Map › Italy › Alimini & San Foca › Alimini
Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Albania, Malta · Salento - Otranto · Lecce · Otranto
Alimini
also known as Laghi Alimini, Serra Alimini, Frassanito-Alimini
Nearby San Foca 11 km · Le Cesine - Torre Specchia 16 km · Frigole 31 km · Bacino di Acquatina 32 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
Not a spot that waits for an afternoon breeze. The Tramontana and Grecale that make the good days are synoptic and can blow from morning to dark. On quiet high-pressure days the Otranto Channel thermal does the work instead, reinforcing the northerlies and adding roughly 5-6 knots through the afternoon, and the SSE thermal that sometimes sets up along this stretch is likewise an afternoon event. No clock time for the fill-in has ever been published.
The wind
locals call it Tramontana, Grecale, Scirocco, Maestrale
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: Not a spot that waits for an afternoon breeze. The Tramontana and Grecale that make the good days are synoptic and can blow from morning to dark. On quiet high-pressure days the Otranto Channel thermal does the work instead, reinforcing the northerlies and adding roughly 5-6 knots through the afternoon, and the SSE thermal that sometimes sets up along this stretch is likewise an afternoon event. No clock time for the fill-in has ever been published.
Typical strength
Frassanito next door runs 13-22 knots in summer and 15-35 knots in winter. No measured rideable range for Alimini alone is confirmed.
Also on record
the nearest station (Otranto Porto) shows NW average direction and 8 kt average speed for observations from 2015-05-01 to 2026-07-31; this is a station average, not a kite-session average.
The quiver, in words
Wave kites around 7-10 m for nearby Frassanito. Alimini-specific kite sizes are unconfirmed.
Direction to shore
side to side-on depending on the exact beach section
Dominant direction
N to NE and SE come up repeatedly for nearby Frassanito and Serra Alimini; SSW and NNE are given as sideshore for Alimini itself.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan66
- Feb59
- Mar60
- Apr51
- May, riders' month49
- Jun, riders' month46
- Jul, riders' month58
- Aug, riders' month65
- Sep, riders' month53
- Oct51
- Nov52
- Dec49
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
- 14Jan15°
- 13Feb15°
- 13Mar15°
- 12Apr16°
- 11May19°
- 11Jun24°
- 12Jul27°
- 12Aug28°
- 12Sep26°
- 11Oct23°
- 12Nov19°
- 12Dec16°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66% | 13.7 kt | NNW | 11.2°C | 14.9°C |
| Feb | 59% | 13 kt | NNW | 11.4°C | 14.5°C |
| Mar | 60% | 12.9 kt | SSE | 12.2°C | 15°C |
| Apr | 51% | 11.9 kt | NNW | 14.9°C | 16°C |
| May | 49% | 11.4 kt | SSE | 19.3°C | 18.6°C |
| Jun | 46% | 11.1 kt | NNW | 24.7°C | 23.5°C |
| Jul | 58% | 11.7 kt | NNW | 28.2°C | 27.4°C |
| Aug | 65% | 11.6 kt | NNW | 27.5°C | 27.9°C |
| Sep | 53% | 11.9 kt | NNW | 24°C | 26.2°C |
| Oct | 51% | 11.2 kt | NNW | 20.3°C | 22.7°C |
| Nov | 52% | 12.3 kt | NNW | 16°C | 19°C |
| Dec | 49% | 12 kt | N | 12.9°C | 16.3°C |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds. 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.
ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024
The water
Type
shallow open-sea beach with small waves; nothing marks the nearby protected lakes as kite riding area
Standing depth
Alimini is described as shallow with shallow access; exact standing-depth distance is not published.
Tides
Tide independent; Mediterranean/Adriatic tide is not reported as a main kite-planning factor.
Temperature
26.5°C summer
Wetsuit
Spring to autumn is warm; winter requires a wetsuit. Exact thickness for Alimini is unconfirmed.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
4 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: medium
Somewhere else
San Foca, 11 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Long sandy sea beach in the Alimini / Serra Alimini area north of Otranto, with kite activity also documented around Frassanito and the VOI Alimini watersports area.
Space
medium
Rules & access
- 2026: kitesurfing here falls under the pleasure-craft regulation for the Otranto maritime district, which runs the coast from Squinzano to Castro and takes in the Alimini beaches. Riding is banned under 16. Every rider carries a line cutter, checks the quick release works and wears a flotation device whatever the distance from shore; lines are connected only at launch and disconnected on landing, and a kite left unattended must have one side of the wing disconnected and the lines fully wound on the bar. During the bathing season fixed by the Puglia bathing ordinance (Determinazione Dirigenziale n. 215 of 15 April 2026) it is prohibited to ride within 400 m of beaches and low rocks, or 300 m of cliffs, and never beyond one mile out; the swimming strip may only be crossed through an authorised launch corridor. A corridor is 30 m wide at the waterline, widens to 80 m at 100 m out and holds that width for a further 100 m, is edged by orange buoys at most 20 m apart, and ends at 200 m with a black buoy marked CORRIDOIO RISERVATO AI KITESURF plus a sign at the water's edge; 10 m yellow-buoyed buffer strips run down each side of the outer section. Inside the corridor you body-drag the first 100 m, one rider at a time, and the rider coming in has right of way; the corridor is for launching and landing only, not for riding. Between two kites the upwind rider raises the kite and gives way. Ports, harbour mouths and their approach lanes are off limits.
- 2026: no Alimini-specific municipal corridor is published, so check which corridor is actually buoyed and signed before you rig.
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Ask a local school whether they mean Alimini beach, Serra Alimini / VOI, or Frassanito before you follow spot directions.
- Do not assume the protected lakes are a legal kite lagoon; the public kite listings all describe the sea beach.
- If the session moves to Frassanito, treat it as an intermediate-to-advanced wave and reef spot and take a 7-10 m wave kite.
- In summer, check the launch corridor and the free beach space before rigging; the sun chairs and beachgoers are on the Alimini sand from June.
- For wave days follow Frassanito-specific guidance; for lessons or easier freeride, use school-supervised access at Alimini or Serra Alimini.
- Carry a line cutter and wear a flotation device; both are required on this coast, and nobody under 16 may ride.
- Cross the swimming strip only through a buoyed corridor: body-drag the first 100 m, one rider at a time, and give way to whoever is coming in.
Getting there
Airport
Brindisi Airport (BDS); Bari Airport (BRI) is a farther alternative.
Route
A car or a shuttle via Lecce or Otranto is the practical option with kite gear. The Brindisi to Otranto shuttle covers Torre dell'Orso, Roca and Alimini.
Transfer
About 70-90 minutes by road from Brindisi Airport depending on destination in the Alimini/Otranto area and traffic.
Cost level
medium; higher in July-August
Staying
Nearby options include Otranto hotels/apartments, campings and rural/agriturismo accommodation around Frassanito and the Alimini lakes.
No-wind days
Otranto old town · Baia dei Turchi · Laghi Alimini nature walks · SUP or kayak where permitted · Torre dell'Orso and Roca/Grotta della Poesia · Lecce day trip
Photos
FAQ
Is it suitable for beginners?
Yes, Alimini beach is listed for any level and called a beginner spot, though this should not be assumed for the adjacent Frassanito reef, which is for experienced riders because of rocks and wave conditions.
What is the wind like?
N to NE and SE are the most cited directions nearby at Frassanito/Serra Alimini, with summer wind around 13-22 knots and winter fronts up to 15-35 knots.
When is the best time to kite?
May through September is the recommended season for the Lecce area.
What are the main hazards?
Small waves break on a sandbar with shallow access, and the adjacent Frassanito launch has rocks on the beach and seabed with no verified rescue.
Are there kite schools or rental?
Alex Kite/AK School, Frassanito Surf Point, Local Salento Kitesurf, Kite Salento and Scuola Kitesurf Puglia are listed in the area.
Last updated: August 2026