Nearby Schinias 27 km · Nissakia Loutsa 29 km · Vravrona Bay 33 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
The Meltemi is a synoptic wind, not a daily thermal: once it is established it blows through the day and often through the night rather than filling in at a set hour, which is where the all-day-wind claim comes from. No measured daily onset exists for Megali Ammos itself.
The wind
locals call it Etesian / Meltemi
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: The Meltemi is a synoptic wind, not a daily thermal: once it is established it blows through the day and often through the night rather than filling in at a set hour, which is where the all-day-wind claim comes from. No measured daily onset exists for Megali Ammos itself.
Typical strength
15-35 knots, with strong 20-30 knot thermal conditions typical.
Also on record
15-35
The quiver, in words
Indicative for a 75-85 kg rider: 9 m is the size that gets used most, 10-12 m on a soft early-season day, 7-8 m through August once the Meltemi settles at 25-30 kt, and a 5 or 6 m worth having for the days it goes past that. Pack small. This is not a light-wind destination.
Direction to shore
The main Meltemi comes in side-shore at Megali Ammos. The other workable directions run side-offshore, and the shape of the spit changes the angle from season to season. Greek rules bar riding in offshore wind without rescue or lifeguard cover, which is the practical limit on those days.
Dominant direction
N, with S, W and NW also reported as workable
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan42
- Feb40
- Mar32
- Apr38
- May, riders' month34
- Jun, riders' month27
- Jul, riders' month52
- Aug, riders' month47
- Sep, riders' month37
- Oct45
- Nov52
- Dec35
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
- 42%Jan16°
- 40%Feb15°
- 32%Mar16°
- 38%Apr17°
- 34%May19°
- 27%Jun23°
- 52%Jul26°
- 47%Aug26°
- 37%Sep25°
- 45%Oct23°
- 52%Nov20°
- 35%Dec17°
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 | 42% | 55% | 50% | 13.7 kt | NNE | 14:00 | 8.9°C | 15.9°C | 62 |
| Feb | 40% | 60% | 51% | 13.1 kt | NNE | 14:00 | 9.5°C | 15.3°C | 57 |
| Mar | 32% | 48% | 40% | 11.1 kt | NNE | 13:00 | 10.4°C | 15.7°C | 62 |
| Apr | 38% | 52% | 47% | 12.6 kt | NNE | 13:00 | 14°C | 17.1°C | 60 |
| May | 34% | 39% | 37% | 10.3 kt | NNE | 12:00 | 18.6°C | 18.7°C | 62 |
| Jun | 27% | 42% | 33% | 10.9 kt | NNE | 12:00 | 23.4°C | 22.9°C | 60 |
| Jul | 52% | 66% | 58% | 12.7 kt | NNE | 12:00 | 26.1°C | 26°C | 62 |
| Aug | 47% | 60% | 58% | 13 kt | NNE | 12:00 | 25.9°C | 26.4°C | 62 |
| Sep | 37% | 43% | 42% | 11.6 kt | NNE | 13:00 | 22.4°C | 25.1°C | 60 |
| Oct | 45% | 55% | 50% | 12.9 kt | NNE | 13:00 | 18.1°C | 23.2°C | 62 |
| Nov | 52% | 57% | 53% | 13.1 kt | SSW | 14:00 | 14.1°C | 19.7°C | 60 |
| Dec | 35% | 47% | 44% | 11.9 kt | S | 14:00 | 11.2°C | 17.3°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
mixed
Standing depth
Not a standing spot. The water off Megali Ammos is clear and goes fairly deep close in over a sandy bottom. The club works students in shallower water on the spit, but that zone moves as the sand moves, so where you can stand this year is a question for the beach rather than for a map.
Tides
Micro-tidal Aegean. Nothing here needs tide planning; what changes the beach is current and winter storms, not the tide.
Temperature
25.9°C summer · 17.2°C winter
Wetsuit
Boardshorts or shorty in high summer; full suit in winter and usually a shorty/full suit in shoulder months depending on wind chill.
Currents
Current runs around the spit and through the Petalioi channel, and together with the wind it rebuilds the sandbar every year. On a side-offshore day it is the thing that decides how far downwind you end up.
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: good
Somewhere else
Schinias, 27 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Megali Ammos is a broad sandy spit about 2.5 km south of Marmari, with Marmari Surf Club/KiteGreece located on the beach and enough sand to set up, launch and land.
Space
good
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Ride Megali Ammos rather than the village beach; it is quieter and the wind is cleaner once you can use it.
- Rent a car. Megali Ammos is 2.5 km out of the village, and Karystos, Zastani and the no-wind excursions all need one.
- Pack small kites for August. The wind here is reliably strong, not marginal.
- Ask the club where this year's sand spit leaves the safest launch, landing and student zone.
- Do not ride far out on a side-offshore day without confirming who is covering rescue.
- Check the Beaufort before you rig in August: above force 6 with no rescue boat on the beach you are outside the national rules, not merely out of your depth.
- A wetsuit is required, not advisory, between 15 October and 15 May.
- There is one beach bar and nothing else on the spit. Bring water, food and shade.
Getting there
Airport
Athens International Airport (ATH)
Route
Athens airport to Rafina by road, then the Rafina-Marmari car ferry, about an hour on the direct sailing. Reckon on roughly two hours door to spot with the road legs, longer if you miss a sailing. Foot passengers reportedly pay around 9 EUR and a car around 21 EUR, year unconfirmed.Megali Ammos is 2.5 km south of Marmari village, so take the car across.
Transfer
120 min
Cost level
medium
Staying
Small hotels, apartments and guesthouses in Marmari village; 3-star village accommodation near the port, with transfers to nearby beaches.
No-wind days
Karystos, Petalioi islets by boat/SUP, Zastani and Lykorema beaches, hiking Mount Ochi and its dragon houses/waterfalls, Evia villages, biking, 4x4 trips, SUP, kayaking and diving.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite at Marmari?
Steady Meltemi runs most consistently from mid-June to late September, with broader listings citing May through September; August days can exceed 50 mph.
Is Marmari suitable for beginners?
Riding is mainly classified as intermediate to advanced because of side-offshore wind angles and currents, though the local school teaches all levels in a supervised area.
What is the wind like at Marmari?
Etesian/Meltemi wind typically blows 15-35 knots, most often ridden with 7-12 m kites, accelerated by a venturi effect between south Evia, the mountains and the Petalioi Islands.
Are there kite schools or rental at Marmari?
KiteGreece/Marmari Surf Club offers lessons, camps and a designated student area at Megali Ammos.
How do you get to Marmari?
From Athens, take the short Rafina-Marmari car ferry, then continue about 2.5 km south to the Megali Ammos beach.
Last updated: August 2026