Map › Spain › Costa Tropical › La Herradura
Andalucía mediterránea · Costa Tropical, Granada · Comarca de la Costa Granadina
La Herradura
also known as Playa de la Herradura, La Herradura Río Jate
Nearby Playa Punta del Río 15 km · Playa Granada 17 km · straight-line distance
On the clock
14:00 · 17:00 · 19:00 · 20:00
Calm mornings. The sea breeze builds after midday, peaks between roughly 14:00 and 17:00 and drops away by 19:00 or 20:00; on the rare gradient days the wind ignores that pattern. Indicative, from modelled hourly wind with no station in the bay.
The marks are the clock times the record names, laid on a 24-hour day. The bar between the first and the last covers those hours; it is not a promise of wind.
The wind
locals call it Levante/Poniente
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: Calm mornings. The sea breeze builds after midday, peaks between roughly 14:00 and 17:00 and drops away by 19:00 or 20:00; on the rare gradient days the wind ignores that pattern. Indicative, from modelled hourly wind with no station in the bay.
Typical strength
Thin, and honest about it. Around 34 days a year reach 12 knots, the best of them in April, July and August at roughly five days each month; everything else is a light afternoon thermal in single figures. Counted from long-run statistics for the bay rather than measured on the beach.
The quiver, in words
Indicative for 75-85 kg, with no local kit survey published: 12-15 m for the ordinary afternoon thermal, 9-11 m on the few days that get into the 15-20 knot band. A light-wind board or a foil earns its place here more than anywhere else on this coast.
Direction to shore
The bay opens to the south-west between two headlands. Levante reaches the water across the eastern point, which is why the bay stays flat under it however hard it blows, while Poniente comes in side-onshore from the west and stacks up the shorebreak.Derived from the shape of the bay and the water states riders describe, not from a published table.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan23
- Feb42
- Mar32
- Apr, riders' month22
- May, riders' month18
- Jun, riders' month15
- Jul, riders' month8
- Aug, riders' month6
- Sep18
- Oct23
- Nov22
- Dec13
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug.
- 23%Jan15°
- 42%Feb16°
- 32%Mar16°
- 22%Apr18°
- 18%May19°
- 15%Jun21°
- 8%Jul25°
- 6%Aug26°
- 18%Sep25°
- 23%Oct21°
- 22%Nov18°
- 13%Dec17°
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 | 23% | 35% | 32% | 9.2 kt | WSW | 15:00 | 13.3°C | 15.3°C | 62 |
| Feb | 42% | 58% | 46% | 11.5 kt | WSW | 15:00 | 14.3°C | 15.6°C | 57 |
| Mar | 32% | 47% | 42% | 10.7 kt | WSW | 15:00 | 16.4°C | 15.8°C | 62 |
| Apr | 22% | 28% | 25% | 8.6 kt | WSW | 15:00 | 18.4°C | 17.7°C | 60 |
| May | 18% | 32% | 29% | 8.8 kt | WSW | 14:00 | 21.5°C | 19.3°C | 62 |
| Jun | 15% | 22% | 20% | 7.4 kt | WSW | 15:00 | 25.5°C | 21.4°C | 60 |
| Jul | 8% | 15% | 10% | 6.2 kt | WSW | 14:00 | 29°C | 24.6°C | 62 |
| Aug | 6% | 8% | 6% | 6.2 kt | WSW | 14:00 | 28.9°C | 26.4°C | 62 |
| Sep | 18% | 30% | 27% | 8.8 kt | WSW | 14:00 | 24.6°C | 25.1°C | 60 |
| Oct | 23% | 35% | 34% | 8.8 kt | WSW | 15:00 | 21.9°C | 20.9°C | 62 |
| Nov | 22% | 28% | 27% | 8.3 kt | WSW | 16:00 | 18°C | 18°C | 60 |
| Dec | 13% | 16% | 15% | 7.7 kt | WSW | 14:00 | 14.3°C | 16.8°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
Tides
About 0.3 m between high and low water, semi-diurnal. Riding is tide-independent; the beach looks the same whenever you arrive.
Temperature
24.6°C summer · 14.9°C winter
Wetsuit
A long wetsuit is recommended in winter, a shorty or shorts in summer, and a shorty in the shoulder seasons.
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
3 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: large
Somewhere else
Playa Punta del Río, 15 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Launch at the Rio Jate mouth on the main beach, by the surf shop. The beach is 2,050 m long and about 40 m deep, dark gravel and sand, with parking a short walk away and food along the front. Marked swimming zones and sailing traffic decide where the space actually is in summer.
Space
large
Rider tips
- Ride Levante or a weak Poniente. Strong Poniente puts shorebreak on the beach and is no day to learn.
- Launch at the Río Jate mouth and keep well clear of the marked swimming zones in June, July and August.
- Ask the local windsurf school or the shop by the river mouth what the current launch arrangement is before you rig.
- Look out for dinghies and windsurfers on the way out; the bay carries sailing traffic all summer.
Getting there
Airport
Málaga (AGP) is listed at 85 km from the spot; Granada-Jaén (GRX) is the other Costa Tropical option.
Route
The bay is west of Almuñécar on the Costa Tropical, off the CN-340, with access on foot, by car and by boat.
Staying
La Herradura is a beach resort with services on the front; Almuñécar has more rooms a few minutes away.
No-wind days
windsurf · dinghy sailing · catamaran · SUP · kayak · scuba diving · Maro-Cerro Gordo coast
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite at La Herradura?
April through August has the highest number of windy days, though average wind figures reported for the spot are low.
Is La Herradura suitable for any level?
The sheltered bay is beginner-friendly in Levante or weak Poniente, but strong Poniente brings shorebreak and chaotic waves that are not suited to beginners.
What is the wind like?
Levante keeps the bay flat, while strong Poniente/W wind turns it choppy with shorebreak; the dominant directions reported are E and weak W.
What hazards should riders know about?
Summer swimming zones, many windsurfers and dinghies, and chaotic waves and shorebreak in strong Poniente are the main hazards.
Last updated: August 2026