Map›Spain›El Médano, Tenerife›La TejitaEl Médano, Tenerife
La Tejita
Canary Islands · El Médano - Tenerife · El Medano
also known as Playa de La Tejita, Playa La Tejita
Riding essentials
Season
May–Sep
Months riders and schools name
How windy
10-25 kt
Character: trade
Room to launch
huge
access rules on record, below
Water
mixed
22 °C in summerNatural exposed sand, windy, with moderate surf, flat-to-choppy kite water and occasional waves
Hazards
8
Reported by riders
Level
Beginner to advanced
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
medium crowds · busy Jul Aug Sep
Schools
10
named at this spot
From the airport
15 min
Tenerife South Airport (TFS)
When it fills in
Lightest in the morning, filling through late morning and blowing hardest in the afternoon; 9 m in the morning and 7 m by mid-afternoon is a normal progression on a strong day. Regional pattern for the El Medano side of the island rather than a La Tejita measurement.
Nearbystraight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
- El Médano
- Leocadio Machadono page yet
- Harbour Wallno page yet
- La Jaquitano page yet
- El Confital / Playa El Hornono page yet
- Playa Chicano page yet
The spot
Wind and water
Reserve and skill level
The wind
locals call it Alisios / trade winds
Direction
Direction to shore
Depends where you stand on the beach. The NE trade blows offshore at the east end under Montana Roja and swings to almost sideshore towards the western end, so the working sector on a trade-wind day is the west side. A S to SW wind is side-onshore along the whole strand.
Dominant direction
The regional prevailing wind is E to NE; the recommended kitesurf wind for La Tejita is S to SW.
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
The quiver, in words
Kite sizingNothing is published for La Tejita on its own, so this is the El Medano-side pattern: a 75-85 kg rider carries two kites, a 7-9 m for the May-September trades that run 15-25 kt and over, and a 12 m for the irregular 15-20 kt days of March-April and October-November.On a hard summer afternoon 7 m is enough and 9 m is a morning kite. Monthly averages measured at La Tejita itself sit lower than in town, around 10-15 kt, so the big kite comes out more often here (indicative, regional, no local school figures).
Character
Average strength
12
Typical strength
Winter about 10-25 kt and summer about 15-30 kt for the El Medano area; monthly averages for La Tejita itself sit around 10-15 kt, before thermal acceleration.
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan65
- Feb44
- Mar53
- Apr42
- May, riders' month66
- Jun, riders' month40
- Jul, riders' month71
- Aug, riders' month76
- Sep, riders' month62
- Oct55
- Nov45
- Dec63
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
- 65%Jan21°
- 44%Feb21°
- 53%Mar21°
- 42%Apr21°
- 66%May21°
- 40%Jun23°
- 71%Jul23°
- 76%Aug24°
- 62%Sep24°
- 55%Oct25°
- 45%Nov23°
- 63%Dec22°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
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.
Every figure, month by monthWindy days · Force 4+ · 12 kn or more · Knots · Wind from · Peaks at · Air · Water · Readings
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | Wind from | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65% | 76% | 69% | 16.2 kt | ENE | 15:00 | 19.2 °C | 21.2 °C | 62 |
| Feb | 44% | 67% | 56% | 14.5 kt | ENE | 13:00 | 18.7 °C | 20.5 °C | 57 |
| Mar | 53% | 74% | 63% | 15.7 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 18.7 °C | 20.6 °C | 62 |
| Apr | 42% | 62% | 55% | 14.3 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 19.5 °C | 21 °C | 60 |
| May | 66% | 76% | 71% | 16.6 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 20.1 °C | 21.4 °C | 62 |
| Jun | 40% | 55% | 48% | 13.5 kt | ENE | 15:00 | 21.1 °C | 23 °C | 60 |
| Jul | 71% | 90% | 85% | 17.2 kt | ENE | 13:00 | 22.4 °C | 23.3 °C | 62 |
| Aug | 76% | 92% | 84% | 17.8 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 23.8 °C | 24.1 °C | 62 |
| Sep | 62% | 70% | 65% | 15.4 kt | ENE | 13:00 | 23 °C | 24.3 °C | 60 |
| Oct | 55% | 66% | 65% | 14.5 kt | ENE | 13:00 | 23.9 °C | 24.6 °C | 62 |
| Nov | 45% | 65% | 52% | 13.4 kt | ENE | 13:00 | 22.5 °C | 23.4 °C | 60 |
| Dec | 63% | 76% | 73% | 16 kt | ENE | 13:00 | 20.4 °C | 22.2 °C | 62 |
How this is modelledmodelled · 2023-2024
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
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
mixed
Standing depth
No measured figure. The sand shelves gently and evenly and there is a wadeable strip along the shore at most states of the tide, but moderate surf, shorebreak and undertow make this a bad beach to stand around in; past the break, treat it as deep water (indicative, no local survey).
Tides
Kiting is not tide dependent. Tidal range across the beach face is about 25 m (2024).
Temperature
22 °C summer · 20 °C winter
Modelled monthly average: 21–25 °C
Wetsuit
Shorty or nothing in summer; 2/2 to 3/2 mm for longer winter sessions. A shorty all year is also reported.
Currents
No official current chart exists for the beach. In a bad sea state expect undertow and rip current.
Conditions
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
10 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: huge
Somewhere else
2 spots nearby
Rescue
Launch
Big sandy beach west of Montana Roja. The kitesurf access is from the right-hand end; general beach access is on foot from the TF-643 parking, because cars are not allowed onto the protected beach and reserve. Keep gear off the dunes and off sensitive ground.
Rules & access
1 min read
Permitted activity and coastal rules
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Schools that ride here
Rider tips
- Read the angle on the beach, not only the forecast: S to SW is the recommended direction for La Tejita, while NE can be offshore at the east end.
- Park beside TF-643 and walk in; cars stay off the beach and off reserve ground.
- Ask a local school before teaching or launching in summer, because the bathing areas and the school zones move.
- If you are learning, take an instructor: this beach is not somewhere to start on your own.
- Keep clear of swimmers and the nudist section, the rocks to the south, and the offshore platforms and buoys.
- Bring sun cover and something to keep sand out of your gear; the beach is exposed and usually windy.
- On a NE trade day, work the western end of the beach where the wind comes closer to sideshore.
- Lifeguard cover is a summer-season arrangement run from El Medano. In the shoulder months assume nobody is watching the water.
Getting there
Airport
Tenerife South Airport (TFS)
Route
Drive or take a taxi from Tenerife South Airport. Public transport works via TITSA with a change at San Isidro or El Medano, or on local routes to La Tejita. Beach parking is beside TF-643 and the last stretch is on foot.
Transfer
15 min
Cost level
medium
Staying
Self-catering apartments sit around La Tejita and the shopping-centre area; El Medano has the main watersports base with apartments, hostels, schools, shops, cafes and nightlife; Los Abrigos and Golf del Sur are nearby quieter alternatives.
No-wind days
Montana Roja walk, beach day at La Tejita, surfing/bodyboard when swell works, SUP/eFoil/surfskate through local schools, snorkeling/diving around the south coast, Los Abrigos seafood, and wider Tenerife day trips such as Teide or Anaga.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time?
May to September matches the region's strongest trade winds, though La Tejita itself needs south to southwest wind rather than the standard northeast trades.
Is it suitable for beginners?
Official tourism lists all levels but says beginners should not start without an instructor.
What is the wind like?
The optimal direction is S to SW; the regional NE trade can be offshore at the beach's east end and more sideshore further west.
Are there rules or permits?
No special permit is needed to kitesurf in Tenerife, but riders should check marked navigation areas and respect other beach users.
What are the hazards?
Moderate surf brings shorebreak and undertow in rough seas, and there are rocks south of the launch plus offshore fuel-anchorage infrastructure to avoid.
The bigger pictureEverything about El Médano - Tenerife
Last updated: August 2026