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Greece, Turkey (Aegean coast) and Cyprus · Rhodes - Ialysos · Rhodes Regional Unit

Ialysos

also known as Ialyssos, Ialysos Bay, Trianda, Ixia/Ialysos corridor

choppybeginner-friendlyhigh 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 Kremasti Beach 3 km · Theologos 10 km · Fanes Beach 16 km · Kalavarda 19 km · straight-line distance

SeasonMay to Octthe months riders and schools name How windy18-20 knotsmixed Launchlimited to medium at Ialysos resort beach; wider at Kremasti centeraccess rules on record, below Wateropen bay, chop25.6°C in summer · 8 things riders flag LevelBeginner to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section Schools5named at this spot From the airport15 minAirport Diagoras (RHO)

When it fills in

Lighter mornings; wind strengthens after noon/early afternoon from Meltemi plus thermal reinforcement.

Ialysos is the convenient base on the northwest coast of Rhodes, minutes from Rhodes Town and Diagoras airport. The record here is muddled: the name Ialyssos gets used for the whole bay through Kremasti, while the wide kite launch the centers actually use is on Kremasti Beach, so confirm which sand you are meeting on.

The wind is the standard west-coast Meltemi, light in the morning and building after noon, side to cross-shore from the left, and the water turns choppy as soon as it fills in, with open swell farther out. Lessons and freeride are easy here because the schools and rescue-supported centers are right there.

What this is not is quiet: sunbeds, swimmers, other watersports and aircraft on approach overhead. Come for the logistics. If you want space, Fanes and Theologos are up the same coast.

The wind

locals call it Meltemi

Direction

cross-shore

Kite sizes

4567891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

mixed

fills in: Lighter mornings; wind strengthens after noon/early afternoon from Meltemi plus thermal reinforcement.

Typical strength

18-20 knots most afternoons, 4-6 Bft (11-27 kt) through summer, 5-7 Bft on afternoon peaks; the three figures on record do not fully agree.

Steady but choppy. The stronger afternoon wind and the airport and coastal effects make it less simple for a beginner than a flat-water lagoon.

The main season on the Rhodes west coast runs June to September, and centers and lessons operate roughly April/May to October/November. July-August is the reliable core; May and October are shoulder-season gambles.

The quiver, in words

Nothing published locally; indicative for 75-85 kg. The light morning, 11-15 kt, is a 12 m. The standard 18-20 kt afternoon is 9-10 m.When the thermal stacks on the Meltemi and it runs 6-7 Bft, 7 m. Rental centres here stock North/Duotone gear, so a full range is on the beach if you would rather not travel with one.

Direction to shore

side/cross-shore from the left on west-coast beaches

Dominant direction

W to NW in the Rhodes west-coast acceleration zone; a spring and autumn Tramontana from the north at Kremasti, unconfirmed.

Forecast

Month by month

Jan62
Feb53
Mar66
Apr69
May, riders' month71
Jun, riders' month69
Jul, riders' month67
Aug, riders' month66
Sep, riders' month60
Oct, riders' month31
Nov43
Dec41

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

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

13Jan20°
12Feb18°
13Mar18°
13Apr19°
13May20°
13Jun24°
12Jul27°
12Aug28°
12Sep27°
10Oct25°
11Nov23°
10Dec20°

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

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	62%	12.5 kt	WNW	11.7°C	19.5°C
Feb	53%	11.8 kt	WNW	11.6°C	18°C
Mar	66%	12.7 kt	WNW	12.6°C	17.8°C
Apr	69%	13.4 kt	WNW	16.6°C	18.6°C
May	71%	12.8 kt	WNW	19.8°C	20.4°C
Jun	69%	12.7 kt	WNW	25.2°C	24.3°C
Jul	67%	12.3 kt	WNW	28.5°C	27.2°C
Aug	66%	12 kt	W	27.4°C	28.1°C
Sep	60%	12 kt	WNW	25.2°C	26.9°C
Oct	31%	9.9 kt	WNW	21.5°C	25.1°C
Nov	43%	10.9 kt	WNW	17.2°C	22.7°C
Dec	41%	10.1 kt	SSE	14.2°C	20.4°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 bay, chop

Standing depth

At Kremasti, about 15 m of shallow water before it drops away quickly. Nothing published for Ialysos itself.

Tides

Negligible / not reported as a planning factor.

Temperature

25.6°C summer · 18.5°C winter

Wetsuit

Boardshorts/lycra or shorty in summer; wetsuit needed in winter.

18–28°C water

West-coast Rhodes open-water resort bay. The water is flatter early and goes choppy as the afternoon wind builds, with open-sea swell farther out.

Your level

beginnerintermediateadvanced

Ialysos has beginner and advanced lesson offers, and the Kremasti beach and center next door is the better place to learn: wide beach, open bay, light mornings, rescue on hand. Kremasti also gets deep quickly and can have shorebreak, so beginners belong under school supervision.

The scene

What riders come here for

beginnerfreeridebeginner lessonsfreestylebump and jumpwingfoilwindsurf

Convenient, developed resort and watersports corridor close to Rhodes Town and the airport.

Launch and rules

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

With a school or a boat

5 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: limited to medium at Ialysos resort beach; wider at Kremasti center

access rules on record

Somewhere else

Kremasti Beach, 3 km

Kremasti Beach Theologos Fanes Beach

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

Rescue

Kite Surf Ialysos includes beach access, storage and a rescue package with its lessons and rentals, and caps sessions at two students. The Kremasti centre gives launch and landing assistance plus jet-ski rescue for its own guests. Neither covers an independent rider who has not registered.

Launch

Developed west-coast resort beach corridor with watersports schools. Kite Surf Ialysos gives its address as Papaflesa, Ialysos 85101, on the main kite beach in Ialysos Bay near Rhodes airport, with gear on the sand so you can change kite through the day.The wide sandy launch the Duotone/North centre uses is on Kremasti Beach, about 3 km from the Blue Horizon hotel, on a less busy stretch of the same open bay.

Space

limited to medium at Ialysos resort beach; wider at Kremasti center

Hazards riders report 8

busy resort beach with swimmers and sunbeds - crowded launch corridor
close to airport approach/departure path
Busy resort beach corridor with swimmers, sunbeds and other watersports
Airport approach/departure noise and low aircraft nearby
Water gets choppy as afternoon wind builds
Quick-deep water and possible shorebreak on stronger days at Kremasti.
Some centers may charge for beach access, storage or service packages
Greek national kitesurf distance rules restrict riding near swimmers, obstacles, shore and ports

Rules & access

Checked in 2026: Greek national kitesurf rules prohibit kiting before sunrise and after sunset, in adverse weather, beyond 1 nautical mile from shore, within 200 m of swimmers or obstacles, and within 200 m of shore except beyond the marked swimmer buoys; launching needs a clear 100 m radius.

No Ialysos-specific 2026 municipal ordinance was found, and the commercial centers set their own access, storage and rescue rules.

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

Rider tips

Confirm the exact meeting beach with your school; Ialysos, Ixia and Kremasti get used as one name on booking pages.
Book beginner slots in the morning, while the wind is still light before the afternoon build.
Budget for center fees on top of the lesson: beach access, storage and rescue are sometimes charged separately.
Ride wide of the swimmer lines and the sunbeds; the launch corridor is shared with the whole resort beach.
Bringing one kite? Make it a 9 or 10 m. That is the size the standard afternoon calls for.

Getting there

Airport

Rhodes International Airport Diagoras (RHO)

Route

Ialysos is one of the closest resort areas to RHO: about 6-8 km, roughly 10-15 minutes by car, or 13-14 minutes by bus to the Ialysos-area stops. A car or scooter helps for day trips to Kremasti, Theologos, Fanes and Prasonisi.

Transfer

15 min

Cost level

medium

Staying

Plenty of resort hotels, apartments and beach hotels in Ialysos and Ixia, with quieter guesthouses and apartments around Kremasti.

No-wind days

Rhodes Old Town, Lindos, Filerimos hill, Valley of the Butterflies, Kamiros, shopping and restaurants in Rhodes Town, or a stronger-wind day trip to Prasonisi.

Photos

Ialisos, Greece townscape close to the spot, 152m — Mitroshk / CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Ialisos, Greece, alternate view, 170m — Mitroshk / CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ

When is the best time to kite at Ialysos?

The main season runs June to September, with centers operating roughly April/May to October/November and July-August the peak.

Is Ialysos suitable for beginners?

Local schools teach beginners here, and nearby Kremasti Beach is described as good for learning thanks to a wide beach and lighter mornings, though quick-deep water and possible shorebreak mean supervision is recommended.

What is the wind like?

The west-coast Meltemi is lighter in the morning and strengthens after noon, blowing side to cross-shore from the west to northwest at around 18-20 knots on typical afternoons.

Are there kite schools nearby?

Kite Surf Ialysos, ProCenter Rhodes, Air Riders Kite Pro Center and a Duotone/North kitesurf center operate in the Ialysos/Kremasti corridor.

Last updated: August 2026