The list of the top kitesurfing spots in Europe by month for beginners and advanced sportsmen

Every year, thousands of water sports enthusiasts from all over the world come to Europe's beaches to practice kitesurfing. Wind, water, sun: Europe is the perfect place to enjoy it.

However, the geography of places for kitesurfing in Europe is incredibly large. Starting from the most popular and easily accessible places and ending with some exotic destinations. It can be mainland or an island, any way you will find a spot where you can ride. All of it depends on the wind season, as in each country it starts at different times of the year.

In this article we share the list of the 10 best kitesurfing spots in Europe: 7 for beginners and 3 for advanced sportsmen with detailed and useful information as well as a kitesurfing calendar by month for the same spots. Let's move from north to south.

Best kitesurfing spots in Europe for beginners and andvanced sportsmen. Illustration: Valerya Milovanova / Windy.app

Best kitesurfing spots in Europe for beginners

Poole Harbour, United Kingdom

There are two main beaches for kiting: 1). The “Duck Pond” works best on anR NW wind because the wind funnels down the river from Exeter and cleans up as it comes down the estuary. The main sailing area is sheltered by a sandbank at low tide, this keeps the swell at bay and provides excellent flat water conditions. 2). The seafront. Wind Works best in S, SE and ESE. This is when the clean wind comes in off the sea and is onshore. SW works usually but is gusty. The main sailing area is sheltered by a massive sandbank which keeps the swell at bay and provides excellent flat water conditions.

Season: all year
Wind: 5–18 m/s
Working wind directions: NW
Kite sizes: 7–17 m
Depth: 0.5–1 m
Water conditions: flat, little chop

Wind forecast for Poole Harbour, UK

St. Peter-Ording, Germany

Saint Peter-Ording is located on the biggest beach in Germany (2 km wide and 12 km long). Saint Peter-Ording is situated on a peninsula and has a lot of various spots for all weather conditions. There are shoal lagoons for learners, flat water spots for freestyle riders and wave spots for pro-riders.

Season: March — October
Wind: 6—13 m/s
Working wind directions: SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW
Kite sizes: 9—15 m
Depth: >1 m
Water conditions: chop, waves 1–3m

Wind forecast for St. Peter-Ording, Germany

Brouwersdam, Netherlands

Zeeland is the sunniest place in the Netherlands. A lot of kitesurfers come to these beaches every year for the good weather conditions. The beaches of the North sea with a length of 60 kilometers give the opportunity to engage in water sports. The most popular places In Zeeland suitable for kitesurfing are Vrouwenpolder (in the lagoon at high tide) and Brouwersdam.

Season: May — October
Wind: 6–13 m/s
Working wind directions: SSW, SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW
Kite sizes: 9–15
Depth: 0.5–1.5 m
Water conditions: small wave
Water conditions: chop, waves 1–3 m

Wind forecast for Brouwersdam, Netherlands

Garda Lake, Lombardy/Veneto/Trentino, Italy

In Italy at Garda Lake strong winds blow all 12 months. Onshore wind, called Peler, blows in the morning and offshore wind, called Ora, blows from afternoon until sunset. Around the lake, there are many spots for kiting and sailing. On the eastern side the most popular spots are Malcesine, Campagnola with a stone beach and Navene with a special beach for launching and a parking area. Conditions are always great, but there are some restrictions in relation to the time and area for kiting — so learn about it before you go on water.

Season: all year
Wind: 4–15 m/s
Working wind directions: SW before 10:30 am, more than 10 m/s, NE after 2 pm, less than 10 m/s
Kite sizes: all
Depth: >1 m
Water conditions: little chop

Wind forecast for Garda Lake, Italy

Almanarre, France

One of the main spots for kitesurfing in France is the Almanarre beach. The peninsula is called Giens and it is 5 km long. Popular among kitesurfers from France, it also attracts riders from all over the world because you can ride on a long sandy beach and with stable wind conditions here.

Season: May — October
Wind: 7–13 m/s
Working wind directions: E, SE, SSE, S, W, WNW, NW
Kite sizes: 9–15
Depth: 0.5–1.5 m
Water conditions: chop

Wind forecast for Almanarre, France

Sicilia, Italy

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean sea, it has warm weather and a large flat shoal lagoon. Flat and shoal water makes it a unique place in Italy for beginners to learn quickly. The wind blows more than 300 days a year and you will be kiting very often.

Season: May — September
Wind: 9–14 m/s
Working wind directions: N, NNE, W, WNW, NW, NNW
Kite sizes: 10–15 m
Depth: 0,5–1 m
Water conditions: flat, little chop

Wind forecast for Sicily, Italy

Gokova, Turkey

Gökova Bay is located in the west of Turkey and surrounded by the warm and clear Aegean Sea. For unknown reasons, this spot is one of the most unpopular in Europe which means there is no huge traffic. Along the entire length of the bay (3 kilometers) there is a small chop. A steady thermal wind blows every evening.

Season: April — November
Wind: 5–15 m/s
Working wind directions: N, NE, S, SW, WSW
Kite sizes: 7–17 m
Depth: 0.5–1 m
Water conditions: flat, little chop

Wind forecast on Gokova, Turkey

Best kitesurfing spots in Europe by month. Valerya Milovanova / Windy.app

Best kitesurfing spots in Europe for advanced sportsmen

Tarifa, Spain

The most southern part of Spain on the Strait of Gibraltar, which connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. This is the famous «Capital of the winds» — Tarifa. Only 16 km separate Europe and Africa here.

There are ideal conditions for extreme sports — strong winds, waves, sandy beaches and fast current. During the Levante, wind blows from the east and during the Poniente wind blows from the west. Two main areas for kitesurfing in the vicinity of Tarifa: 1). A long wide beach Playa de Los Lances (DOS Mares), where both beginners and professionals can ride, and 2). A smaller beach is Valdevaqueros, with excellent conditions for kiting regardless of the wind direction.

From the mountains of Tarifa to the Strait of Gibraltar stream two rivers and they flow in the middle of the beach of Los Lances. At high tide, a small lagoon forms and makes a great place for Pro riders. If there is no tide, it is possible to choose from several spots on the beaches Valdevaqueros, La Costa, Punta Paloma.

Season: all year
Wind: 4–20 m/s
Working wind directions: W, SW, E
Kite sizes: when poniente: 10–15, when levante: 6–10
Poniente time: 10–15
Levante time: 6–10
Depth: >1 m
Water conditions: when poniente: 1–2 m, when levante: chop

Wind forecast for Tarifa, Spain

Sotavento, Fuerteventura Island, Spain

Spot Sotavento is located in the southern part of Fuerteventura island, on the Jandia Peninsula. This Spanish island is located in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. The weather is nice all year and if you don't have wind for kiting, you have waves for surfing and other activities. Anyway, you can see amazing mountain landscapes and always enjoy wonderful views.

When we look at the map, we see that Fuerte is part of the African continent, but in reality, it is one of the 7 Canary Islands. Spot Sotavento got big popularity when 30 years ago locals began to hold competitions with Professional Windsurfing Association. The spot started to develop instantly and now is popular not only with windsurfers but with kitesurfers equally. For all riders there is a great infrastructure.

Season: all year
Wind: 15–20 m/s
Working wind directions: N, NE
Kite sizes: 5–10 m
Depth: >1 m
Water conditions: chop

Wind forecast for Fuerteventura, Spain

Prasonisi, Rhodes Island, Greece

Prasonisi is a Peninsula in the southern part of Rhodes. The area for kiting is narrowed by Rhodes on one side and by Prasonisi — on the other. On one side of the spit there is the Aegean sea and on the other — the Mediterranean sea. On the Aegean side — the pressure of wind and waves. Waves are with large intervals of flat between them, they are chaotic and very exhausting. On the Mediterranean side, there’s wringing wind and flat. In summer the wind blows every day, it is called Meltemi. The wind is weak in the morning, stronger in the evening. At the beginning of the season take light wind equipment, but in high season and early autumn you will need small size kites.

Season: May — September
Wind: 5–18 m/s
Working wind directions: N, NW, NNW
Kite sizes: 7–17m
Depth: <1 m
Water conditions: flat, waves

Wind forecast for Rhodes, Greece

This post was first published on the Windy.app blog on August 30, 2019.

Learn more about how to read the surf / swell forecast in a special Windy.app presentation with examples and tips from professional surfers with many years of experience of riding the biggest and best waves on the planet.

Text: Windy.app team

Cover photo: Renan Brun / Unsplash