Nearby Pyla (CTO Beach) 27 km · Mackenzie Beach 35 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
In summer the wind follows the Etesian clock: it builds through the middle of the day, is strongest in the afternoon and usually falls away overnight. Autumn and winter wind is frontal, so it can blow at any hour and often runs through the night. Regional pattern, no local measurement.
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: In summer the wind follows the Etesian clock: it builds through the middle of the day, is strongest in the afternoon and usually falls away overnight. Autumn and winter wind is frontal, so it can blow at any hour and often runs through the night. Regional pattern, no local measurement.
Typical strength
12-20 in the May-September window (general Cyprus meltemi-season figure); a nearby Larnaca station shows a 9kt annual average with gusts to 31kt
Also on record
9
The quiver, in words
Roughly 9-12m for the typical 12-20kt summer wind, smaller (7-9m) in the stronger gusty spells reported for autumn/winter; a standard sizing estimate, not a spot-specific figure
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan49
- Feb39
- Mar46
- Apr, riders' month37
- May, riders' month40
- Jun, riders' month35
- Jul, riders' month35
- Aug, riders' month38
- Sep, riders' month27
- Oct, riders' month21
- Nov29
- Dec30
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.
- 12Jan19°
- 11Feb18°
- 12Mar18°
- 10Apr20°
- 11May22°
- 11Jun26°
- 10Jul29°
- 11Aug30°
- 10Sep29°
- 9Oct27°
- 10Nov24°
- 9Dec21°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49% | 11.6 kt | NNE | 13.8°C | 18.9°C |
| Feb | 39% | 10.6 kt | N | 13.3°C | 18.1°C |
| Mar | 46% | 11.6 kt | WSW | 14.7°C | 18.2°C |
| Apr | 37% | 10.3 kt | SW | 18.3°C | 19.6°C |
| May | 40% | 10.8 kt | SW | 22°C | 21.7°C |
| Jun | 35% | 10.7 kt | SSW | 25.4°C | 25.8°C |
| Jul | 35% | 10.3 kt | SSW | 28.8°C | 28.9°C |
| Aug | 38% | 10.5 kt | SW | 28.7°C | 30.1°C |
| Sep | 27% | 9.6 kt | SW | 26.9°C | 28.9°C |
| Oct | 21% | 9 kt | W | 23.6°C | 27°C |
| Nov | 29% | 9.5 kt | NNE | 19.3°C | 23.9°C |
| Dec | 30% | 9.3 kt | NE | 15.9°C | 20.7°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 (2020-2024), 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 · 2020-2024
The water
Type
mixed
Standing depth
Nissi Beach is shallow and calm; Makronissos Beach, where kiting actually happens, has deeper water further out and small-to-medium waves
Tides
Effectively none. The nearest published gauge, at Larnaca about 40 km west on the same coast, swings between roughly 0.18 m and 0.36 m from low to high water across a spring cycle, and low water sits at or just under 0.0 m. The tide uncovers no beach and changes nothing about the launch.Indicative: no gauge is published for Ayia Napa itself.
Temperature
Summer 24-29 (peaks around 28-29 in August)
Winter 17-20 (coldest in February)
Wetsuit
Not needed roughly June-October; a 3/2mm or shorty is worth having November-April when the sea sits around 17-20C
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
No school names this spot
Nobody has been recorded teaching or running a boat here.
On your own
Room to launch is not rated
Somewhere else
Pyla (CTO Beach), 27 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Rig on the sand at Makronissos Beach, a short drive west of central Ayia Napa. No source described a specific designated kite-launch zone, on-site rescue service, or kite-rental operator physically based at Makronissos.
Rules & access
- Kite from the designated spots, not the main swimming beaches: Makronissos, not Nissi.
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Rig at Makronissos, on the sand west of the main strip; leave Nissi and the other bathing beaches to the swimmers, especially June through August.
- Take beginners to Nissi Beach on the lighter days: shallow water and small waves. Go to Makronissos when you want stronger wind and waves.
- Ask about the current designated kite zone before you rig; some public beaches restrict kiting and the rule is not published anywhere.
- Check a live forecast rather than trusting the April-October season: the station record shows more windy days from November to March.
Getting there
Airport
LCA - Larnaca International Airport
Route
Makronissos Beach sits a short drive west of central Ayia Napa town
Cost level
mid
Staying
Wide range of resort hotels and apartments in Ayia Napa, which has roughly 27,000 tourist beds and 175+ hotels/apartments
No-wind days
Ayia Napa's underwater sculpture museum and artificial reef diving site, plus the town's beach and nightlife scene
Photos
FAQ
Is Ayia Napa suitable for beginners?
Nissi Beach is shallow with small waves and is described as beginner-friendly, while Makronissos Beach has stronger wind and bigger waves for advanced riders.
What is the wind like at Ayia Napa?
Wind is described as gusty, with sources disagreeing on whether it peaks in April-October or the cooler winter months.
Are there rules for kiting at Ayia Napa?
Kiting is generally restricted to designated zones such as Makronissos rather than the main swimming beaches like Nissi.
Last updated: August 2026