Map › Italy › Arma di Taggia & Borgo Prino › Arma di Taggia

Liguria · Riviera dei Fiori, Imperia · Provincia di Imperia

Arma di Taggia

beginner-friendlyhigh crowds

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

On this page

Wind
- Month by month
Forecast
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Hazards
Rules & access
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Nearby Borgo Prino 13 km · Andora 27 km · Albenga 38 km · straight-line distance

SeasonApr to Junthe months riders and schools name How windy10-20 knotssynoptic Launchmediumaccess rules on record, below Watersea24.8°C in summer · 8 things riders flag LevelBeginner to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section Schools1named at this spot From the airportno transfer time publishedNice Cote d'Azur Airport (NCE)

When it fills in

No onset time is published for this spot.

Arma di Taggia is an artificial bay: two breakwaters enclose roughly 200 m of sand on the Riviera dei Fiori, and inside them the water stays shallow, flat to choppy, with waves usually under 1 m. The launch is the beach between the breakwaters, by Spiaggia Comunale Ruffini, with parking a short walk away.

Levante is the wind that makes the place work, with Grecale and Scirocco the other usable eastern-sector directions; it starts moving at 10-20 knots and holds through 20-40 knots.

The submerged rock barrier at the bay entrance throws about 1.5 m waves on a good day, and the 2-3 m river-mouth waves that come with strong Libeccio or Ponente are for experts and nobody else. Inside the bay a beginner can get going, and that is the honest split here: the bay is easy, the outside is not.

Summer is the real problem. Sunbathers own the sand in June, July, August, weekends get busy whenever it blows, and as of 2023 the bay was ridden only outside the bathing season, with no current municipal corridor confirmed. Water is 24.8 C in summer and 12.9 C in winter.

The wind

locals call it Levante, Grecale, Scirocco

Direction

offshoreEwind blows away from land — rescue cover matters here

Character

synoptic

Typical strength

Starts working at 10-20 knots and holds 20-40 knots.

Best in eastern-sector synoptic wind. Levante is the name you will hear on the beach.

The eastern-sector winds are most consistent in spring and early summer: May and June are the peak, with April close behind. A wider April to November season is also given, and one wind record shows high probability in every month.

Direction to shore

Classified as constant and offshore; the exact angle changes around the artificial bay.

Dominant direction

E, NE, SE

Forecast

Month by month

Jan11
Feb22
Mar39
Apr, riders' month26
May, riders' month11
Jun, riders' month18
Jul5
Aug8
Sep27
Oct17
Nov16
Dec11

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

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

7Jan15°
8Feb14°
10Mar14°
9Apr16°
8May19°
8Jun23°
7Jul26°
7Aug27°
9Sep24°
8Oct21°
8Nov19°
7Dec16°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	11%	6.8 kt	N	9.5°C	14.9°C
Feb	22%	7.7 kt	NNE	10.4°C	14.2°C
Mar	39%	9.5 kt	NE	12°C	14.3°C
Apr	26%	9.2 kt	ENE	14.1°C	15.7°C
May	11%	7.7 kt	ESE	18.3°C	18.6°C
Jun	18%	8.1 kt	ESE	22.7°C	22.5°C
Jul	5%	7.3 kt	ESE	25.8°C	26°C
Aug	8%	7.1 kt	SSW	26°C	27°C
Sep	27%	8.9 kt	ENE	21.6°C	23.7°C
Oct	17%	7.9 kt	ENE	18.9°C	21.1°C
Nov	16%	7.8 kt	N	13.3°C	18.5°C
Dec	11%	6.9 kt	NNW	10.2°C	16.2°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

sea

Standing depth

Shallow inside the breakwater-protected bay.

Tides

Tide independent.

Temperature

24.8°C summer · 12.9°C winter

Wetsuit

Shorts or a shorty in summer, a normal wetsuit off season and through winter.

14–27°C water

A roughly 200 m sandy bay closed off by breakwaters, with a low bottom and waves usually under 1 m inside; flat to choppy. The submerged rock barrier at the bay entrance can throw about 1.5 m waves on a good day, and the bigger 2-3 m river-mouth waves are for experts.

Your level

beginnerintermediateadvanced

The easy launch and shallow water inside the bay suit a beginner, and the record covers beginners as well as intermediate and expert riders. Near the river mouth in strong Libeccio or Ponente surf it is expert only.

The scene

What riders come here for

freestyleflat waterchopsmall waveswinter wave sessions

Weekends get busy whenever it blows. Other beach users are the constraint in June, July, August. The local crew is small and cordial.

Launch and rules

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

With a school or a boat

1 school names this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: medium

access rules on record

Somewhere else

Borgo Prino, 13 km

Borgo Prino Andora Albenga

Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.

Launch

Launch from Spiaggia Comunale Ruffini, the beach between the two breakwaters, with parking close by. Launching between the trees in front of the bar or from the Piccolo Jolly resort area also works.

Space

medium

Rules & access

As of 2023, Arma di Taggia is used only outside the bathing season; no current municipal kite corridor or 2026 local ordinance specific to the launch is confirmed.

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

Rider tips

Stay inside the breakwaters for the flattest water and the easiest waterstarts.
Park by Spiaggia Comunale Ruffini and launch off the beach between the two breakwaters, or from the trees in front of the bar.
Give the submerged rock barrier at the bay entrance and the breakwaters a wide berth.
Leave the river mouth alone in strong Libeccio or Ponente: 2-3 m waves over rock, expert only.
Ask locally before rigging in bathing season; as of 2023 the bay was used only outside it.

Getting there

Airport

Nice Cote d'Azur Airport (NCE), about 70 km from the spot.

Route

Leave the A10 at Arma di Taggia, take the short stretch of Aurelia toward the town centre, then the underpass down to Lungomare and Spiaggia Comunale Ruffini. Coming from San Remo, drive east and get on the water west of town and the wave breakers.

Cost level

Nearby pensions are fairly inexpensive; the broader trip cost is unconfirmed.

Staying

Restaurants and fairly inexpensive pensions nearby.

No-wind days

Beach time, the restaurants and the Riviera dei Fiori coast, with play areas by Piazza Marinella if the family is waiting out the day.

Photos

Arma di Taggia - panoramio — Mika Auramo, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ

What is the wind like?

Levante is the best-known wind, with Grecale and Scirocco also usable eastern-sector winds; the spot starts working at 10-20 knots and holds 20-40 knots.

Is it suitable for beginners?

Yes, the easy launch and shallow water suit beginners, though expert-only caution applies near the river mouth in strong Libeccio or Ponente surf.

When is the best time to kite?

April, May and June are listed as the best months for the preferred eastern-sector winds.

What are the main hazards?

Breakwaters, a submerged rock barrier at the bay entrance, and sunbathers and beach users especially June to August are the reported risks.

Are there rules or restrictions?

A 2023 guide states the spot is used only outside the bathing season, though no current municipal kite corridor or 2026 ordinance was verified.

Last updated: August 2026