Map › Italy › Lazzaro & Punta Pellaro › Lazzaro
Calabria · Strait of Messina / Ionian side south of Reggio Calabria · Reggio Calabria
Lazzaro
also known as Oliveto
Nearby Punta Pellaro 6 km · Tremestieri 22 km · Il Pilone 33 km · Capo Spartivento 35 km · straight-line distance
On the clock
02:00 · 12:00 · 18:00
It picks up from mid-morning, sits at its best between about 12:00 and 18:00, and unlike a pure thermal it keeps a good part of its strength into the evening and overnight: even at 02:00 in summer the modelled record shows 12 kt-plus in about one hour in eight. Early sessions are more possible here than at most Mediterranean spots. Indicative, from modelled coastal data.
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 Borea
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
thermal
fills in: It picks up from mid-morning, sits at its best between about 12:00 and 18:00, and unlike a pure thermal it keeps a good part of its strength into the evening and overnight: even at 02:00 in summer the modelled record shows 12 kt-plus in about one hour in eight. Early sessions are more possible here than at most Mediterranean spots. Indicative, from modelled coastal data.
Typical strength
18-25 kt is the figure quoted for a good Borea day, and it is a good-day figure rather than a daily average. The modelled coastal record is more sober: 12 kt or more in about 16-19% of hours from May to September, 15 kt in 4-8%, and 18 kt in around 1%. February is the windiest month on that record, with 12 kt-plus in 28% of hours. Reanalysis smooths wind that is channelled between Calabria and Sicily, so the real beach probably sits above these numbers; treat both figures as brackets, not as one answer.
The quiver, in words
For a 75-85 kg rider, 8-9 m on a full Borea in the low twenties and 11-12 m on the 12-15 kt days that make up most of the season. Derived from the wind range rather than from local reports.
Direction to shore
The shore at Lazzaro faces about southwest, down the Ionian mouth of the Strait, not east as the Ionian label suggests. A northwest Borea therefore runs cross-shore along the beach, a straight north is cross-offshore, and south to southeast comes in onshore.Derived from the coastline's orientation and the modelled direction record; no rider report confirms the angles at the launch.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan37
- Feb49
- Mar44
- Apr43
- May, riders' month27
- Jun, riders' month23
- Jul, riders' month31
- Aug, riders' month31
- Sep, riders' month20
- Oct24
- Nov43
- Dec39
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
- 37%Jan16°
- 49%Feb15°
- 44%Mar15°
- 43%Apr17°
- 27%May19°
- 23%Jun23°
- 31%Jul27°
- 31%Aug28°
- 20%Sep27°
- 24%Oct24°
- 43%Nov21°
- 39%Dec18°
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 | 37% | 53% | 47% | 12 kt | NNW | 14:00 | 12.4°C | 16.1°C | 62 |
| Feb | 49% | 63% | 60% | 13.1 kt | NNW | 14:00 | 12.6°C | 15.2°C | 57 |
| Mar | 44% | 69% | 61% | 13.8 kt | NNW | 15:00 | 13.6°C | 15.2°C | 62 |
| Apr | 43% | 58% | 53% | 12.6 kt | NNW | 14:00 | 16.5°C | 16.6°C | 60 |
| May | 27% | 34% | 34% | 10.5 kt | NNW | 13:00 | 20.3°C | 19°C | 62 |
| Jun | 23% | 40% | 33% | 10.7 kt | NNW | 13:00 | 26.6°C | 23°C | 60 |
| Jul | 31% | 47% | 42% | 11.2 kt | NNW | 15:00 | 30°C | 27.2°C | 62 |
| Aug | 31% | 50% | 42% | 11.1 kt | NNW | 15:00 | 28.5°C | 28.1°C | 62 |
| Sep | 20% | 32% | 27% | 10.3 kt | NNW | 14:00 | 25.2°C | 26.8°C | 60 |
| Oct | 24% | 34% | 29% | 9.7 kt | NNW | 13:00 | 22.2°C | 24.2°C | 62 |
| Nov | 43% | 57% | 53% | 12.4 kt | NNW | 13:00 | 17.6°C | 21.4°C | 60 |
| Dec | 39% | 55% | 48% | 12 kt | NNW | 13:00 | 14.5°C | 18°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
Kite conditions are reported not to depend on tide.
Temperature
27°C summer · 16-18°C winter
Wetsuit
No wetsuit or light neoprene in summer; a full wetsuit is normally appropriate in winter water around 16-18 C.
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: small
Somewhere else
Punta Pellaro, 6 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Hard sand with stones and rocks on the Lazzaro/Oliveto beach south of Reggio Calabria.
Space
small
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Check Lazzaro itself rather than trusting Punta Pellaro numbers; beaches 5 km apart here do not always get the same wind.
- Wear boots or reef shoes, because the hard sand has stones and rocks through it.
- Plan around the May-September Borea season instead of treating this as a year-round beach.
- Bring a full suit outside summer; the water drops to 16-18 C.
Getting there
Airport
Reggio Calabria Airport (REG)
Route
Drive south from Reggio on the SS106 to Lazzaro. Punta Pellaro is 5 km away, Reggio Calabria 15 km.
Transfer
15 min
Cost level
medium
Staying
Reggio Calabria, Pellaro and Lazzaro/Oliveto local accommodation; no spot-specific kite lodging is listed.
No-wind days
Punta Pellaro, Reggio Calabria waterfront, Strait of Messina viewpoints and coastal villages.
FAQ
When is the best time to kite at Lazzaro?
The NW Borea thermal is typical from May to September, reported around 18-25 knots for about 70% of that period.
Is Lazzaro suitable for beginners?
No, the spot is listed for intermediate and advanced riders, with a small launch area of hard sand, stones and rocks.
What is the water like?
It is a chop and small-wave spot on the Ionian coast, with sand and pebble beach exposure and views toward Etna.
What are the main hazards?
Rocks and stones on the launch, plus a small launch area and open-coast chop, are the reported hazards.
Last updated: August 2026