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Las Terrenas (Kite Beach)
also known as Kite Beach El Portillo, El Portillo Lagoon, Playa El Portillo, Portillo
Las Terrenas (Kite Beach) has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance
When it fills in
Around noon to 1 pm; builds during the afternoon and eases near sunset, often around 6 pm.
The wind
locals call it Alizes / trade winds reinforced by local thermal wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: Around noon to 1 pm; builds during the afternoon and eases near sunset, often around 6 pm.
Typical strength
12-24 kt across the year, commonly 15-20 kt. On the beach it reads about 15-18 kt steady from early afternoon, with 20-25 kt on many June-August days.
Also on record
15-20 knots from December to September; about 16 knots in summer by another count.
The quiver, in words
For a 75 kg rider, 12 m and 9 m; 14 m and 10 m above 85 kg; 11 m and 8 m at 60 kg.The quiver shifts with the season: 14 m and 12 m through the winter months, 12 m and 9 m in summer, and on the 20-25 kt June-August afternoons a 75-85 kg rider is on 9 m or smaller.
Direction to shore
cross-on
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
- Jan2
- Feb5
- Mar, riders' month0
- Apr, riders' month0
- May, riders' month0
- Jun, riders' month5
- Jul, riders' month0
- Aug2
- Sep0
- Oct0
- Nov3
- Dec0
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul.
The model is wrong here
The model reads 5% 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 | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2% | 13% | 5% | 8.4 kt | E | 14:00 | 24.2°C | 27.3°C | 62 |
| Feb | 5% | 21% | 12% | 9.3 kt | ENE | 16:00 | 23.9°C | 26.6°C | 57 |
| Mar | 0% | 5% | 3% | 9 kt | ENE | 15:00 | 24.2°C | 27.1°C | 62 |
| Apr | 0% | 2% | 0% | 8.5 kt | E | 15:00 | 24.8°C | 27.8°C | 60 |
| May | 0% | 0% | 0% | 7.2 kt | ESE | 15:00 | 26.1°C | 29.2°C | 62 |
| Jun | 5% | 10% | 5% | 8.6 kt | E | 14:00 | 27°C | 30.2°C | 60 |
| Jul | 0% | 8% | 2% | 9.1 kt | E | 15:00 | 27.1°C | 30.6°C | 62 |
| Aug | 2% | 11% | 2% | 8.7 kt | E | 15:00 | 27.1°C | 31°C | 62 |
| Sep | 0% | 0% | 0% | 7.2 kt | E | 15:00 | 27.1°C | 31.3°C | 60 |
| Oct | 0% | 2% | 0% | 7 kt | NE | 15:00 | 26.7°C | 31.3°C | 62 |
| Nov | 3% | 3% | 3% | 7.4 kt | E | 14:00 | 25.5°C | 29.6°C | 60 |
| Dec | 0% | 5% | 5% | 7.8 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 24.4°C | 28.2°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
Shallow for about 30-50 m from shore at Kite Beach El Portillo, depending on tide, then deep.
Tides
There is a visible ocean tide but it does not change El Portillo much: low tide is flatter, high tide adds chop. The other view is high tide, when the coral heads are covered.
Temperature
27-30°C summer · 24-26°C winter
Wetsuit
No wetsuit for most. A neoprene top or a shorty up to 2 mm if you feel the cold in December-March or when a front comes through.
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
2 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: ok
Somewhere else
No neighbour on record
No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.
Rescue
Launch
Main school riding is at Playa El Portillo/Kite Beach El Portillo east of Las Terrenas, accessed from Calle 27 de Febrero. It is a long sandy beach that is not very wide, with more space and less gusty wind near the point; the shallow lagoon can get busy in high season.
Space
ok
Rules & access
- 2026: no municipal, port-authority or beach-specific kite regulation for El Portillo turned up in Spanish or English sources; the lagoon runs on local convention, not on posted rules.
- 2026: no permit, fee or registration is required to rig and launch at Kite Beach El Portillo; the schools hold the inside of the lagoon for lessons through the afternoon, so leave the teaching area room.
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Go after lunch: the thermal fills in around noon to 1 pm and eases near 6 pm.
- Read the wind off the beach or ask the school on the day; models run about 5 kt under what El Portillo actually gets.
- Reef shoes until you can hold upwind: drift downwind and you end up on coral heads.
- Low tide for flat water, high tide to cover the coral heads; check the tide before rigging.
- Rig at El Portillo, not Punta Popy: Popy is choppier and rockier and full of the public on Sundays. Cosón is offshore-leaning with waves, advanced only.
- Fly in to Samaná El Catey (AZS), 30-35 minutes by road; Santo Domingo is about 139 km and 2 h 21 min, Punta Cana about 4 hours.
Getting there
Airport
Samaná El Catey International Airport (AZS) is the closest airport; Santo Domingo Las Américas (SDQ) is a common international alternative.
Route
AZS to Las Terrenas is about 30-35 minutes by road. SDQ is about 139 km and roughly 2 h 21 min driving, whatever the shuttle adverts claim. Punta Cana is about 4 hours away.
Transfer
30-35 from AZS; about 141 by car from SDQ; approximately 240 from Punta Cana.
Cost level
medium
Staying
Hotels and villas and all-inclusives, some a few steps from the kite beach, from hostels up to 5-star resorts; 522+ hotels are listed around Las Terrenas.
No-wind days
Whale watching in Samaná Bay, 2026 season about 15 January to 30 March; El Limón waterfall; Los Haitises National Park; ATV, buggy or scooter trips; snorkelling at El Portillo; the restaurants and nightlife in Las Terrenas.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kitesurf at Las Terrenas?
El Portillo has its best wind statistics in March-July, while October-November are the weakest months within a broader December-to-September season.
Is El Portillo good for beginners?
Yes, local schools repeatedly describe it as suitable for beginners because of the shallow, flat lagoon water and favorable wind direction.
What is the wind like?
Trade wind from E to NE is reinforced by a local thermal that usually builds around noon to 1 pm and eases near sunset.
What hazards should riders watch for?
Reef patches inside the lagoon can protrude or be harder to see at low tide and late in the day, and beginners drifting downwind may reach them.
Last updated: August 2026