MapSpainEmpuriabrava, Costa BravaEmpuriabrava (Platja de la Rubina)Empuriabrava, Costa Brava

Empuriabrava (Platja de la Rubina)

Catalonia · Costa Brava - Empuriabrava · Upper Empordà

also known as Platja de la Rubina, La Rubina, Rubina Beach, wild beach

Part of Empuriabrava, Costa Brava →

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

beginner-friendlyhigh crowds

On this page

The spot
Wind
Forecast
Month by month
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Riding essentials

Season

Mar–Nov

Months riders and schools name

How windy

12-13 kt

Character: mixed

Room to launch

access rules on record, below

Water

mixed

23 °C in summerFine-sand Mediterranean bay beach, 1.8 km long and about 70 m wide

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Beginner to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

high crowds · busy Jun Jul Aug Sep

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

Girona-Costa Brava (GRO)

no transfer time published

Xaloc

13:00 · 14:00

The thermal builds from about 13:00-14:00 in settled spring-to-autumn weather and often blows alongside the SE Xaloc. It runs stronger in spring than in autumn, and in August the heat can flatten it out of existence.

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.

Nearbystraight-line distance

Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.

Rosesno page yet
Camping La Ballena Alegre / ION Club Golf de Rosesno page yet
Camping Aquarius / La Wind areano page yet
Camping La Gaviota / Kite Experience areano page yet
Roses Pueblono page yet

The spot

Platja de la Rubina is the natural sand between Empuriabrava and Santa Margarida, with dunes, marsh and the Aiguamolls de l'Emporda Natural Park directly behind it. Kitesurfing is officially allowed here and Kitecostabrava is based at Empuriabrava-La Rubina, so this is a recognised spot rather than a tolerated one.

Water and wind

Read it as the northern access point of the Golf de Roses kite area and not as a lagoon of its own: close to shore the water can be flat, and chop and small waves are just as common. In settled warm weather the useful wind is the Garbi/Marinada thermal, building around early afternoon, side to cross-onshore. Outside that pattern the Tramuntana takes over, much stronger and gustier, and it is not the same beach on those days.

When to go

Late spring and September are the windows to book, with the thermal reliable and the peak August crowd gone. In summer, treat the signed kite zone as a launch and landing corridor, because the beach is shared and protected dunes sit directly behind the sand.

The wind

locals call it Garbí / Marinada thermal; Tramuntana; Xaloc

Direction

cross-on

Direction to shore

cross-on

Dominant direction

S-SW thermal Garbí/Marinada in settled warm weather, sometimes with SE Xaloc; N-NW Tramuntana outside the thermal pattern

Kite sizes

67891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

The quiver, in words

The Garbi/Marinada thermal usually settles at 12-13 kt, which for a 75-85 kg rider means a 14-17 m or a foil day. On the stronger thermal afternoons at 18-20 kt the working size drops to 11-12 m. Tramuntana is a different quiver: 8-10 m covers most spring-to-autumn Tramuntana days and winter fronts push it smaller still.

Character

mixed

When it fills in: see above ↑

Typical strength

Thermal commonly reported around 12-13 kt, with stronger 18-20 kt days; Tramuntana can be stronger, gusty and unsuitable for beginners near La Rubina.

The thermal can be steady and lesson-friendly, but forecast models can undercall or miss it; Tramuntana is colder, gustier, and can be cross-off/offshore depending on exact beach position.

Lessons run April to October and advanced riders find days year-round. March to June and September to November are the better travel windows, with May, June and September the pick of them; July and August are possible but crowded, and the heat sometimes flattens the thermal. Tramuntana is more common autumn to spring and can blow for several days.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

Jan35
Feb37
Mar, riders' month34
Apr, riders' month67
May, riders' month48
Jun, riders' month48
Jul, riders' month58
Aug, riders' month52
Sep, riders' month40
Oct, riders' month31
Nov, riders' month32
Dec24

windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov.

35%Jan
37%Feb
34%Mar
67%Apr
48%May
48%Jun
58%Jul
52%Aug
40%Sep
31%Oct
32%Nov
24%Dec

windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · season highlighted

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.

Every figure, month by monthWindy days · Force 4+ · 12 kn or more · Knots · Wind from · Peaks at · Air · Readings

Month	Windy days	Force 4+	12 kn or more	Knots	Wind from	Peaks at	Air	Readings
Jan	35%	52%	48%	14 kt	SE	16:00	8.3 °C	62
Feb	37%	60%	46%	15 kt	SE	16:00	8.9 °C	57
Mar	34%	74%	61%	14.6 kt	SE	15:00	11.7 °C	62
Apr	67%	90%	78%	17.4 kt	SE	15:00	13.3 °C	60
May	48%	84%	76%	15.2 kt	SE	15:00	16.7 °C	62
Jun	48%	88%	77%	14.4 kt	SE	15:00	20.6 °C	60
Jul	58%	97%	90%	15.8 kt	SE	16:00	23.3 °C	62
Aug	52%	97%	82%	15.1 kt	SE	15:00	23.3 °C	62
Sep	40%	72%	57%	14.4 kt	SE	16:00	20.6 °C	60
Oct	31%	68%	58%	13.2 kt	SE	16:00	16.7 °C	62
Nov	32%	48%	37%	13 kt	SE	16:00	12.2 °C	60
Dec	24%	40%	40%	13.1 kt	NNW	16:00	9.4 °C	62

How this is modelledmodelled · 2023-2024

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

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

mixed

Standing depth

Sandy beach with water that gets deep slowly; a standing area is reported nearby at Golf de Roses, but the exact footprint at La Rubina is unconfirmed.

Tides

Kite conditions here reportedly do not depend on the tide, though the standing area across the Golf de Roses is described as moving with it. Confirm on the beach.

Temperature

23 °C summer · 12 °C winter

Wetsuit

Boardshorts or thin neoprene in high summer; shorty/2 mm top can be useful when windy or early/late; full winter suit for winter Tramuntana sessions.

Conditions

Fine-sand Mediterranean bay beach, 1.8 km long and about 70 m wide. The water is flat close to shore in some winds, with chop and small waves/kickers farther out or in stronger systems. The beach is bordered by dunes, marsh/lagoon systems and the Aiguamolls de l'Emporda Natural Park, so use marked accesses and do not cross regenerating dunes.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Beginner suitability is tied to the marked kite/training zones, local school supervision and thermal wind days. Tramuntana or cross-off/gusty conditions are not beginner conditions. Advanced riders use stronger Tramuntana and outside-bay chop/waves, while intermediates get freeride, freestyle and foil days in the thermal.

The scene

What riders come here for

freerideflat waterfreestylehydrofoilwingfoildownwinderssmall waves

Who it suitsbeginnerlessons

Organized Costa Brava holiday-beach scene: a resident school at La Rubina, families and dog walkers on the wild beach, and a broader Golf de Roses kite community spread between La Rubina, Sant Pere Pescador and Ballena Alegre. July and August are the pressure point for space.

Launch and rules

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

With a school or a boat

12 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: ok

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

3 spots nearby

All 3 spots within 40 km are under Nearby

Rescue

La Rubina is covered by the municipal beach lifeguard and first-aid service in season, listed among the beach's own services alongside the signed windsurf and kitesurf areas.

Lifeguard service

Fifteen lifeguards have covered Empuriabrava beach and La Rubina between them, with one module at La Rubina plus watch chairs and an amphibious chair for reduced mobility, on an 11:00-19:00 schedule; the municipality received a 52,993.30 EUR grant for beach safety, surveillance and lifesaving for the 2025 season, so the service is funded and running.

Coverage scope

None of that is kite-specific. Local schools may run boat support for their own lessons, and an independent rider should confirm the season's cover and hours directly rather than assume a rescue boat is watching the kite zone.

Launch

Rig and launch on the sand only inside the signed and flagged kite area at La Rubina, using the marked beach accesses through the dunes. The beach is natural rather than urbanised, with parking nearby and no buildings immediately behind the sand.Its listed services are beach bars with food and drink, a rescue and first-aid service, a windsurf area, a kitesurf area and bins, plus a stretch of about 200 m where dogs run and swim off-lead, which matters when you choose where to lay out lines.

Hazards riders report 8 reported

Wind

Tramuntana from N/NW can be strong, cold, gusty and cross-off/offshore near the north of the bay.

Crowds and zones

busy marina town in summer
Summer beach users, dogs and families share parts of La Rubina; keep clear of swimmers and signed non-kite areas.
Harbour/marina moles and entrances border the wider Empuriabrava/Roses waterfront.

Protected areas and rules

Aiguamolls natural park borders the beach - respect protected dune/wetland areas
Aiguamolls de l'Emporda Natural Park, regenerating dunes and protected wetland habitat directly behind/around the beach.
Marked kite corridors/zones become congested in June-September; do not loiter in the access corridor close to shore.

Other

A designated off-lead dog stretch of about 200 m sits on this beach, so expect loose dogs near lines and canopies.

Rules & access

1 min read

2026: La Rubina is the only beach in Castello d'Empuries where kitesurfing is allowed, and only at the end closest to Santa Margarida; reach the sand by the marked access points and do not damage the regenerating dunes.

For the wider Golf de Roses in 2026, June to September kite zones are marked with buoys and flags, the northernmost being La Rubina, each about 200 m wide, and they are meant as corridors to get beyond 200 m from shore. Zone positions vary, so check the current signs and ask the schools.

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

Schools that ride here

[data-fold="_R_9dlfiv5umivb_"]>*{display:block!important}[data-fold="_R_9dlfiv5umivb_"]>.school-chip{display:flex!important}.schools-more[data-fold-btn="_R_9dlfiv5umivb_"]{display:none!important}

Rider tips

Ask a local school for the day's thermal read before you commit; the forecast models undercall this sea breeze.
From June to September, look for the flags, buoys and posted signs before rigging, because the Golf de Roses zone positions move.
Use the kite zone to get outside the nearshore corridor quickly and keep the tricks for beyond it.
Treat a Tramuntana forecast as an advanced day until you have confirmed the exact direction and what rescue exists.
Cross the dunes only on the marked paths; the beach sits against protected Aiguamolls habitat.
If the trip is about progression, pick May, June or September over August.
Rig clear of the 200 m off-lead dog stretch unless you enjoy untangling lines.
Sant Pere Pescador is a few km up the bay when the direction does not suit La Rubina, and Skydive Empuriabrava fills a no-wind day.

Getting there

Airport

Girona-Costa Brava (GRO) is the nearest commonly listed airport; Perpignan (PGF) and Barcelona-El Prat (BCN) are alternatives.

Route

By car, take the AP-7 corridor toward Figueres, Roses and Empuriabrava, then reach La Rubina from the Roses road near the Empuriabrava airfield; parking is next to the beach. Public transport works via the Girona or Figueres rail and bus links, but no kite-gear-friendly 2026 transfer is published.

Cost level

mid

Staying

Empuriabrava has hotels, apartments, campsites and marina accommodation, and the Golf de Roses behind it is full of campsites. The beach parking areas carry height barriers and camper restrictions, so check before you drive a van down.

No-wind days

Aiguamolls de l'Emporda Natural Park walks/birding, Empuriabrava canal boat trips, SUP/kayak, cycling the Muga route, Skydive Empuriabrava, Windoor indoor skydiving, Roses/Figueres/Girona sightseeing and beach days.

Photos

FAQ

When is the best time to kite at Platja de la Rubina?

Late spring and September are the best travel windows for reliable thermal wind without peak-August crowding; Tramuntana can bring stronger wind from autumn to spring.

Is Platja de la Rubina suitable for beginners?

Yes, the thermal Garbí and marked training zones suit beginners with school supervision, though Tramuntana or gusty conditions are not beginner-friendly.

What is the wind like at Platja de la Rubina?

The Garbí/Marinada sea breeze is a cross-onshore south to southwest thermal that builds around early afternoon, typically 12-13 knots with stronger 18-20 knot days.

Are there rules at Platja de la Rubina?

La Rubina is the only beach in Castelló d'Empúries where kitesurfing is allowed, restricted to the end closest to Santa Margarida, with buoyed and flagged kite zones marked in June-September.

Are there kite schools at Platja de la Rubina?

Yes, Kitecostabrava is based at La Rubina, with other schools operating nearby around Sant Pere Pescador.

The bigger pictureEverything about Costa Brava - Empuriabrava

Last updated: August 2026