Map › France › Calvi - Plage de la Pinède & Algajola - Aregno › Calvi - Plage de la Pinède
Corse · Calvi, Balagne · Upper Corsica · Calvi
Calvi - Plage de la Pinède
also known as Plage des Dunes, Calvi, Plage de Calvi
Nearby Algajola - Aregno 10 km · Plage de Lozari 23 km · Ostriconi 26 km · straight-line distance
On the clock
14:00 · 18:00
Thermals reportedly strengthen in the late afternoon, roughly 14:00-18:00; unconfirmed.
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.
The wind
locals call it Mistral / Tramontane; Libeccio or west-sector flow also referenced
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: Thermals reportedly strengthen in the late afternoon, roughly 14:00-18:00; unconfirmed.
Typical strength
10-35 reportedly in gusty bands; no normal range documented
Also on record
24.4
The quiver, in words
No local size data exists. Indicative for a 75-85 kg rider: 8-9 m on the 18-25 kt west or Mistral days that make the drive worth it, 6-7 m once it pushes past 30 kt, 11-12 m on the rarer 12-15 kt afternoons.Size for the band offshore rather than for the beach - the wind can jump from 10 to 35 kt about 200 m out, so a kite that feels right while you rig can be two steps too big out there.
Direction to shore
Varies by sector: W and NE are usable; NW Mistral is offshore and gusty near shore.
Dominant direction
W; NE also works; NW Mistral is reported as offshore.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month60
- Feb, riders' month54
- Mar, riders' month54
- Apr, riders' month54
- May34
- Jun36
- Jul30
- Aug32
- Sep47
- Oct35
- Nov, riders' month63
- Dec, riders' month53
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec.
- 12Jan15°
- 11Feb14°
- 11Mar15°
- 12Apr16°
- 10May18°
- 10Jun23°
- 10Jul26°
- 9Aug27°
- 11Sep24°
- 9Oct22°
- 13Nov20°
- 12Dec17°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60% | 11.9 kt | SSW | 11.3°C | 15.1°C |
| Feb | 54% | 11.2 kt | SSW | 12°C | 14.4°C |
| Mar | 54% | 11.3 kt | SSW | 13.2°C | 14.6°C |
| Apr | 54% | 11.8 kt | SSW | 15.1°C | 15.6°C |
| May | 34% | 9.8 kt | SW | 19.2°C | 18.2°C |
| Jun | 36% | 10 kt | SW | 24.4°C | 22.7°C |
| Jul | 30% | 9.6 kt | SW | 27.7°C | 25.9°C |
| Aug | 32% | 9.4 kt | SW | 27.2°C | 26.6°C |
| Sep | 47% | 11.3 kt | SSW | 23.2°C | 23.6°C |
| Oct | 35% | 9.3 kt | SSW | 20.8°C | 21.9°C |
| Nov | 63% | 12.8 kt | SSW | 15.9°C | 19.5°C |
| Dec | 53% | 11.8 kt | SSW | 12.9°C | 16.5°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
Reportedly standing depth near shore at both high and low tide, but the departure is offshore and gusty in NW, so upwind ability matters more than depth. No bathymetry was found.
Tides
Small Mediterranean tidal effect; Plage des Dunes is reported as not tide-dependent, while both high and low tide are described as navigable.
Temperature
24°C summer · 13°C winter
Wetsuit
Shorts or no wetsuit in peak summer for warm days; shorty or normal wetsuit in spring/autumn and a thicker suit in winter.
Currents
No measured current data. Current reportedly strengthens near the rocky edges; the bigger drift risk is the wind, not the water.
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
1 school names this spot
On your own
Room to launch: wide outside peak summer; medium where beach users, private beaches or breakwaters compress usable space
Somewhere else
Algajola - Aregno, 10 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Sand launch from the long Plage de la Pinède / Plage de Calvi. Easy access and a broad sandy rigging area, except at the peak of summer; public space increases away from the town/port end.In NW Mistral, launch works along the whole beach; in NE wind the preferred takeoff is in front of the Foreign Legion barracks, where 1.5-2 m waves can form.
Space
wide outside peak summer; medium where beach users, private beaches or breakwaters compress usable space
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Ask a local which section of the beach works for the day's direction; the bay changes with wind angle and beach section.
- In NW Mistral, assume it is offshore and gusty at the beach and stronger 200 m out, unless you can see otherwise.
- In summer rig and ride well east of the bathing crowd, away from the town end.
- Keep away from the stone breakwaters at Plage des Dunes when launching and landing.
- For NE wave days, launch in front of the Foreign Legion barracks.
- Base yourself in Calvi and keep the car: Algajola and Lozari are the fallbacks when the wind or the crowd is wrong here.
Getting there
Airport
Calvi Sainte-Catherine Airport (CLY)
Route
Drive or taxi from Calvi airport to Calvi town and the Pinède beach accesses off the N197; the Balagne beach train also serves multiple stops along Calvi bay. A car is useful for moving between Calvi, Algajola and Lozari with kite gear.
Transfer
10 min
Cost level
high
Staying
Calvi has the closest hotel, residence, campsite and private-rental base; beach restaurants and private beach concessions are concentrated near the town end in season.
No-wind days
Calvi citadel and port, Balagne beach train, snorkeling or SUP in calm weather, Revellata coastal walks, village visits in the Balagne hinterland.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite Calvi?
Estimates range from November to March or April, since Corsica can be kited year-round but summer wind is more variable.
Is Calvi suitable for beginners?
No, one source rates it advanced-only, noting there is no kite school in Balagne and warning that riders unable to hold ground may not return to the launch.
What is the wind like at Calvi?
West wind is the main documented setup, with northeast also working and producing wave conditions; average wind is around 24.4 knots.
What hazards are there at Calvi?
Hazards include lulls near shore followed by a much stronger wind band offshore, NW Mistral that can be gusty and offshore, and stone breakwaters at Plage des Dunes.
Last updated: August 2026