Map › Italy › Granelli & Marina di Modica › Granelli
Sicilia · Pachino, south-east Sicily · Siracusa · Pachino
Granelli
also known as Granelli Pachino, La Marza, Baia Granelli
Nearby Santa Maria del Focallo 7 km · Tiki Beach (Pozzallo) 14 km · Marina di Modica 21 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
Two clocks here. The winter W/SW fronts are synoptic: they run through the day and often the night, so the session starts when the front arrives rather than at an hour you can plan around. The summer wind is thermal and comes up in the afternoon. No hourly measurement exists for the beach itself.
The wind
locals call it Ponente, Libeccio, Scirocco
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
synoptic
fills in: Two clocks here. The winter W/SW fronts are synoptic: they run through the day and often the night, so the session starts when the front arrives rather than at an hour you can plan around. The summer wind is thermal and comes up in the afternoon. No hourly measurement exists for the beach itself.
Typical strength
22.7 kn is the average quoted for sessions here, which is a rider's number rather than a meteorological one. The nearest long-run coastal station, 10 km south at Cozzo Spadaro, averages 7 kn over the year with gusts around 16 kn. Read 22 kn as what a good winter front delivers, not as what a random day gives you.
The quiver, in words
No local rider reporting. Against the roughly 22 kn quoted for a working day, a 75-85 kg rider sits on 8-9 m, drops to 7 m at the top of a winter front, and goes back to 11-12 m on the lighter summer thermal afternoons — indicative from the quoted wind, not measured on the beach.
Direction to shore
The beach faces southwest. The working W and SW winds land side-on to side-shore; SE crosses in from the other end of the bay.
Dominant direction
W and SW are the directions the beach is built for — Ponente and Libeccio — and they are where the winter fronts come from. SE also works.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month29
- Feb, riders' month37
- Mar, riders' month52
- Apr, riders' month57
- May40
- Jun27
- Jul21
- Aug31
- Sep35
- Oct, riders' month13
- Nov, riders' month30
- Dec, riders' month26
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec.
- 29%Jan16°
- 37%Feb15°
- 52%Mar16°
- 57%Apr17°
- 40%May20°
- 27%Jun24°
- 21%Jul27°
- 31%Aug29°
- 35%Sep27°
- 13%Oct24°
- 30%Nov21°
- 26%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 | 29% | 50% | 40% | 11.5 kt | W | 15:00 | 11.8°C | 16°C | 62 |
| Feb | 37% | 53% | 44% | 12.1 kt | W | 16:00 | 12°C | 15.3°C | 57 |
| Mar | 52% | 71% | 65% | 13.4 kt | W | 15:00 | 13.6°C | 15.7°C | 62 |
| Apr | 57% | 75% | 70% | 14.2 kt | W | 15:00 | 15.8°C | 17°C | 60 |
| May | 40% | 52% | 44% | 12.3 kt | W | 15:00 | 19.3°C | 19.5°C | 62 |
| Jun | 27% | 43% | 35% | 10.8 kt | WSW | 15:00 | 24.8°C | 23.8°C | 60 |
| Jul | 21% | 32% | 27% | 9.9 kt | WSW | 15:00 | 28.4°C | 27.4°C | 62 |
| Aug | 31% | 37% | 34% | 10.9 kt | WSW | 15:00 | 27.7°C | 28.5°C | 62 |
| Sep | 35% | 45% | 40% | 11.8 kt | WSW | 15:00 | 24.9°C | 26.7°C | 60 |
| Oct | 13% | 23% | 18% | 8.9 kt | W | 14:00 | 21.6°C | 24.1°C | 62 |
| Nov | 30% | 52% | 42% | 11.4 kt | W | 14:00 | 17.3°C | 21.3°C | 60 |
| Dec | 26% | 47% | 31% | 11.3 kt | W | 15:00 | 13.8°C | 17.8°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
Standing depth right through the riding area: the sand shelves gently and the navigation zone runs several hundred metres offshore with nothing hard in it. No measured distance-to-depth has been published.
Tides
Microtidal Mediterranean. Tide has no practical effect on the session here.
Temperature
24.8°C summer · 16°C winter
Wetsuit
boardshorts or light protection in high summer; full wetsuit in winter
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: large
Somewhere else
Santa Maria del Focallo, 7 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Wide sandy beach. The kitehouse has hot showers, gear washing and a storage/service setup, and the parking is large.
Space
large
Rider tips
- Check where the school is based this season before you drive down in winter.
- Decide before you launch whether the day is a flat-water session or a wave session; the two are metres apart here.
- Bring a car. Which of Pachino, Portopalo or Marzamemi works depends on the wind direction.
- Full suit in winter: the water drops to about 16 C.
- Park at the kitehouse and use the hot showers and the gear wash after a cold session.
- Watch a front rather than a clock. The wind that works here arrives with a system and can already be blowing at dawn.
- There is no rescue on this beach. Out of season, see who else is riding before you go out.
Getting there
Airport
Catania-Fontanarossa (CTA); Comiso (CIY) is another regional option
Route
A car is the practical option, both for Granelli and for moving between Pachino and Marzamemi, Portopalo or the Ragusa coast. It is about 109 km by road from Catania Airport.
Transfer
96 min
Cost level
medium
Staying
Holiday houses and beach rentals around Granelli and Pachino, with more services in Pachino, plus Marzamemi and Portopalo.
No-wind days
Marzamemi · Vendicari Nature Reserve · Noto · Portopalo di Capo Passero · Pachino food and wine
FAQ
When is the best time to kite at Granelli?
It is described as a favourite winter spot, best from October to April on W, SW and SE systems.
Is Granelli suitable for beginners?
The sandy, shallow, obstacle-free main beach supports supervised beginners in light-to-moderate conditions, while nearby wave zones suit more experienced riders.
What is the wind like at Granelli?
Granelli works on W (Ponente), SW (Libeccio) and SE (Scirocco) systems; it is treated as a winter-frontal spot rather than a dependable summer thermal.
Are there kite schools nearby?
Yes, Trickite School and Kitesurf Sicily School are based in the area, with a kitehouse offering showers, storage and parking at the beach.
Last updated: August 2026