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Southern & East Africa + Indian Ocean Islands · Maputo

Maputo Kite Beach

also known as Costa do Sol, Maputo Costa do Sol, Praia da Costa do Sol

flat waterbeginner-friendlymedium crowds

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

On this page

Wind
- Month by month
Forecast
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
- Rescue
Hazards
Rules & access
Schools
Tips
Getting there
FAQ

Maputo Kite Beach has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance

SeasonJan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Decthe months riders and schools name How windy13-18 ktmixed Launchwide at low tide, narrow at high tideaccess rules on record, below Waterflat to chop28°C in summer · 10 things riders flag LevelBeginner to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section Schools1named at this spot From the airportno transfer time publishedMaputo International Airport (MPM)

On the clock

12:00

From about 12:00 until sunset in the summer season.

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.

Maputo Kite Beach is the Costa do Sol stretch on the north side of the city, not a standalone kite resort. Mozambique Kitesurfing School is based in the Costa do Sol bairro and teaches on these beaches when the wind and the tide make it safe.

Low tide is what you want: the sandbanks dry out and leave shallow flat water with room for lessons and freeride practice. At high tide the beach narrows and the road sits close behind the launch, which is the reason to check the tide before you drive out.

Mid-August to April is the best period, with 13-18 kt from around midday until sunset in summer, while May to August is less windy and still gets southerly wind. Water is warm by most standards, around 27-28 C in February and about 21 C in August.

Two things to know before you go: independent wind statistics for this beach barely exist, and litter and water quality on Costa do Sol and in Maputo Bay are a documented problem.

The wind

Direction

Kite sizes

891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

mixed

fills in: From about 12:00 until sunset in the summer season.

Typical strength

13-18 kt in summer afternoons.

Moderate and seasonal: generally not-too-strong 13-18 kt summer wind, with no reliable live station near the spot.

Mid-August to April is the best period; May to August is the less windy stretch, with some southerly wind still coming through. The window usually quoted for Mozambique as a whole is October-March, and spot-level documentation for Maputo is sparse.

The quiver, in words

Indicative for a 75-85 kg rider, derived from the 13-18 kt afternoon band rather than from local logs: a 12 m does most of the work, a 14 m holds the bottom of the range, and a 10 m covers the strongest summer afternoons.Warm air makes a kite feel a touch softer than the same wind would in Europe, so the bigger of two choices is usually the right one.

Dominant direction

South for the less windy May-August period. The dominant direction for the main August-April kite season is unconfirmed.

Forecast

Month by month

Jan, riders' month57
Feb, riders' month62
Mar, riders' month46
Apr, riders' month42
May18
Jun29
Jul38
Aug, riders' month56
Sep, riders' month76
Oct, riders' month71
Nov, riders' month56
Dec, riders' month48

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.

12Jan28°
12Feb29°
11Mar28°
11Apr26°
9May24°
9Jun22°
10Jul20°
12Aug21°
13Sep23°
13Oct24°
12Nov26°
11Dec28°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	57%	11.6 kt	SE	25.9°C	28.1°C
Feb	62%	11.9 kt	SSE	26.3°C	29.1°C
Mar	46%	11 kt	SSE	25.4°C	28.1°C
Apr	42%	10.9 kt	S	23.6°C	25.9°C
May	18%	9.3 kt	S	21.7°C	24.3°C
Jun	29%	9.3 kt	S	19.3°C	21.7°C
Jul	38%	10.2 kt	S	19.4°C	20°C
Aug	56%	11.9 kt	NNE	20.8°C	21.2°C
Sep	76%	12.7 kt	NNE	22.5°C	22.5°C
Oct	71%	12.7 kt	SSE	23.2°C	23.9°C
Nov	56%	11.6 kt	NE	24.7°C	26.2°C
Dec	48%	11.4 kt	NE	25.8°C	28.1°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

flat to chop

Standing depth

Very shallow at low tide, with wide sandbanks dry. Lessons run at low tide and only in safe conditions.

Tides

Strongly tide-affected. Low tide exposes wide sandbanks and creates shallow flat-water space; at high tide the beach becomes narrow and the road is close to the launch. Tide tables are available for the area.

Temperature

28°C summer · 21°C winter

Wetsuit

Boardshorts/rashguard in the warm season; a shorty is useful from May to August. Sea temperature runs around 27-28 C in February and around 21 C in August.

20–29°C water

The riding area is inside Maputo Bay rather than an exposed surf beach, with calm, warm water and flat conditions most of the time. Litter, glass and pollution concerns are documented along Maputo/Costa do Sol beaches, so water quality should be checked locally before riding.

Your level

beginnerintermediateadvanced

A local school runs full beginner-to-independent courses here and along the nearby Costa do Sol beaches, and picks low tide and safe conditions to do it. Independent riders still have to work around high tide, shells, the road behind the beach, litter and uncertain water quality.

The scene

What riders come here for

lessonsflatwaterfreeridecity sessions

Urban leisure beach with restaurants, walkers and local beach users rather than a dedicated kite resort. Kite activity appears small and school-led.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

1 school names this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: wide at low tide, narrow at high tide

access rules on record

Somewhere else

No neighbour on record

No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.

Rescue

No public rescue service, lifeguard patrol or boat cover is confirmed. The school supervises its own lessons by radio helmet and picks low tide and settled conditions to run them; nothing covers an independent rider. The beaches are not policed.

National emergency number is 112, with 848888 and 823388 as Maputo ambulance lines.

Launch

Sandy urban bay beach around Costa do Sol/Av. Marginal, where the local school sets up when conditions are suitable. At low tide the beach and sandbanks are wide; at high tide the beach narrows substantially.

Space

wide at low tide, narrow at high tide

Hazards riders report 10

urban beach - boat traffic and harbor activity nearby
Very narrow beach and nearby road at high tide
Shells in the sand that can cut feet
Litter and broken glass reported on Maputo/Costa do Sol beaches
Water-quality and pollution concerns in Maputo Bay/Costa do Sol
Urban beach users and swimmers
No reliable live wind station near the spot
Currents and formal rescue coverage unconfirmed
Beaches are not policed, so there is no patrol to call from the sand
Long walk back over drying sandbanks when the tide goes out

Rules & access

2026: no municipal bylaw, kite zone, swimmer-separation rule or launch restriction for Praia da Costa do Sol is on record, and the beaches here are not policed. One national rule matters within sight of the launch: photographing ports, airports, military sites, official residences and officials without permission is illegal, and the commercial port sits on the same bay.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Rider tips

Ride around low tide: widest launch, shallowest water, most room to make mistakes.
Skip high tide unless you have looked at how much beach is left downwind of the road and the other users.
Wear booties if you are walking out over the exposed sandbanks; shells and broken glass have both been reported.
Check the water locally after rain or when you can see runoff before riding in Maputo Bay.
Use this for a city session or a lesson. For a kite holiday, compare Bilene and Ponta do Ouro.

Getting there

Airport

Maputo International Airport (MPM)

Route

Costa do Sol runs along Av. Marginal on the north side of Maputo. Get there by taxi, or on the minibuses that work the seaside road.

Cost level

medium

Staying

Use Maputo city accommodation, especially Costa do Sol, Sommerschield, Polana and central Maputo hotels/guesthouses; no dedicated kite accommodation at the beach is listed.

No-wind days

Maputo city restaurants and markets, the Costa do Sol beachfront/fish market area, architecture and museums in central Maputo, day trips across Maputo Bay toward Inhaca/Portuguese Island, and regional trips to Bilene or Ponta do Ouro.

FAQ

Is Maputo Kite Beach suitable for beginners?

Yes, a local school teaches full beginner-to-independent courses, choosing safe low-tide conditions.

When is the best time?

Mid-August to April is the best period, with summer afternoons typically 13-18 knots from around midday until sunset.

What is the wind like?

Moderate and seasonal, generally not too strong, with no reliable live wind station near the spot.

Is there a kite school?

Yes, Mozambique Kitesurfing School is based in the Costa do Sol bairro and teaches on local beaches when conditions are safe.

What hazards should I know?

A narrow beach with a nearby road at high tide, shells in the sand, and documented litter and water-quality concerns on the bay.

Last updated: August 2026