Lago di Caldaro has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance
When it fills in
Fills in around 2pm under stable high pressure, reaching full strength in the late afternoon.
The wind
locals call it Ora
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
thermal
fills in: Fills in around 2pm under stable high pressure, reaching full strength in the late afternoon.
Typical strength
11-27 (Ora, Beaufort 4-6); occasional stronger northerly gusting to Beaufort 7 (roughly 28-33kt)
The quiver, in words
No local rider report gives a kite size. Against the Beaufort 4-6 the Ora is credited with, a 75-85 kg rider would be looking at roughly 12-14 m at the bottom of that band, 9-10 m through the middle and 7-8 m when it tops out. Indicative, derived from the published wind range rather than measured on this lake.
Direction to shore
The lake runs roughly north-south, about 1.8 km long and under a kilometre across, so the Ora out of the south blows straight up its length and gives you the whole fetch. From the developed west shore that south wind is sideshore.The rare north wind runs the same line in reverse, downwind onto the protected reed belt at the south end, which is the side you do not want to drift into. Derived from the lake's shape rather than a published shore-angle rating.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
riding season from the spot record · no wind series here is trusted enough to name a season
- Jan0
- Feb2
- Mar3
- Apr, riders' month3
- May, riders' month0
- Jun, riders' month2
- Jul3
- Aug3
- Sep2
- Oct0
- Nov0
- Dec0
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Apr, May, Jun.
The model is wrong here
The model reads 3% of days at its best month, which does not sit with the season and the wind strength this record states. The figures are kept and drawn as hatching so no wind colour can be read off them, and the ringed months are the ones riders name.
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0% | 2% | 2% | 3.5 kt | N | 13:00 | 5.4°C | 62 |
| Feb | 2% | 5% | 5% | 3.7 kt | N | 15:00 | 7.7°C | 57 |
| Mar | 3% | 11% | 10% | 6.5 kt | SSW | 16:00 | 10°C | 62 |
| Apr | 3% | 22% | 13% | 7.7 kt | SSW | 16:00 | 12.8°C | 60 |
| May | 0% | 18% | 6% | 7.1 kt | SSW | 17:00 | 17.8°C | 62 |
| Jun | 2% | 27% | 20% | 8.5 kt | SSW | 17:00 | 22.5°C | 60 |
| Jul | 3% | 13% | 8% | 8.2 kt | SSW | 17:00 | 25.4°C | 62 |
| Aug | 3% | 13% | 5% | 7.7 kt | SSW | 17:00 | 25.4°C | 62 |
| Sep | 2% | 2% | 2% | 5.8 kt | SSW | 16:00 | 19.7°C | 60 |
| Oct | 0% | 3% | 2% | 3 kt | N | 15:00 | 16.7°C | 62 |
| Nov | 0% | 2% | 2% | 3.5 kt | N | 14:00 | 8.4°C | 60 |
| Dec | 0% | 3% | 3% | 3.5 kt | N | 14:00 | 4.7°C | 62 |
riders' months
Riders and schools name these months. The model reads lower here, and both are shown rather than averaged.
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
mixed
Standing depth
Not a standing-depth lake. It averages about 3.5 m and reaches 5.6 m at its deepest, so once you are off the shallow margins and the reed shelf at the south end you are out of your depth anywhere on it.
Tides
None — small freshwater alpine-foothill lake, no tidal data applicable.
Temperature
28°C summer
Wetsuit
You want one for the April kite season: the water is about 13°C in April and 19°C by May. It reaches 28°C in high summer, by which point the Ora is weaker and less reliable.
Your level
The record rates the levels and says nothing more about what this spot asks of a rider.
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
No school names this spot
Nobody has been recorded teaching or running a boat here.
On your own
Room to launch: tight
Somewhere else
No neighbour on record
No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.
Rescue
Launch
No ordinary shore launch is on record. Riders are reportedly taken out onto the lake by pedal boat, or rig from the small wooden landing bridges with a helper; the two accounts have never been reconciled.
Space
tight
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Plan the session for the afternoon: the Ora fills in around 2pm and peaks late.
- Confirm access locally before you drive, because no kite launch, rental point or rescue service is on record.
- Bring someone to help you launch, and expect to start off a wooden bridge or from a pedal boat.
- Check the sailing club calendar: regatta days put 100+ boats on 1.4km2 of water.
- Full neoprene in April, when the lake is around 13°C.
- Check the sailing club calendar: regatta days put 100+ boats on a lake under 2 km long.
- Full neoprene in April, when the lake is around 13C.
- March can already deliver an Ora day if the high pressure is stable, and the water is at its coldest then.
- Nothing with an engine is allowed on this lake, so plan every session around swimming your own kite in.
Getting there
Airport
Bolzano Airport (BZO) is about 20km away but is a small regional field with limited scheduled service (Sky Alps and a handful of routes); Verona (VRN) and Innsbruck (INN) are the larger commonly-used alternatives for South Tyrol, though neither was confirmed for this specific route.
Route
The lake sits about 20km south of Bolzano along the South Tyrolean wine road (Strada del Vino / Südtiroler Weinstraße).
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite at Lago di Caldaro?
April and May are the recommended months, during the Ora, a south wind from Garda that can reach 4 to 6 Beaufort in the late afternoon.
Is Lago di Caldaro suitable for beginners?
No, the spot is listed for intermediate and advanced riders rather than beginners.
How do you launch at Lago di Caldaro?
No normal shore launch has been verified; kitesurfers are reportedly taken out onto the lake by pedal boat before starting.
What is the wind like?
Wind speeds of roughly 11 to 27 knots are reported during the Ora season, with a stronger, gustier north wind also possible.
Last updated: August 2026