli
• Garabulli, East Tripoli
• Juliana Beach, Bingazi

Morocco

• Achakar
• Agadir
• Azemmour Beach^[7][8]
• Cape Spartel
• Dakhla
• Essaouira

Namibia

• Luderitz (location of 2009 world speed record for kitesurfing)^[9]
• Walvis Bay (location of 2006 world speed record for kitesurfing)^[10]

South Africa

• Big Bay, Western Cape^[11]
• Kelso, KwaZulu-Natal
• Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal
• Capricorn Beach, Western cape
• Cannon Rocks, Eastern cape^[12]
• Cape Town, Sunset Beach

Tunisia

• Djerba
• Kalâat el-Andalous
• El Haouaria
• Téboulba
• Kerkennah

Others

• Oneye, Le Morne, Mauritius
• Paje, Zanzibar

Asia

Sri Lanka - Kalpitiya,^[13] Hikkaduwa, Mannar, Mathara

Far East

• Ulsan, South Korea
• Penghu, Taiwan

Middle East

• Amwaj Islands, Bahrain
• Dolfinarium beach, Tel Aviv, Israel
• Ze'elon beach Lake Galilee, Israel
• Sultanat of Oman^[14]
  • Al Sawadi Beach
  • Masirah Island^{[15] [16]}
  • Muscat
• Dubai, U.A.E.^[17]
• Lebanon ^[18]
  • Canaria Beach, Tripoli
  • Holiday Beach, Beyrouth
  • Zoo Beach, Batroun

Southeast Asia

• Hainan Island, China

• Morjim Beach, Goa, India
• Bintan, Indonesia
• Nusa Dua beach, Bali, Indonesia^[19]

• Sanur beach, Bali, Indonesia^[20]
• Kuantan, Malaysia
• Boracay Island, Philippines
• Bulalacao, Mindoro Island, Philippines
• Chumphon, Thailand
• Hua Hin, Thailand
• Pak Nam Pran, Pranburi, Thailand near Hua Hin
• Mui Ne, Vietnam^[21][22]
• Vung Tau, Vietnam^[23]

Europe

Austria

• Neusiedler See

Belarus

• Minskoe more
• Naroch

Bulgaria

• Burgas
• Pomorie
• Varna

Croatia

• Bol
• Medulin
• Neretva River
• Nin

Czech Republic

• Lipno
• Nechranice
• Nove Mlyny
• Rozkos
• Velke Darko

Denmark

• Amager, southern end near Kongelundsfortet
• Hanstholm
• Klitmøller
• Ringkøbing Fjord
• Rømø, west coast island

Estonia

• Haapsalu
• Hiiumaa
• Kakumäe
• Narva-Jõesuu
• Pärnu
• Ristna
• Tallinn - Pirita, Stromka
• Vääna
• Valkla

France

The fédération française de vol libre, responsible for kitesurfing, maintains a map of the main spots with the situation, kitesurfing level needed, restrictions and zoning information, access and hazards at carte.ffvl.fr/?mode=kite.

• Aber Wrac'h, Bretagne^[24][25]
• leucate
• Lac de Monteynard, Isère (38)
• Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, Carteau beach
• Wissant, Pas de Calais (62)

Germany

• Bodensee
• Eiderstedt
• Fehmarn
• Rügen
• Sahlenburg
• Salzhaff
• Sankt Peter-Ording
• Sylt

Georgia

• Tbilisi Sea

Greece

• Anavyssos, Athens
• Angelochori, Thessaloniki
• Drepano, Achaea, Patras
• Elafonisi, Chania
• Halikounas, Corfu
• Keros beach, Lemnos Island
• Kitepark, Lefkandi, Euboea
• Lake Volvi, Thessaloniki
• Lavrio, Athens
• Lefkada
• Naxos Island
• Nea Kios, Nafplio
• Nissakia Surf Club, Artemida, Attica
• Oropos, Athens
• Paros Island
• Pevki, Northern Euboea
• Prasonisi, Rhodes
• Schoinias Bay, Marathon, Greece

Hungary

• Siófok, Szabadisóstó

Ireland

• Bull Island, Dublin ^[26]
• Keel, Achill Island, Co. Mayo
• Lahinch, Co. Clare
• Rosses Point, Co. Sligo
• Rossnowlagh, Co. Donegal
• Rush, Co. Dublin
• Tramore, Co. Waterford

Italy

• Cagliari, Petrol Beach - Sardinia Island
• Lake Como, Italy^[27]
• Lake Garda^[28]
• Pellaro

Latvia

• Bērzciems
• Koklites
• Kolka
• Liepāja
• Lilaste
• Pāvilosta
• Ventspils
• The White Dune
• Zvejniekciems

Lithuania

• Dreverna ^[29]
• Elektrenai
• Juodkrantė
• Monciskes, near Palanga
• Nida
• Šventoji

Montenegro

• Velika Plaža, Ada Bojana

The Netherlands

• Borssele
• Callantsoog
• Harlingen
• Hindeloopen
• IJmuiden
• Kamperland
• Katwijk
• Makkum
• Mirns
• Monster
• Muiderberg
• Neeltje-Jans
• Noordwijk Beach
• Oostvoorne
• Renesse
• Rockanje
• Westland
• Workum
• Zandvoort

Norway

• Larkollen
• Sola

Poland

• Bay of Puck, Poland
• Hel, Poland
• Rewa, Poland

Portugal

• Cabedelo Beach, Viana do Castelo
• Costa da Caparica
• Faro Beach
• Figueira da Foz
• Guincho Beach

Russia

• Anapa, Black Sea coast, Krasnodar Krai
• Kite Beach^[30] on Vistula Lagoon, Kaliningrad Oblast
• Lake Pleshcheyevo, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Yaroslavl Oblast
• Yantarny, Kaliningrad Oblast

Spain

Punta Paloma Beach, Tarifa, Spain

Cape Trafalgar, Spain

• Ayamonte, Isla Canela near Ayamonte
• Barcelona^[31]
• Castelldefels, Barcelona
• Costa Brava
• Costa Calma, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands
• El Medano, Tenerife, Canary Islands
• Lanzarote Famara^[32][33]
• Mallorca
• Mar Menor, Murcia
• St. Pere Pescador
• Tarifa^[34][35]

Sweden

• Fortuna Beach Rydebäck
• Habo Ljung
• Höllviken
• Lagan Båstad
• Varberg

Switzerland

• Lake Silvaplana, Switzerland ^[36]

Turkey

The bay in Gökova, Turkey

• Alaçatı Bay, Cesme ^[37] (Only north shore as south shore - shallow side is reserved for wind surfers) ), http://www.advancekiting.com/
• Pirlanta Bay, Cesme (avoid weekends)
• Çukurova, Karataş, Yumurtalık,Taşucu ^[38]
• Didim ^[39]
• Gökova Bay, Muğla ^[40]
• Ayvalik http://kitezoneayvalik.com/
• Gökçeada District of Çanakkale Province http://www.volkite.com/
• Gümüşdere, Sarıyer-ISTANBUL, http://www.kiteboardistanbul.com/index.html
• Urla, İzmir, http://www.advancekiting.com/

United Kingdom

Littlestone-on-Sea, New Romney, England

Newborough Beach, Wales

• Aberdeen, Scotland
• Ainsdale, Merseyside
• Allonby, Cumbria
• Blackpool, Lancashire
• The Bluff, Hayle, Cornwall^[41]
• Bournemouth, Dorset
• Calshot, Hampshire
• Camber Sands, East Sussex^[42]
• Daymer Bay, Cornwall^[43]
• Exmouth, Devon^[44]
• Fleetwood, Lancashire
• Hayling, Hampshire
• Hill Head, Hampshire
• Hunstanton, Norfolk
• Littlestone-on-Sea, New Romney, Kent^[45]
• Minnis Bay, Thanet, Kent^[46]
• Newborough, Anglesey
• Poole Harbour, Dorset ^[47]
• Poppit Sands, Wales
• Portland Harbour, Dorset
• Rhosneigr, Anglesey
• Rustington, Littlehampton, West Sussex^[48]
• Southend, Essex^[49]
• Troon, South Ayrshire^[50]
• Watergate Bay, Cornwall
• West Wittering, West Sussex
• Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset
• Weymouth, Dorset
• Worthing, West Sussex

North and Central America

On the Columbia River, North America

Wearing dry suits on Long Island, New York in winter when temperatures are near 0 °C (32 °F)

Canada

• Callender Bay, Lake Nipissing, Ontario
• Iles de la Madeleine, Québec
• Lamèque, New Brunswick^[51]
• Cocagne, New Brunswick
• Malpeque, PEI
• Nitinat Lake, British Columbia
• Sauble Beach, Ontario^[52]
• Squamish, British Columbia^[53]
• Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba^[54]
• Georgian Bay, Ontario, Wasaga Beach Wasaga Beach Area 5

Caribbean

• Malmok Beach, Aruba^[55]
• San Salvador, Bahamas^[56]
• Silver Sands, Barbados
• Atlantis Beach, Bonaire
• Cabarete Bay, Dominican Republic.^[57]
• Mole Saint Nicolas, Haïti^[58]
• Bounty Bay, Trelawny, Jamaica.^[59]
• La Parguera, Puerto Rico^[60]
• Ocean Park, Puerto Rico^[61]
• Cas en Bas, St. Lucia^[62]
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines^[63]
• Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands^[64]

Central America

• Lake Arenal, Costa Rica
• Bahia Salinas, Costa Rica
• Las Penitas, Leon, Nicaragua

Kiteboarding Lake Nicaragua, san jorge, la virgen

• Punta Chame, Panama

Mexico

• Cozumel
• Progreso Airlift Kiteboarding Yucatan
• La Ventana, Baja Sur
• Los Barriles, Baja Sur
• Playa del Carmen^[65]
• Tulum^[66]

United States

• Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin
• Cape Cod, Massachusetts
• Cape Hatteras, North Carolina^[67]
• Chesapeake Bay, Virginia
• Cocoa Beach, Florida
• Columbia River, Northwestern USA ^[68]
• Coronado, California^[69]
• Corpus Christi, Texas, Gulf of Mexico^[70][71]
• Dewey Beach, Delaware
• East Tawas, Michigan
• Lake Hefner, Oklahoma ^[72]
• Grand Haven, Michigan
• Hood River, Oregon
• Lake Isabella, California ^[73]
• Islamorada, Whale Harbor, Florida
• Jekyll Island, Georgia
• Jupiter, Florida
• Kailua, Hawaii
• Key Biscayne, Florida
• Long Beach, California
• Maui, Hawaii
• Miami, Florida^[74]
• Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota^[75]
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Mokuleia Beach, Hawaii
• Muskegon, Michigan
• New Smyrna Beach, Florida
• Pacific Beach, California
• San Francisco Bay Area, California
• Santa Cruz, California^[76]
• Texas City Levee, Texas
• Texas City Dike, Texas
• South Padre Island, Texas
• Traverse City, Michigan
• Ventura County, California
• Washoe Lake, Nevada

Oceania

Note: for Hawaii, refer to entries listed in the United States section on this page

Australia

St Kilda on Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, Australia

Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia

Rye, Victoria, Australia

• Cairns, Queensland
• City Beach, Western Australia
• Coffs Harbour, New South Wales
• Cooktown, Queensland^[77]
• Esperance, Western Australia^[78]
• Geraldton, Western Australia^[79]
• Inverloch, Victoria
• Lancelin, Western Australia^[79]
• Margaret River, Western Australia^[80]
• Marrawah, Tasmania^[81]
• Merimbula, New South Wales
• Newcastle, New South Wales
• Port Douglas, Queensland^[82]
• Port Phillip Bay^[83][84]
• Safety Bay, Western Australia
• Sandy Point, Victoria^[83]
• Shoalhaven, New South Wales
• Stanley, Tasmania^[85]
• Tannum Sands, Queensland
• Whitsunday Islands^[86]
• Whyalla, South Australia
• Woodman Point, Western Australia
• Yorkeys Knob, Queensland

Fiji

• Nananu-i-Ra, Fiji^[87]
• Suva, Fiji^[88]

New Zealand

View Google Map of locations

Otago Harbour, South Island, New Zealand

• Avon Heathcote Estuary, Christchurch
• Beachlands, Auckland Region
• Lake Clearwater, Canterbury
• Lake Coleridge, Canterbury
• Lake Dunstan, Otago
• Eastbourne, Wellington Region
• East End, Taranaki
• Lake Ellesmere, Canterbury
• Lyttelton Harbour, Canterbury
• Orewa, Auckland Region
• Otago Harbour, Otago
• Tahunanui, Tasman
• Waikuku Beach, Canterbury
• Lake Wakatipu, Otago
• Lake Wanaka, Otago
• Westport, West Coast Region

Others

• Saipan, Mariana Islands
• Sainte-Marie Bay, Noumea, New Caledonia^[89]

South America

Fortaleza, Brazil

Bahia Inglesa, Chile

Power kites at Coche, Venezuela

Argentina

• Bajada de Lanchas, Lago Lolog, San Martin de los Andes, Neuquén
• Caleta de los Loros, Río Negro
• Cape San Antonio, Buenos Aires Province
• Cariló, Buenos Aires Province
• Claromecó, Tres Arroyos, Buenos Aires Province
• Dique Roggero, Moreno, Buenos Aires Province
• El Cóndor, Viedma, Río Negro
• Embalse Río Tercero, Córdoba
• Kitebeach, Martínez, Buenos Aires Province ^[90]
• Laguna De Chascomus, Chascomús, Buenos Aires Province
• Laguna de Gomez, Junin, Buenos Aires Province
• Laguna de Lobos, Lobos, Buenos Aires Province
• Laguna La Salada, Pedro Luro, Buenos Aires Province
• Laguna Mar Chiquita, Córdoba
• Laguna Setubal, Santa Fe
• Mar Chiquita, Buenos Aires Province
• Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Province
• Melincué, Santa Fe
• Nahuel Huapi, Bariloche, Río Negro
• Pinamar, Buenos Aires Province
• Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Patagonia
• Punta Indio, Buenos Aires Province
• Punta Lara, La Plata, Buenos Aires Province
• Punta Rasa, San Clemente del Tuyú, Buenos Aires Province ^[91]
• Quila Quina, Lago Lacar, San Martin de los Andes, Neuquén
• Rosario, Santa Fe
• San Antonio Este, Río Negro
• Santa Clara, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Province
• Tafí Del Valle, Tucumán
• Termas de Río Hondo, Santiago del Estero

Brazil

• Barra Grande^[92]
• Canoa Quebrada^[93]
• Cumbuco^{[94][95][96][97]}
• Fortaleza
• Ibiraquera
• Ilha do Guajiru ^[98][99]
• Jijoca de Jericoacoara

Chile

• Bahia Inglesa ^[100]
• Laguna de Aculeo
• La Sirena, Curanipe
• Matanzas
• Pichidangui
• Puertecillo
• Tranque Puclaro

Colombia

• Cabo de la Vela
• Calima Lake
• Cartagena
• Puerto Velero

Uruguay

• Lago Merín
• Punta del Este

Venezuela

• Adicora, Paraguana ^[101]
• Coche^[102]
• Playa El Yaque, Isla Margarita
• Laguna de la Restinga, Isla Margarita
• Cayo de Agua, Los Roques Archipelago
• Varadero, Morrocoy National Park
• Dique de Guataparo, Carabobo
• Lago de Macagua, Bolívar
• La Tortuga Island
• Puerto La Cruz

Peru

• Máncora, Piura Region, Talara Province, Peru
• Villa Kite's beach, Santo Domingo, Paracas^[103]
• Tres Cruces, Piura Region, Talara Province, Peru

Safety and Restrictions

Kite surfing is restricted or banned in some locations. This may be the result of safety and liability concerns, excessive beach traffic and poorly organized practising of kiteboarding. Bans have been reversed when kitesurfers have organized, prepared riding guidelines and negotiated with authorities for resumption of the sport. Many kite boarders stress safety and quality professional instruction to keep the sport from being banned or restricted.

Not all locations will have bans posted. Usually a warning from a park ranger, lifeguard or other official will let the rider know that kite surfing is not allowed. As a general rule, if other kiteboarders are in the water, it is probably permitted.

When new to an area or visiting check area restrictions and precautions before rigging up and riding. This courtesy should give a better riding session, avoid friction with locals and help to preserve kiting access. If riders offer suggestions, including not using a certain sized kite, relocating to a safer launch site or not going out in current conditions, consider their advice carefully.^[104]

Learners should practice at locations where there are few other beach users, with no hazards such as reefs, rock walls and rock groynes, strong tidal flows and busy boating areas.^[105]

External links

• LocalKiteSpots - Maps and wind conditions of kitesurfing spots worldwide
• TheWindMap - Wiki of worldwide windsurfing and kitesurfing spots

References