Map › Italy › Battipaglia / Baia dei Delfini & Cetara › Cetara
Campania · Amalfi Coast, Salerno · Salerno
Cetara
Nearby Battipaglia / Baia dei Delfini 18 km · Castellammare di Stabia / Lido Lo Scoglio 21 km · Paestum 38 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
About noon for the summer W thermal.
The wind
locals call it Ponente, Maestrale, Tramontana
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
thermal
fills in: About noon for the summer W thermal.
Typical strength
15-18
The quiver, in words
No local recommendation is published. For the 15-18 kt summer thermal a 75-85 kg rider is indicatively on 10-12 m, dropping toward 9 m on the days a NW Mistral tops the thermal up. Indicative sizing from the wind range, not a locally measured figure.
Direction to shore
W is the recommended direction; Tramontana is reported rideable but very close to shore.
Dominant direction
W
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan16
- Feb11
- Mar6
- Apr, riders' month7
- May, riders' month0
- Jun, riders' month0
- Jul, riders' month0
- Aug, riders' month2
- Sep, riders' month7
- Oct2
- Nov15
- Dec15
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
- 16%Jan17°
- 11%Feb15°
- 6%Mar15°
- 7%Apr17°
- 0%May20°
- 0%Jun24°
- 0%Jul28°
- 2%Aug28°
- 7%Sep26°
- 2%Oct24°
- 15%Nov21°
- 15%Dec18°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16% | 21% | 19% | 8 kt | NNE | 12:00 | 9.2°C | 16.6°C | 62 |
| Feb | 11% | 19% | 18% | 7.2 kt | NNE | 14:00 | 9.9°C | 15.3°C | 57 |
| Mar | 6% | 16% | 11% | 7.1 kt | SSW | 14:00 | 11.1°C | 15.4°C | 62 |
| Apr | 7% | 10% | 7% | 6.8 kt | SSW | 13:00 | 13.8°C | 16.8°C | 60 |
| May | 0% | 8% | 5% | 6.2 kt | SSW | 14:00 | 18.3°C | 19.8°C | 62 |
| Jun | 0% | 2% | 0% | 5.1 kt | SSW | 14:00 | 23.4°C | 24.4°C | 60 |
| Jul | 0% | 3% | 0% | 5.4 kt | SSW | 14:00 | 26.9°C | 27.7°C | 62 |
| Aug | 2% | 5% | 3% | 6.1 kt | SW | 15:00 | 26.1°C | 28°C | 62 |
| Sep | 7% | 12% | 10% | 6.7 kt | SW | 15:00 | 21.9°C | 25.7°C | 60 |
| Oct | 2% | 6% | 3% | 5.6 kt | SSW | 14:00 | 19.1°C | 23.6°C | 62 |
| Nov | 15% | 22% | 22% | 8.1 kt | NNE | 12:00 | 14°C | 20.8°C | 60 |
| Dec | 15% | 19% | 18% | 7.6 kt | N | 09:00 | 11.3°C | 18.1°C | 62 |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
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. 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
sea
Standing depth
There is no standing depth worth planning around. The coast is rock, the small beach is tight, and the riding area sits well off the shore and away from the bathers, which is exactly why sessions start from the assistance boat. Once you are on the board you are in deep water.
Tides
Tide independent.
Temperature
26.7°C summer · 13.4°C winter
Wetsuit
No wetsuit usually needed in spring/summer; wetsuit needed from fall to spring.
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: small
Somewhere else
Battipaglia / Baia dei Delfini, 18 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
A small sandy beach on a rocky stretch of the Amalfi Coast, under the Torre Vicereale and just outside the harbour. The rock is the reason riding starts from an assistance boat rather than off the sand; the boat also puts you clear of the beach and the bathers.Cetara is the windiest point of the Salerno province coast in summer.
Space
small
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Treat Cetara as boat-assisted or locally guided unless you already know the launch.
- Arrange the assistance-boat lift through Circolo Canottieri Irno in Salerno, and confirm the day's availability and price yourself; neither is published.
- Check the Cetara/Salerno live wind reading before you drive: it is about 70 km from Naples Airport, A3 to the Vietri sul Mare exit, then roughly 5 km.
- Wait for the thermal. The W wind normally fills in about noon.
- Do not launch off the beach in bathing hours without confirming the authorized corridor and the local setup first.
Getting there
Airport
Naples International Airport (NAP)
Route
About 70 km south of Naples Airport: A3, exit at Vietri sul Mare, then roughly 5 km to Cetara, with parking close to the beach.
Cost level
high
Staying
Sleep in Cetara, Vietri sul Mare, Salerno or anywhere else on the Amalfi Coast. No kite-school accommodation package.
No-wind days
Amalfi Coast villages, Salerno and coastal sightseeing.
Photos
FAQ
Is Cetara suitable for beginners?
No. Cetara is classed as an expert spot with a small launch beach where a boat start is preferred over a normal self-launch.
What is the wind like at Cetara?
A W thermal of about 15-18 knots blows most days from May to September, typically filling in around noon, and is stronger when a NW Mistral is present.
When is the best time to kitesurf at Cetara?
April through September, with the thermal wind blowing almost every day from May to September.
Are there rules or restricted zones?
A 2026 Capitaneria di Porto di Salerno ordinance requires authorized launch corridors on concession beaches, or a bather-free, near-perpendicular route on free beaches without a corridor.
Last updated: August 2026