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Cicladi · Mykonos · Mykonos Regional Unit · Ano Mera

Ftelia Bay

also known as Ftelia Beach, Φτελιά, Paralia Ftelia

choppyadvanced onlyonshoremedium crowds

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

On this page

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

Nearby Korfos Bay 6 km · Santa Maria 38 km · straight-line distance

SeasonJun to Septhe months riders and schools name How windy20-30 knotssynoptic, onshore Launchmediumaccess rules on record, below Wateropen north-coast Aegean bay with chop, shorebreak and Meltemi waves24-26°C in summer · 12 things riders flag LevelIntermediate to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section Schools1named at this spot From the airportin words under Getting thereInternational Airport (JMK)

When it fills in

The Meltemi commonly fills in during the early afternoon at 11-21 kt and dies at sunset. When the pattern locks in it does something else entirely: 17-33 kt through the day, holding overnight and blowing again the next morning, repeating for days. Regional Aegean behaviour rather than a Ftelia measurement, so read the forecast for the run of days, not for the hour.

Ftelia is on the exposed north coast of Mykonos and takes the N/NNE Meltemi straight onshore across the full Aegean fetch. Korfos is the sheltered side of this island; Ftelia is the opposite, chop and shorebreak and waves instead of flat water.

In strong Meltemi the waves run roughly 0.5-2 m, the hills upwind throw gusts, rocks sit in the middle and at the ends of the bay, and there is current. That is a lot to handle with the wind pushing you back onto the sand, which is why the honest rating is committed intermediate and above.

Tourism copy sells it as a starter beach. Ignore that. The launch is open sand with reasonable room, best by the taverna on the left, and where the rocks are that day is worth asking about before you rig.

The wind

locals call it Meltemi

Direction

onshoreN to NNE

Kite sizes

4567891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

synoptic

fills in: The Meltemi commonly fills in during the early afternoon at 11-21 kt and dies at sunset. When the pattern locks in it does something else entirely: 17-33 kt through the day, holding overnight and blowing again the next morning, repeating for days. Regional Aegean behaviour rather than a Ftelia measurement, so read the forecast for the run of days, not for the hour.

Typical strength

20-30 knots in summer with peaks to 35+; 30+ knots is normal on a strong day.

very reliable summer Meltemi but exposed, onshore, gusty around hills and more committed than Korfos

June-September is a reliable season. June, July and August are the peak months, and July-August is when the Meltemi is strongest across the region.

Thermal or synoptic

synoptic Meltemi

Also on record

20-24 knots for Mykonos July-August Meltemi.

The quiver, in words

No published local size table. Against a July-August average of 20-24 kt with regular days over 30, a 75-85 kg rider lives on a 7 m, carries a 9 m for the softer 18-20 kt starts and the shoulder months, and wants a 5 m or 6 m for the 35 kt days.A 12 m only earns its bag space in June or late September. Indicative, mapped from the documented wind range rather than from local practice.

Dominant direction

N to NNE, sometimes NNW on forecasts

Forecast

Month by month

Jan89
Feb79
Mar78
Apr86
May77
Jun, riders' month86
Jul, riders' month96
Aug, riders' month82
Sep, riders' month83
Oct84
Nov81
Dec75

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.

18Jan16°
18Feb16°
17Mar16°
17Apr17°
15May19°
17Jun22°
20Jul25°
17Aug26°
16Sep25°
17Oct23°
17Nov20°
15Dec17°

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

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	89%	18.1 kt	N	12.8°C	16.4°C
Feb	79%	17.9 kt	N	12.8°C	15.9°C
Mar	78%	16.5 kt	N	13.4°C	16.1°C
Apr	86%	16.9 kt	N	16.9°C	17.3°C
May	77%	15.1 kt	N	19.3°C	18.8°C
Jun	86%	17.4 kt	NNW	24.1°C	22.4°C
Jul	96%	20.2 kt	N	26.6°C	24.8°C
Aug	82%	17 kt	NNW	26.5°C	25.7°C
Sep	83%	16.4 kt	N	24.5°C	24.6°C
Oct	84%	16.9 kt	N	20.9°C	22.8°C
Nov	81%	16.9 kt	N	17.4°C	19.6°C
Dec	75%	15.2 kt	N	15.1°C	17.3°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

open north-coast Aegean bay with chop, shorebreak and Meltemi waves

Standing depth

Wide and shallow is a 2026 tourism claim; nothing kite-specific documents a beginner standing area, and the riding is rough open water.

Tides

Tide independent.

Temperature

24-26°C summer · 16°C winter

Wetsuit

Shorts work on the hottest summer days, but 20-24 C water plus wind chill often calls for a 3/2 even in summer; the two accounts conflict.

Currents

A current runs in the bay; direction and strength unconfirmed.

16–26°C water

Ftelia takes the N/NNE Meltemi fully onshore across the northern Aegean fetch. Water is flat-to-choppy on lighter days, with 0.5-2 m waves, shorebreak and rougher conditions when the Meltemi is strong.

Your level

not for beginners hereintermediateadvanced

Intermediate to advanced in practice, because of the onshore wind, shorebreak, current, rocks and waves. Beginner claims come from hotel and tourism material, and there is not enough spot-specific safety detail to mark Ftelia beginner-friendly on its own.

The scene

What riders come here for

wave ridingfreeridestrong-wind sessionswindsurfwingfoilsurf

wilder and less resort-like than Korfos, with windsurfers, wave riders, spectators at the beach bars and fewer beginner school operations

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

Korfos Bay, 6 km

Korfos Bay Santa Maria

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

Rescue

No kite rescue on this beach and no kite centre on it either; the nearest centre, with staff on the water, is at Korfos on the sheltered south side. Whether any lifeguard is posted at Ftelia in the summer months is unconfirmed - nothing on the beach is documented.

In the water the numbers are 108 for the coastguard and 112 for everything, and an onshore Meltemi means a failed session ends on the sand rather than downwind, which is the one thing working in your favour here.

Launch

Launch off the open sand, parking on the road or at the beach bar. The best position is by the taverna on the left-hand side; there is room, but rocks sit in the center of the bay and in other corners of it.

Space

medium

Rules & access

2026: Greek kitesurf regulations prohibit kitesurfing before sunrise and after sunset, within 200 m of swimmers, within 200 m of anchored boats, markers, rocks, reefs or other obstacles, and closer than 200 m to the shoreline except beyond the swimmer buoys, and they require an unobstructed launch area. The same regulations require a helmet, life jacket, line knife, quick release and an isothermal suit from 15 October to 15 May. Nothing spot-specific is posted at Ftelia; ask locally before riding.

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

Rider tips

Take Ftelia when you want waves or powered freeride, and Korfos when you want a school, a compressor and someone watching the water.
Watch the shorebreak from the beach for a few sets first; onshore wind makes a failed water start expensive.
Ask the riders on the beach or the taverna side where the rocks are before you go in.
Bring neoprene even in summer: 24-26 C water with 30 knots on top of it gets cold.
Park on the road or at the beach bar and carry the gear down.

Getting there

Airport

Mykonos International Airport (JMK)

Route

Drive out of Mykonos Town toward Ano Mera and turn off for Ftelia Bay, about 4 km along. With kite gear that means a car, a scooter or a taxi.

Transfer

10-20 minutes from JMK or Mykonos Town depending on traffic and parking

Cost level

high

Staying

Ftelia View and Ftelia Bay Boutique Hotel are the options right by the beach; Mykonos Town, Ano Mera and Ornos/Korfos hold the rest of the lodging and services.

No-wind days

Mykonos Town, Delos, Ano Mera, beach bars, diving, catamaran/RIB trips, horseback riding, lee-side beaches when the north coast is too rough

Photos

Ftelia Bay on Mykonos's north coast with visible wind chop and a sailor/windsurfer on the water — Zde / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ

When is the best time to kite at Ftelia Bay?

June through September is the reliable Meltemi season, with July and August the strongest period regionally.

Is Ftelia Bay suitable for beginners?

No; kite-specific sources rate it intermediate to advanced because of fully onshore wind, shorebreak, rocks and waves up to about 2 meters in strong Meltemi.

What is the wind like?

The Meltemi arrives fully onshore from the north to north-northeast, typically 20-30 knots with peaks above 30, making it one of Mykonos's windiest, most committed spots.

What hazards should riders know about?

Onshore wind and shorebreak on landing, waves up to roughly 2 meters, gusts off the surrounding hills, and rocks in the center of the bay are all reported.

Are there any equipment rules?

Greece's national kitesurf regulations, checked for 2026, require a helmet, life jacket, line knife and quick release, plus an isothermal suit between 15 October and 15 May.

Last updated: August 2026