MapGreeceAgios Ioannis, LefkadaAgios Ioannis (Milos Beach)Agios Ioannis, Lefkada

Agios Ioannis (Milos Beach)

Ioanian Islands · Lefkada - Agios Ioannis · Lefkada Regional Unit · Lefkada Town

also known as Milos Beach, Agios Ioannis, Agios Giannis, Agianni, Milos Beach Club, Milli, Myloi

Part of Agios Ioannis, Lefkada →

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

beginner-friendlyhigh crowds

On this page

The spot
Wind
Forecast
Month by month
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Schools
Tips
Getting there
FAQ

Riding essentials

Season

Apr–Sep

Months riders and schools name

How windy

4-6 knots

Character: thermal

Room to launch

huge

access rules on record, below

Water

mixed

25.2 °C in summerOpen Ionian-facing beach with chop in the thermal and waves/shorebreak after stronger northwesterly wind

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Beginner to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

high crowds · busy Jun Jul Aug Sep

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

Preveza Airport (PVK)

Transfer times under Getting there

On the clock

10:00

On the clock

13:00

On the clock

14:30 · 15:00

Around 10:00 a 4-6 knot breeze starts. By 13:00 it is 8-12 knots. The working thermal, 15-20 knots, sets in between 14:30 and 15:00 and normally holds until sunset; on many days it steps up again to 20-25 knots through the late afternoon. Nights go quiet unless a weather system is passing.

The marks are the clock times the record names, laid on a 24-hour day. The bar between the first and the last covers those hours; it is not a promise of wind.

Nearbystraight-line distance

Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.

Agios Nikolaos (beginner spot)no page yet
Vassiliki (windsurf-only)no page yet
Agios Nikolaosno page yet
The Bridge / Cleopatra / Wooden Bridge
The Churchno page yet
Vassiliki (windsurf-focused; kiteboarding reported prohibited/reserved away from kites)no page yet

The spot

Kiters call it Milos Beach or the windmills; the map says Agios Ioannis, the open-sea beach just north of Lefkada Town.

Daily wind cycle

The day runs on the Maistro thermal: 4-6 knots at 10:00, 8-12 by 13:00, then the working 15-20 knots landing between 14:30 and 15:00 and holding to sunset, often stepping up to 20-25 through the late afternoon.

Where to ride

Ride the right-hand side, in front of the three most northerly windmills; from Milos Beach Club leftward is windsurf water, closed to kites and gustier anyway.

Deep water and conditions

This is not a shallow training lagoon. The water is deep straight off the sand, the rock slabs at the entry are smooth and greasy, and first waterstarts belong at least 60 m out or off a boat, which is why the school teaches beginners from an inflatable. Confident freeriders and freestylers get chop on most thermal days and 1-3 m open-sea waves when a powerful northwesterly is forecast; anyone who wants waist-deep water should ask about the flat shallow area 10 km away.

Season and direction

April to September is the window, with about 90% of days carrying wind across a twenty-year local count, and W-NW/NW is the direction you plan around. PVK/Preveza is 15 km up the road; base in Agios Ioannis, Frini or Lefkada Town.

The wind

locals call it Maistro / local thermal

Direction

cross-on

Direction to shore

Side-onshore. The thermal comes off the mountain behind the beach and meets the sea breeze roughly in front of the club, which is what steadies it there and to the right; from the club leftward it is stronger and gustier.

Dominant direction

W-NW. N/W/NW and SW/W/NW also circulate, and the exact angle shifts with the section of beach you are on.

Kite sizes

4567891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

The quiver, in words

For 75-85 kg on a twin-tip: 11-12 m carries the 15-20 knot core thermal, 9 m the 20-25 knot late-afternoon build, 7-8 m the 22-27 knot northwesterly days. The 8-12 knot early phase is 14 m or foil water. The rental quiver on the beach runs 6.5, 7.5, 9, 11 and 14 m, which brackets the same range.

Character

thermal

When it fills in: see above ↑

Average strength

15-20

Typical strength

4-6 knots mid-morning, 8-12 knots around 13:00, 15-20 knots from mid-afternoon, and 20-25 knots on the stronger half of thermal days. Days forecast with powerful northwesterlies run 22-27 knots and bring waves with them.

Stable on the kiting side/right side of Milos Beach; gustier to the left toward the windsurf area and less reliable in off-season or winter.

April to September is the blowing stretch, with odd usable days in March and October. Across a twenty-year local count about 90% of days from April to September carry wind.

Early and late in the season the thermal is softer but open-sea waves show up more often, and recent years have flattened the difference between the months. The edges are unsettled: May-September, June to mid-September at roughly 95%, and May-October all circulate.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

Jan24
Feb19
Mar19
Apr, riders' month30
May, riders' month18
Jun, riders' month13
Jul, riders' month29
Aug, riders' month26
Sep, riders' month22
Oct6
Nov27
Dec11

windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.

24%Jan16°
19%Feb15°
19%Mar15°
30%Apr16°
18%May19°
13%Jun22°
29%Jul24°
26%Aug26°
22%Sep24°
6%Oct22°
27%Nov20°
11%Dec17°

windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted

Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal.

Every figure, month by monthWindy days · Force 4+ · 12 kn or more · Knots · Wind from · Peaks at · Air · Water · Readings

Month	Windy days	Force 4+	12 kn or more	Knots	Wind from	Peaks at	Air	Water	Readings
Jan	24%	31%	27%	9.5 kt	ENE	11:00	10 °C	15.6 °C	62
Feb	19%	32%	26%	10.2 kt	ENE	15:00	10.6 °C	15 °C	57
Mar	19%	37%	31%	11.2 kt	W	17:00	12.2 °C	15 °C	62
Apr	30%	55%	43%	11.8 kt	W	16:00	15 °C	16.1 °C	60
May	18%	35%	27%	10.2 kt	W	16:00	18.9 °C	18.9 °C	62
Jun	13%	42%	20%	10.6 kt	W	16:00	22.8 °C	22.2 °C	60
Jul	29%	53%	39%	11.8 kt	W	17:00	25 °C	24.4 °C	62
Aug	26%	68%	47%	11.8 kt	W	16:00	25.6 °C	25.6 °C	62
Sep	22%	47%	30%	11.1 kt	W	17:00	22.8 °C	24.4 °C	60
Oct	6%	19%	10%	9.6 kt	W	17:00	19.4 °C	22.2 °C	62
Nov	27%	32%	28%	11.1 kt	ENE	13:00	15 °C	20 °C	60
Dec	11%	26%	23%	8.9 kt	ENE	12:00	11.1 °C	17.2 °C	62

How this is modelledmodelled · 2023-2024

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024

The water

Type

mixed

Standing depth

No standing area. The water in front of the club is deep straight off the sand, which is why first waterstarts belong at least 60 m out or off a boat. Shallow, flat alternatives sit about 10 km away and get used when waves build at the main beach.

Tides

Tide is not a factor. The Ionian range here is small enough to ignore for riding, and conditions do not key off the tide table.

Temperature

25.2 °C summer · 16.5 °C winter

Modelled monthly average: 15–26 °C

Wetsuit

Summer: boardshorts/rash vest to shorty; winter or shoulder-season riding needs more neoprene.

Currents

A north-going current along the beach is reported; no official current notice found.

Conditions

Open Ionian-facing beach with chop in the thermal and waves/shorebreak after stronger northwesterly wind; nearby lagoon/shallows are separate alternatives used by schools on strong-wave days.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

The school teaches beginners from a boat because the riding area is deep and side-on. Elsewhere Agios Ioannis is rated intermediate to advanced for the rocks, the shorebreak and the open sea, and that is the fairer call for anyone riding on their own gear. Beginner progression often moves to nearby shallow, flat spots when conditions require it.

The scene

What riders come here for

freerideintermediateadvancedfreestylefoilwaveslessons with boat support

International windsurf and kite travellers around the resort, plus local club/school traffic; friendly with space on the water but busy in peak summer.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

2 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: huge

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

2 spots nearby

All 2 spots within 40 km are under Nearby

Rescue

+30 2645 021332 +30 6945 362891

Rescue — full text1 min read

The Kite Pass carries bay watch, lifeguarding with rescue boats and off-road beach vehicles, an air compressor, a kite assistant for launching and relaunching, and third-party insurance. Three inflatable coach boats (3.2 m, 4.2 m and 4.7 m) run lessons and will drop a rider anywhere in the bay.

The Pass is personal and only issued to riders the centre has certified, so independent riders outside that system have no documented cover. Beach contact: +30 2645 021332 or +30 6945 362891.

Launch

Sand-and-pebble beach roughly 4.5 km long and 70 m wide, running past the windmills. The best kite launch is in front of the three most northerly windmills, on the right-hand side of the club; from the club leftward is windsurf water. You can park almost on the sand.

Hazards riders report 18 reported

Wind

Deep water straight off the sand: no standing area, and first waterstarts belong at least 60 m offshore or off a boat.
The left-hand side of the beach, toward the windsurf area, is gustier and stronger, and closed to kites.
Model forecasts understate this thermal: real strength and direction can be well off the grid.

Crowds and zones

Crowds and mixed beach users in summer; respect kite/windsurf separation and swimmers.
Swimmers, sunbeds and mixed beach users through the summer.

Bottom

Deep water straight off the sand at Milos Beach, with no standing area; the shallow-water descriptions that circulate do not match what is in front of the club.
Smooth rocks and rock slabs at the entry and underwater, with glass and trash on the sand reported too.
Smooth, slippery rock slabs at the entry and underwater near the shore.

Waves and currents

shorebreak can build after strong wind spells (20+ knots), though it rarely lasts more than ~2 days
waves generally stay under 0.5m
Shorebreak after strong-wind days, especially 20+ knots; it rarely lasts more than two days.
Open-sea waves turn up when a powerful northwesterly is forecast, reportedly 1-3 m; on ordinary days they stay under about 0.5 m.
Reported north-going current along the beach.
Beginners should not attempt first waterstarts close to shore because of deep water, rocks and wave impact; at least 60 m offshore for the first ones.
Shorebreak builds after spells of 20+ knots; it rarely lasts more than about two days.
Open-sea waves of 1-3 m appear when the forecast shows powerful northwesterlies; on ordinary days waves stay under about 0.5 m.
A north-going current reportedly runs along the beach.

Other

Reports of glass and litter on parts of the sand.

Rules & access

1 min read

Kite Pass requirements

2026: riding at Milos Beach runs through the centre's Kite Pass. Only riders certified by its staff may rent kite equipment or ride their own gear in the Milos Beach sea area, and the Pass can be withdrawn from anyone riding dangerously.

Pass conditions:

follow basic sailing right-of-way,
be able to ride upwind,
stay at least 60 m from any other surfer, from boats and from the shore, and
look around before jumping so that neither rider nor kite can land inside that 60 m.

Beach zones and rules

Kiteboarding is confined to the right-hand side of the beach; from the club leftward is windsurfing, because the wind on that side is gustier and stronger.

Kiteboarding is prohibited in the bay of Vassiliki on the south of the island. No municipal or port-authority ordinance covering swimmer corridors, hours or seasonal closures was traced.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Schools that ride here

Rider tips

Rig for the afternoon: mornings run 4-6 knots and the real thermal lands between 14:30 and 15:00.
Stay right of Milos Beach Club. From there leftward is windsurf water, closed to kites.
Do first waterstarts at least 60 m out or off the boat; the shore is deep and there is no standing area.
Put something on your feet at the entry, because the rock slabs are smooth and greasy.
Watch the on-site weather station and webcam rather than a model grid, and when powerful northwesterlies bring waves ask about the shuttle to the flat shallow area 10 km away.
Rent a car and base in Agios Ioannis, Frini or Lefkada Town: Agios Nikolaos for shallow beginner water, Vassiliki for windsurfing, the west coast on no-wind days.

Getting there

Airport

Aktion/Preveza Airport (PVK), about 15-20 km from the spot/Lefkada Town depending source; Corfu (CFU) and Athens (ATH) are longer alternatives.

Route

Lefkada is joined to the mainland by a causeway and floating bridge, so you drive on. Once across, turn right and follow the coast north to Agios Ioannis; the launch is in front of the three most northerly windmills and parking is on the beach.Preveza/Aktion (PVK) is about 15 km away, Corfu 140 km, Athens 390 km. Summer charters land at PVK and a bus runs to Lefkada Town, but a car makes the beach and the alternative spots workable.

Transfer

20-30 minutes from PVK to Lefkada Town and Agios Ioannis; about 15 km by road.

Cost level

Medium, and the price range is reasonable. Storage is 100 euros a week per person in 2026, quoted as including a Pass, though whether that is the Kite Pass or the Windsurf Pass is unconfirmed. No current lesson or rental price is published.

Staying

Agios Ioannis, Frini or Lefkada Town are the quickest bases. Beachfront rooms, apartments, studios and villas sit on the sand at Milos Beach along with a restaurant and bar, a surf shop, sunbeds and parking, and more apartments, villas, hotels and camps fill in nearby.

No-wind days

Mornings before the thermal are for SUP, canoe or kayak, a swim, or nothing at all. Nearby: Lefkada Town, Faneromeni Monastery, the west-coast beaches, Nidri and wakeboarding on the calmer east side, sailing out of the marina, hiking and cycling.

FAQ

Is Milos Beach suitable for beginners?

The school teaches beginners by boat because the local water is deep and side-on, with independent guides rating it more intermediate to advanced due to rocks and shorebreak.

What is the wind like at Milos Beach?

A local Maistro thermal builds from around 10:00, with the main afternoon wind typically 15-20 knots from W-NW, starting near 14:30-15:00 and lasting until sunset.

When is the best time to kite at Milos Beach?

April to September, with about 90% constant wind by long-term spot statistics and the most reliable period from June to mid-September.

What are the Kite Pass rules?

Only riders certified by Milos Beach staff may rent equipment or kite in the resort's sea area, keeping at least 60 m from other surfers, boats and the coast, and checking before jumps.

What hazards are there?

Deep water and smooth rocks at entry, shorebreak after wind spells above 20 knots, and a reported north-going current along the beach.

The bigger pictureEverything about Lefkada - Agios Ioannis

Last updated: August 2026