Map › Slovenia › Cape Seča, near Portorož › Izola
Slovenian Istria · Izola, near Koper
Izola
also known as Svetilnik, Lighthouse Beach, Plaža Svetilnik
Nearby Sečovlje / Seča (Portorož) 7 km · Piran (Fiesa) 8 km · Umag 16 km · Grado 26 km · Marina Julia 29 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
No onset time is published for Izola. Maestral in the region builds through the afternoon; Bora is synoptic and can be in at any hour.
The wind
locals call it Burja/Bora, Maestral
Direction
Character
mixed
fills in: No onset time is published for Izola. Maestral in the region builds through the afternoon; Bora is synoptic and can be in at any hour.
Typical strength
Summer Maestral on this coast is a thermally enhanced NW around 12-15 kt. A wider NE/ENE/E range of 12-35 kt with gusts to 45 kt also circulates, treated here as secondary.
Also on record
60 non-thermal windy days a year, with monthly averages around 4-5 kt. The figure excludes thermal wind and is indicative.
Direction to shore
Cross-shore from the right in Bora, by the lighthouse.
Dominant direction
NE-ENE-E Bora for the documented kite setup; Maestral is a westerly/northwesterly summer thermal on the Slovenian coast.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month31
- Feb, riders' month21
- Mar, riders' month15
- Apr, riders' month22
- May18
- Jun15
- Jul6
- Aug10
- Sep33
- Oct24
- Nov, riders' month27
- Dec, riders' month27
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec.
- 31%Jan12°
- 21%Feb11°
- 15%Mar12°
- 22%Apr14°
- 18%May18°
- 15%Jun24°
- 6%Jul27°
- 10%Aug27°
- 33%Sep24°
- 24%Oct21°
- 27%Nov17°
- 27%Dec14°
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 | 31% | 42% | 40% | 11.4 kt | ENE | 12:00 | 5.7°C | 12.3°C | 62 |
| Feb | 21% | 25% | 25% | 9 kt | ESE | 11:00 | 7°C | 11°C | 57 |
| Mar | 15% | 40% | 39% | 10.2 kt | W | 14:00 | 9.5°C | 12.2°C | 62 |
| Apr | 22% | 47% | 40% | 10.6 kt | W | 14:00 | 12.1°C | 14.4°C | 60 |
| May | 18% | 44% | 37% | 11.2 kt | ENE | 15:00 | 17.9°C | 18.1°C | 62 |
| Jun | 15% | 37% | 33% | 10.3 kt | W | 14:00 | 22.5°C | 23.5°C | 60 |
| Jul | 6% | 35% | 29% | 10.2 kt | W | 15:00 | 25.5°C | 26.6°C | 62 |
| Aug | 10% | 35% | 31% | 10.3 kt | W | 15:00 | 25°C | 27°C | 62 |
| Sep | 33% | 53% | 52% | 12.6 kt | ENE | 15:00 | 19.9°C | 24.1°C | 60 |
| Oct | 24% | 34% | 29% | 10.3 kt | E | 14:00 | 17°C | 20.8°C | 62 |
| Nov | 27% | 40% | 32% | 11.2 kt | ESE | 13:00 | 10.6°C | 17°C | 60 |
| Dec | 27% | 32% | 31% | 10.3 kt | ESE | 13:00 | 7.6°C | 13.7°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
deep sea spot with chop and medium waves; grassy/pebbly urban beach entry
Standing depth
No standing-depth teaching area; the water is deep.
Tides
Two highs and two lows a day, uneven in height between one cycle and the next. Across a sample week of predictions the highs sat around 0.9-1.2 m and the lows around 0.05-0.55 m, a range of roughly 0.4 to 1.1 m.That is large for the Mediterranean and small against the depth off the lighthouse, so the tide changes the beach edge more than it changes the riding water. Indicative, from published predictions rather than a local gauge.
Temperature
25°C summer · 10°C winter
Wetsuit
Shorts or shorty in summer; shorty or full suit in spring/autumn; thick winter 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
2 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: small
Somewhere else
Sečovlje / Seča (Portorož), 7 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
The launch is by the lighthouse at Svetilnik: a small strip of grass and stone with concrete and rocks in it. Use the most downwind part, which is the safest end of the beach.
Space
small
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Plan Izola for a winter or shoulder-season Bora, not for a July-August session.
- Rig where the locals rig, usually the most downwind end of the Svetilnik beach.
- Stay well clear of the reef upwind; riders have hit fins on it.
- Watch the marina traffic and leave a wide lane between you and the swimmers.
- Wear booties; the entry is stone and concrete with rocks in it.
- Once Bora goes past 30 kt, intermediates tend to drop the lighthouse and ride the sheltered bay at Fiesa instead.
Getting there
Airport
Trieste Airport (TRS) is the nearest major international airport, about 70 km and 1 h from Izola; Portorož Airport is closer but takes smaller planes, Ljubljana is about 130 km, and Venice and Treviso are the further alternatives.
Route
Drive in and walk to Svetilnik from the town centre or from parking around the edge of the old town. The spot is by the lighthouse, within walking distance of almost anywhere in Izola.
Transfer
About 55-70 min by car from Trieste Airport depending on route and parking; by public transport via Portorož the trip is quoted at roughly 2 h 14 min.
Cost level
medium
Staying
Stay in the Izola old town, by the marina and Svetilnik, at San Simon or Belvedere, or in Koper or Portorož; hotels, guesthouses, apartments and campsites are all reported locally.
No-wind days
Izola old town, the Svetilnik beach itself, San Simon, SUP and kayak rental, the coastal path on the former road toward Koper, the Parenzana cycle route, the Izolana House of the Sea, the restaurants, and Piran, Portorož and Strunjan nearby.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite at Izola?
Izola becomes a destination for Slovenian kitesurfers in winter when the Bora wind is active, mainly November to April.
Is Izola suitable for beginners?
No, the deep water and small stony launch with concrete and rocks make it better suited to intermediate and advanced riders.
What is the wind like?
Izola is a better Bora call than other Slovenian spots because the wind is less gusty and more cross-shore near the lighthouse.
What are the main hazards?
A reef upwind has caused reported fin strikes, and the marina's moored boats sit nearby; summer tourists leave no practical kiting space.
Last updated: August 2026