Map › Brazil › Pontal de Maria Farinha & Itamaracá Kite Point › Itamaracá Kite Point

Pernambuco · Ilha de Itamaracá · Ilha de Itamaraca

Itamaracá Kite Point

also known as Praia de São Paulo, Itamaraca Kitepoint, IKP, Praia de Sao Paulo

flat waterbeginner-friendlyhigh crowds

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

On this page

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

Nearby Pontal de Maria Farinha 6 km · straight-line distance

SeasonJul to Novthe months riders and schools name How windyunder Typical strength, belowtrade Launchschool and event beach launch; exact public rigging area and swimmer separation unconfirmedno access rules on record Waterocean/estuary flat-water beach28°C in summer · 4 things riders flag LevelBeginner to intermediatewith a caveat, in the Level section Schools1named at this spot From the airport60 minFreyre International Airport (REC)

When it fills in

No onset time is published for this spot.

Itamaraca Kite Point is the kite beach on Praia de Sao Paulo, Ilha de Itamaraca, north of Recife, and it runs around the IKP Kite School and its events.

The water is flat and shallow, under 1 m in places and 1-2 m elsewhere, and at low tide it is smooth enough that a first lesson should be booked for it.

The wind is the trade wind, E on average, with N and NE the directions people ride; July through October are the strong months, July to November the season, and the climate record has the windy stretch running late May into early January with August the windiest. Do not expect it to nuke.

Monthly means sit around 10.7-11.4 kt from June to November and the kites in use are 9-14 m. The 2023 Iron Macho kitetrip started from here because the island has regular kite practice, calm water and steady wind. Water is 26-29 C all year, so shorts and a lycra.

Municipal kite rules, a standing rescue service and the exact rigging area have not been confirmed; the school is on Rua Desembargador Angelo Vasconcelos Filho by Restaurante Coco Louco, and that is where you ask.

The wind

Direction

onshoreE on average

Kite sizes

78910111213141516

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

trade

Typical strength

No spot-specific knot range confirmed. With 9-14 m kites in use and windy-season averages around 20-21 km/h, expect moderate trade-wind sessions, not a nuking spot.

Constant enough for regular kite practice, but light-wind days occur; check daily forecast.

July, August, September, October: the excellent months. July-November is the wider season. The windier period runs late May to early January and the driest beach weather from late July to late October.

The seasonal swing is small and the ceiling is modest: mean hourly wind moves from about 17 km/h in March to 21.2 km/h in August, roughly 9 to 11.5 kt, so the difference between the best month and the worst is under 3 kt on average.

Also on record

The quiver, in words

9-14 m.

Direction to shore

E comes in onshore on this east-facing launch; NE and N are side-on to side-shore. Exact beach angle unconfirmed.

Dominant direction

E on average; the kite directions are N and NE as well as E.

Forecast

Month by month

Jan5
Feb15
Mar16
Apr4
May23
Jun37
Jul, riders' month63
Aug, riders' month63
Sep, riders' month60
Oct, riders' month29
Nov, riders' month20
Dec15

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

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

9Jan30°
10Feb30°
9Mar30°
9Apr30°
10May29°
10Jun28°
12Jul27°
11Aug27°
11Sep27°
10Oct28°
10Nov29°
10Dec29°

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

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	5%	9 kt	ESE	26.9°C	29.8°C
Feb	15%	9.5 kt	ESE	27.3°C	29.8°C
Mar	16%	9.2 kt	SE	27°C	30.2°C
Apr	4%	8.8 kt	SSE	26.8°C	30.2°C
May	23%	9.6 kt	SSE	26.1°C	29.4°C
Jun	37%	10.3 kt	SSE	25.1°C	27.9°C
Jul	63%	11.5 kt	SSE	24.6°C	26.8°C
Aug	63%	11.4 kt	SSE	24.7°C	26.9°C
Sep	60%	11.2 kt	SE	25°C	27.2°C
Oct	29%	10.2 kt	SE	26°C	28°C
Nov	20%	9.8 kt	E	26.7°C	28.7°C
Dec	15%	9.8 kt	ESE	26.8°C	29°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

ocean/estuary flat-water beach

Standing depth

Flat water with depths less than 1 m and 1-2 m; shallow and smooth at low tide.

Tides

Low tide is the shallow, smooth window; the full tide range at this launch is not documented.

Temperature

28°C summer · 26°C winter

Wetsuit

Shorts or a lycra; the water is 26-29 C all year.

27–30°C water

Flat water. Praia de Sao Paulo is the east-coast launch on Ilha de Itamaraca, near the island's protected northern waterways, and the water inside is calm enough for regular kite practice.

Your level

beginnerintermediatenot for advanceds here

Beginner lessons and freeride: a school on site, shallow water at low tide, flat water. Nothing advanced-only has been documented.

The scene

What riders come here for

lessonsfreerideraceflat waterdownwind staging

School-run local kite point with event/downwind activity.

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: school and event beach launch; exact public rigging area and swimmer separation unconfirmed

no access rules on record

Somewhere else

Pontal de Maria Farinha, 6 km

Pontal de Maria Farinha

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

Rescue

No standing rescue service confirmed. The 2023 Iron Macho start had more than 20 water and land support staff, but that was for the event.

Launch

School/event launch at Itamaraca Kite Point on Praia de Sao Paulo; IKP is located at Rua Desembargador Angelo Vasconcelos Filho, s/n, Praia de Sao Paulo, near Restaurante Coco Louco.

Space

school and event beach launch; exact public rigging area and swimmer separation unconfirmed

Rider tips

Book first sessions around low tide: that is when the water is shallowest and smoothest.
Ask IKP where the rigging area ends and whether an event is on before you pump up; the launch is school-run.
Bring 9-14 m kites; August is the windiest month on average and it is still moderate.
Before any long downwinder south, ask the school about the Recife-region shark-risk boundaries and a support boat.
IKP's website no longer resolves. Check the school is still running before you build a trip around it: the number published on its event listing is WhatsApp 81 99913-7330, at Rua Desembargador Angelo Vasconcelos Filho by Restaurante Coco Louco.

Getting there

Airport

Recife/Guararapes-Gilberto Freyre International Airport (REC)

Route

Drive north from Recife to Ilha de Itamaraca and on to Praia de Sao Paulo; IKP is next to Restaurante Coco Louco. About 55 km and an hour by road from Recife airport.Public buses cover the route but need a change in Recife and take most of a day, so a car or a transfer is the practical option with gear.

Transfer

60 min

Cost level

medium

Staying

Beach pousadas and rentals on Ilha de Itamaraca, or base in Recife or Olinda; no kite-package lodging confirmed.

No-wind days

Forte Orange · Ilha de Itamaraca beaches · Recife and Olinda day trips · SUP/kayak on calmer water

FAQ

When is the best time to kitesurf at Itamaracá Kite Point?

July, August, September and October are named as excellent wind months, with August the windiest average month.

Is Itamaracá Kite Point suitable for beginners?

Yes, school presence and shallow, flat low-tide water support beginner lessons and freeride sessions.

What is the wind like?

Wind averages around 10.7-11.4 knots from June to November, mostly from the E, N and NE directions.

Are there kite schools nearby?

Yes, IKP Kite School runs lessons on the same beach where the spot is marked.

Last updated: August 2026