Nearby Playa de Cabo de Gata 7 km · Retamar 19 km · Playa de Costacabana 25 km · El Zapillo 30 km · straight-line distance
On the clock
11:00 · 15:00 · 17:00 · 19:00
Levante is a gradient wind, so it can be blowing at first light and run all day; there is nothing to wait for. The day still has a shape. An indicative hourly profile for September to May lifts from about 11:00, peaks between 15:00 and 17:00, and eases after 19:00, with roughly one hour in ten overnight still above 15 knots. Plan the afternoon, and take a morning session when the chart already has Levante on it.
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 Levante
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
synoptic
fills in: Levante is a gradient wind, so it can be blowing at first light and run all day; there is nothing to wait for. The day still has a shape. An indicative hourly profile for September to May lifts from about 11:00, peaks between 15:00 and 17:00, and eases after 19:00, with roughly one hour in ten overnight still above 15 knots. Plan the afternoon, and take a morning session when the chart already has Levante on it.
Typical strength
15-25 knots typically; windy days can reach 18-35 knots depending on direction.
The quiver, in words
8-13 m is the range given for the spot; the local quiver by season is unconfirmed.
Direction to shore
onshore to cross-onshore on E/Levante
Dominant direction
E/Levante, plus some north winds. Poniente is not favoured here, and Retamar is the nearby west-wind alternative.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month58
- Feb, riders' month69
- Mar, riders' month73
- Apr, riders' month71
- May, riders' month65
- Jun79
- Jul69
- Aug75
- Sep, riders' month79
- Oct, riders' month66
- Nov, riders' month53
- Dec, riders' month45
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
- 13Jan16°
- 15Feb16°
- 17Mar16°
- 15Apr18°
- 14May19°
- 15Jun22°
- 13Jul26°
- 13Aug28°
- 14Sep26°
- 14Oct21°
- 13Nov18°
- 12Dec17°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58% | 12.9 kt | NE | 13.3°C | 16.2°C |
| Feb | 69% | 14.8 kt | NE | 14°C | 15.6°C |
| Mar | 73% | 16.7 kt | WSW | 15.4°C | 15.7°C |
| Apr | 71% | 14.7 kt | WSW | 17.1°C | 17.5°C |
| May | 65% | 13.8 kt | WSW | 19.9°C | 19.4°C |
| Jun | 79% | 14.7 kt | WSW | 23.9°C | 22°C |
| Jul | 69% | 13.1 kt | ENE | 27.1°C | 25.8°C |
| Aug | 75% | 13.3 kt | ENE | 27.8°C | 27.6°C |
| Sep | 79% | 14.1 kt | WSW | 24.4°C | 25.5°C |
| Oct | 66% | 14.3 kt | WSW | 21.5°C | 21.2°C |
| Nov | 53% | 12.8 kt | WSW | 17.4°C | 18.2°C |
| Dec | 45% | 11.8 kt | NE | 14.3°C | 16.8°C |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds. 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.
ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024
The water
Type
chop and waves
Standing depth
Unconfirmed. Stones sit in the shallow part of the bay, and no measured shallow-water extent is published.
Tides
Treated as tide-independent; the Mediterranean range is small here, though the exact local effect is unconfirmed.
Temperature
25.5°C summer · 14.8°C winter
Wetsuit
Shorty may work in late spring and summer; full wetsuit is generally needed in winter.
Currents
Dangerous currents are mentioned for strong-wind conditions, but no measured pattern was found.
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: Around 1,180 m of beach, 80 m wide, so the launch itself is large. What shrinks it is the summer crowd and the dune line behind, which has to stay clear of kites, lines and gear.
Somewhere else
Playa de Cabo de Gata, 7 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
VHF channel 16
Launch
About 1,180 m of dark sand, 80 m deep, backed by dunes in an isolated bay with no paved road to it. Launch from open sand only, well clear of the dunes, the vegetation, walkers and swimmers, and only when park and beach rules allow.Private-car access and the parking are capped in high season, so plan on walking, cycling, the bus or paid parking.
Space
Around 1,180 m of beach, 80 m wide, so the launch itself is large. What shrinks it is the summer crowd and the dune line behind, which has to stay clear of kites, lines and gear.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Bring your own water and food: there is no shop, no kiosk and no wifi at the beach itself.
- Check the park access status before you drive in; summer barriers and parking control can end the day plan.
- Keep gear off the dunes and the vegetation, and rig on durable sand only.
- Walk the shallow entry and look for stones before you ride or foil.
- If the forecast is poniente or west, go to Retamar or another Almería west-wind spot rather than forcing this one.
- Skip summer unless local authorities or a local school confirm that kiting is permitted that day; the window is outside the July-August bathing crowds, when Levante is blowing.
Getting there
Airport
Almería Airport (LEI)
Route
Drive from Almería toward San José and continue to the Los Genoveses access road and parking, subject to the natural-park seasonal vehicle controls. In the restricted summer periods, expect the park shuttle, walking or cycling once the parking is full or the barriers are up.
Transfer
About 35-50 minutes from Almería airport to San José/Los Genoveses by car in normal traffic.
Cost level
medium
Staying
San José is the nearest base for food and a bed, and it is touristy and usually pricier than the surrounding villages. Almería city has more services and better tapas, but it is farther from the launch.
No-wind days
Hiking to Morrón de los Genoveses, kayaking and snorkelling tours from San José, boat trips, diving, the beaches of Mónsul and Media Luna when access allows, the Cabo de Gata viewpoints and Almería city.
Photos
FAQ
Are there rules or restricted zones?
Kiting is reported as not allowed during the summer crowd period, roughly late June to mid-September, and vehicle access to the beach is seasonally restricted under a 2023 Junta de Andalucia resolution.
Is it suitable for beginners?
Natural-park restrictions, remoteness, unverified rescue cover and strong winter Levante make it a cautious intermediate-to-advanced spot rather than one for independent beginners.
What is the wind like?
The bay faces east, so Levante wind works best, typically 15-25 knots, and can turn strong and exposed in winter.
When is the best time?
Winter, spring and autumn, roughly September to May, outside the crowded and restricted summer period.
What are the hazards?
Stones sit in the shallow water, no lifeguard or kite rescue service is verified, and the surrounding dunes and marine habitat are environmentally sensitive.
Last updated: August 2026