Nearby Manzanillo 19 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
typically around 11am until sunset in season
The wind
locals call it northeast trade winds
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
trade
fills in: typically around 11am until sunset in season
Typical strength
12-25
Also on record
15-25 by one count, 10-20 by others, 15-20 for Cartagena by a third.
The quiver, in words
9-11m most days in season; 12m useful for lighter days
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month75
- Feb, riders' month89
- Mar, riders' month83
- Apr, riders' month55
- May15
- Jun9
- Jul21
- Aug12
- Sep7
- Oct6
- Nov11
- Dec, riders' month41
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Dec.
- 13Jan29°
- 15Feb28°
- 15Mar28°
- 12Apr29°
- 9May30°
- 8Jun31°
- 10Jul30°
- 9Aug31°
- 8Sep31°
- 8Oct30°
- 9Nov30°
- 11Dec30°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75% | 13.3 kt | NNE | 27.6°C | 28.9°C |
| Feb | 89% | 14.9 kt | NNE | 27.8°C | 28.1°C |
| Mar | 83% | 14.6 kt | NNE | 27.9°C | 28.4°C |
| Apr | 55% | 11.6 kt | NNE | 28°C | 28.8°C |
| May | 15% | 8.8 kt | NNE | 28.1°C | 30.1°C |
| Jun | 9% | 8.1 kt | SSW | 27.5°C | 30.5°C |
| Jul | 21% | 9.5 kt | NE | 27.9°C | 30.4°C |
| Aug | 12% | 8.6 kt | SSW | 27.6°C | 30.5°C |
| Sep | 7% | 7.9 kt | SSW | 27.6°C | 30.8°C |
| Oct | 6% | 8.1 kt | SSW | 27.2°C | 30.4°C |
| Nov | 11% | 8.5 kt | SW | 26.8°C | 29.8°C |
| Dec | 41% | 10.5 kt | NNE | 27.4°C | 29.6°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 (2020-2024), 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 · 2020-2024
The water
Type
choppy open water with shallow calm water near shore
Standing depth
Shallow and calm near shore; how far out is unconfirmed.
Tides
Reportedly tide independent; unconfirmed by a second source.
Temperature
Summer around 27-31
Winter around 27-28
Wetsuit
boardshorts / bikini; no wetsuit normally
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
5 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: wide beach
Somewhere else
Manzanillo, 19 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 in the La Boquilla fishing village north of Cartagena, with several schools, restaurants and toilets nearby.
Space
wide beach
Rules & access
- Kitesurfing here sits under maritime law, not a beach by-law. The national safety rules for recreational maritime activity and nautical sport, resolution 0408 of 2015, name kitesurf explicitly and require a certified buoyancy vest for every nautical sport, riding only inside the designated practice area, entry and exit through the marked launch sector at no more than 3 knots, no approaching the bathers' zone except in an emergency, no alcohol, and craft catalogued for protected waters operating between 06:00 and 18:00 unless the port captaincy changes it for weather.The Cartagena port captaincy's own resolution 0089 of 2017 applies that locally: beach and sea are zoned into an active strip, a rest strip, a buoyed bathers' zone and a nautical-sports strip seaward of it, with sports craft banned from the bathers' zone; nautical sport is daylight only, 06:00 to 18:00; every activity must have rescue means; commercial operators need a Licencia de Explotacion Comercial from the maritime authority, must be registered, and must tell users which areas are authorised; users are expected to go through a registered operator.La Boquilla is classified in that resolution as a rural tourist beach of high category, with beach recreation and sport and sail- or motor-propelled nautical activity authorised.Breaching it is a maritime infringement under decree-law 2324 of 1984. The detailed zoning of La Boquilla - access control, rest, active, bathing, service, lifeguard posts, motorised and non-motorised sports areas - was drawn and approved by the Local Beach Committee in the 2020-2021 round, so the exact buoy lines are local and can move; check them on the sand.
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Take a taxi: 15 minutes from the Cartagena historic center, about 5 from the airport.
- Rig at 11am in the December-April season; the trades run until sunset.
- Stay in the shallow inside water until you can handle chop and other kites, then move outside.
- Carry small bills; taxis and beach services are cash and informal.
- Ride weekdays if you can. Sundays are the crowded day.
- Come in and out through the marked launch sector at 3 knots or less and stay clear of the buoyed bathing strip; the zoning is enforced by the port captaincy, not the schools.
- The legal cut-off for nautical sport is 18:00, which lands close to when the trades are still running - plan the last session to end before it, not at it.
Getting there
Airport
Rafael Nunez International Airport, Cartagena
Route
Fly into Cartagena and take a taxi; La Boquilla is a short ride north of the city.
Transfer
15 from Cartagena historic center; about 5 from the airport
Cost level
medium-high by Colombia standards; Cartagena is reportedly the country's most expensive destination
Staying
Basic beachfront places at La Boquilla itself; the hotels and hostels are in Cartagena.
No-wind days
Cartagena walled city, Getsemani, sunset boat rides, Baru and Islas del Rosario.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite at La Boquilla?
The main season runs December to April, with northeast trade wind typically building from late morning.
Is La Boquilla suitable for beginners?
Yes, the shallow, calm water near shore and several nearby schools make it a common lesson spot, while choppier water further out suits freeride and freestyle.
What is the wind like at La Boquilla?
Side-onshore northeast trade wind typically runs 12-25 knots and usually builds from around 11am until sunset in season.
Are there kite schools nearby?
Yes, including Nativo Kite, En Colombia Kitesurf and Caribe Kitesurf.
Last updated: August 2026