Laguna Garzón has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance
On the clock
16:00
Afternoon, around 16:00, on many summer windy days.
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
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: Afternoon, around 16:00, on many summer windy days.
Typical strength
14-16 kt in the afternoon is the figure riders quote. The monthly average of about 9-10 kt comes from a 12 kt windy-day threshold that leaves thermal wind out, so the two numbers describe different things.
Also on record
9
The quiver, in words
Indicative, derived from the wind rather than measured: nobody local publishes sizes. The 14-16 kt afternoon breeze puts a 75-85 kg rider on 12 m, and on the many days that sit under it you want 14 m or a foil. A 9 m covers the rare afternoon that pushes past 20 kt.This is a big-kite lagoon; the small end of the quiver stays in the bag.
Direction to shore
Variable around the lagoon; inside the lagoon almost any wind direction can be used, while ocean-side riding needs onshore/cross-onshore directions such as NE, E, SE, S or SW.
Dominant direction
Summer is usually E, SE or NE. The wider usual range runs NE, ENE, E, ESE to SE.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month52
- Feb, riders' month46
- Mar, riders' month23
- Apr35
- May37
- Jun27
- Jul34
- Aug53
- Sep43
- Oct, riders' month50
- Nov, riders' month52
- Dec, riders' month53
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov, Dec.
- 52%Jan22°
- 46%Feb23°
- 23%Mar24°
- 35%Apr21°
- 37%May17°
- 27%Jun15°
- 34%Jul12°
- 53%Aug12°
- 43%Sep13°
- 50%Oct16°
- 52%Nov18°
- 53%Dec20°
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 | 52% | 77% | 61% | 13.3 kt | E | 16:00 | 22.7°C | 22.4°C | 62 |
| Feb | 46% | 77% | 68% | 13.5 kt | E | 15:00 | 22.3°C | 23.3°C | 57 |
| Mar | 23% | 55% | 47% | 11.9 kt | E | 15:00 | 21.2°C | 23.5°C | 62 |
| Apr | 35% | 55% | 50% | 12.1 kt | S | 14:00 | 17.7°C | 20.9°C | 60 |
| May | 37% | 53% | 48% | 12 kt | WSW | 13:00 | 14.2°C | 17.3°C | 62 |
| Jun | 27% | 48% | 40% | 11.6 kt | WSW | 12:00 | 12°C | 14.7°C | 60 |
| Jul | 34% | 50% | 42% | 11.8 kt | SW | 13:00 | 11.1°C | 12.3°C | 62 |
| Aug | 53% | 73% | 63% | 14.2 kt | SW | 14:00 | 11.9°C | 12.2°C | 62 |
| Sep | 43% | 72% | 67% | 13 kt | SW | 14:00 | 13.3°C | 13°C | 60 |
| Oct | 50% | 68% | 55% | 13 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 15.4°C | 15.6°C | 62 |
| Nov | 52% | 82% | 72% | 14.2 kt | E | 14:00 | 18.6°C | 18.2°C | 60 |
| Dec | 53% | 71% | 65% | 13.9 kt | ENE | 13:00 | 20°C | 20.2°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
lagoon
Standing depth
Shallow enough for learners to stand over much of it; average depth reportedly about 0.5 m.
Tides
Not tide-dependent in practice, though the lagoon exchanges water with the Atlantic through the sand bar. Nobody has published how far the level moves.
Temperature
22°C summer · 12°C winter
Wetsuit
No wetsuit or only occasional light neoprene in summer; shorty or full suit in spring/autumn; thick wetsuit in winter.
Currents
Lagoon current speed unconfirmed. The bar is where the lagoon drains to the sea, so stay off it when it is open and running.
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
No school names this spot
Nobody has been recorded teaching or running a boat here.
On your own
Room to launch: big
Somewhere else
No neighbour on record
No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.
Rescue
Launch
Sandy lagoon-shore launches inside the approved zones near the bridge on Ruta 10. Kite y Windsurf Laura sits on Ruta 10 on the lagoon shore, with school, rental, kiteshop, bar, supermarket on the same ground.
Space
big
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Register before you launch and again when you land, and confirm the current zone map on the spot: the zones are capped at 30 riders each.
- Learn and freeride inside the lagoon; treat the ocean side as a separate, more exposed session.
- Turn up for the afternoon. The breeze often arrives around 16:00 and the morning is usually a write-off.
- Keep off the unmarked shoreline and the access tracks; the bird habitat is why the zones exist at all.
- Sleep in Jose Ignacio, El Caracol or Punta del Este, or on the school ground on Ruta 10 if you want the lagoon at the end of the path.
Getting there
Airport
Punta del Este / Laguna del Sauce (PDP) is the nearest commercial airport; Montevideo Carrasco (MVD) is about 160-170 km away.
Route
Drive Ruta 10, about 40 km east of Punta del Este. Getting there by public transport with kite gear is unconfirmed.
Transfer
60 min
Cost level
high
Staying
The school ground at the lagoon has rooms, a bar and equipment storage. Wider lodging is in Jose Ignacio, El Caracol and Punta del Este.
No-wind days
SUP, kayaking, light sailing/windsurfing through lagoon schools, birdwatching, beach time on the Atlantic side, Jose Ignacio restaurants and Punta del Este day trips.
Photos
FAQ
Is Laguna Garzón suitable for beginners?
Yes: the lagoon has shallow, flat water around 0.5 m deep used for beginner teaching, though riders must still register and stay inside the approved zones.
When is the best time?
December and January are called the best months, within a comfortable season running from October/November to April/May.
What is the wind like?
Summer wind is usually E, SE or NE and typically fills in around 16:00, averaging about 9-10 kt with practical afternoon wind closer to 14-16 kt.
Are there rules or permits?
Because kitesurfing is regulated inside a protected natural area, riders must register in advance, ride only in delimited zones, and respect a cap of up to 30 kiters per zone (2026).
Are there kite schools?
Yes: Kite y Windsurf Laura, on Ruta 10 by the lagoon shore, is described as Uruguay's only IKO center, alongside Kiteclub Uruguay and Paraiso Garzon.
Last updated: August 2026