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Maspalomas (Punta de Maspalomas)
Canary Islands · Maspalomas - Gran Canaria · Las Palmas · Maspalomas / Playa del Ingles
also known as La Punta, Punta de Maspalomas, Playa del Ingles kite zone, Faro de Maspalomas
Part of Maspalomas, Gran Canaria →
Riding essentials
Season
Jan, Feb, Mar, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Nov, Dec
Months riders and schools name
How windy
10-16 kt
Character: mixed
Room to launch
ok
access rules on record, below
Water
mixed
22.8 °C in summer
Hazards
12
Reported by riders
Level
Intermediate to advanced
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
high crowds · busy Jul Aug Jun
Schools
4
named at this spot
From the airport
Gran Canaria Airport (LPA)
Transfer times under Getting there
When it fills in
The wind is usually up through the day and reportedly cuts off in the afternoon. No reliable clock time for the onset is published.
Nearbystraight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
- Playa del Inglesno page yet
- Faro de Maspalomasalso a name for this spot
- Playa de las Burrasno page yet
- Bahia Feliz / Tarajalillono page yet
- Vargasno page yet
- Las Canterasno page yet
The spot
Wind and riding rules
Safety and protection
The wind
locals call it Alisios / northeast trade wind, plus winter easterly and southerly systems
Direction
Direction to shore
cross-on
Dominant direction
NE overall, but the trade only reaches this south-tip beach when the flow has enough east in it. ENE and E are the working directions. Winter S, SW and W systems also make it rideable, and W-SW is the one setup that puts riders on the lighthouse side.
Character
Average strength
Monthly averages of Jan 12, Feb 12, Mar 13, Apr 13, May 12, Jun 13, Jul 16, Aug 15, Sep 12, Oct 10, Nov 11, Dec 12 kt. Indicative rather than measured in the kite zone.
Typical strength
Monthly average wind speeds run around 10-16 kt, with July 16 kt and August 15 kt; the windy-day threshold used is minimum Beaufort 4 / 12 kt, excluding thermal wind stats. Model data for August indicates winds over 40 kph are not expected in a typical August, but about two August days fall in the 30-40 kph range.
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month53
- Feb, riders' month44
- Mar, riders' month31
- Apr22
- May11
- Jun, riders' month10
- Jul, riders' month3
- Aug, riders' month18
- Sep, riders' month13
- Oct37
- Nov, riders' month32
- Dec, riders' month58
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Nov, Dec.
- 53%Jan19°
- 44%Feb19°
- 31%Mar19°
- 22%Apr19°
- 11%May20°
- 10%Jun21°
- 3%Jul22°
- 18%Aug23°
- 13%Sep23°
- 37%Oct23°
- 32%Nov22°
- 58%Dec21°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
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.
Every figure, month by monthWindy days · Force 4+ · 12 kn or more · Knots · Wind from · Peaks at · Air · Water · Readings
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | Wind from | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53% | 74% | 61% | 14.1 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 17.8 °C | 19.4 °C | 62 |
| Feb | 44% | 56% | 54% | 12.4 kt | NE | 14:00 | 17.8 °C | 18.9 °C | 57 |
| Mar | 31% | 63% | 58% | 12.9 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 18.9 °C | 18.9 °C | 62 |
| Apr | 22% | 42% | 33% | 11.2 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 19.4 °C | 18.9 °C | 60 |
| May | 11% | 39% | 27% | 10.1 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 20.6 °C | 20 °C | 62 |
| Jun | 10% | 25% | 15% | 9.3 kt | SW | 14:00 | 22.2 °C | 21.1 °C | 60 |
| Jul | 3% | 16% | 11% | 8.5 kt | SW | 14:00 | 23.3 °C | 21.7 °C | 62 |
| Aug | 18% | 35% | 31% | 10.4 kt | ENE | 13:00 | 24.4 °C | 22.8 °C | 62 |
| Sep | 13% | 25% | 22% | 9.1 kt | ENE | 13:00 | 23.9 °C | 23.3 °C | 60 |
| Oct | 37% | 52% | 47% | 11.7 kt | ENE | 13:00 | 22.8 °C | 23.3 °C | 62 |
| Nov | 32% | 55% | 43% | 11.4 kt | ENE | 13:00 | 21.1 °C | 22.2 °C | 60 |
| Dec | 58% | 79% | 66% | 14 kt | ENE | 13:00 | 18.9 °C | 20.6 °C | 62 |
How this is modelledmodelled · 2023-2024
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
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 roughly the first 100 m out from the sand spit, then open Atlantic. It is a sea spot, not a standing-depth lagoon: the shallow band is chop and small waves rather than flat water, and there is a flat patch behind the reef that works at low water. No depth chart is published for the kite zone.
Tides
Riding is stated as not tide-dependent; separate guidance mentions a flat zone behind the reef at low tide, so reef/shallows may matter locally even if access is not tide-gated.
Temperature
22.8 °C summer · 19 °C winter
Modelled monthly average: 19–23 °C
Wetsuit
August average water temperature is 22.8 °C and February average is 19.0 °C. A 3 mm wetsuit is useful year-round; summer may be shorty/normal and winter normal full suit depending on wind chill.
Currents
No current data exists for the kite zone itself.The south coast is sheltered from the prevailing ocean swell for much of the year, but a mar de fondo groundswell can put strong current on these beaches, and the official warning for Playa del Ingles stands even on a day the water is called calm.Assume nothing on a groundswell day and watch the water before rigging.
Conditions
Your level
not for beginners here
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
4 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: ok
Somewhere else
6 spots nearby
Rescue
Launch
Sandy launch at La Punta, the tip of the Playa del Ingles-Maspalomas sand spit. From the resort frontage it is a 20-30 minute walk along the beach, away from the busiest sections; the water is shallow for about the first 100 m.The second area, El Faro by the lighthouse jetty, is not properly permitted and only works in W-SW weather, and a reef sits on the line of the jetty.Rig away from the walking line, not across it.
Rules & access
1 min read
- 2026: riding is allowed only inside the marked kitesurf zone at Playa del Ingles/Maspalomas; the rest of the beach belongs to bathers and going outside the zone can bring a fine.
- 2026: access is reportedly limited to members of the Asociacion Kiteboarding Canarias carrying club identification and club lycra, under an arrangement with the council - unconfirmed against any current municipal ordinance, and no working AKBC website could be found.
- 2026: El Faro, in front of the lighthouse jetty, is not really allowed and is only used in exceptional W-SW conditions.
- 2026: the dunes, the La Charca lagoon and the palm grove behind the beach form a protected Special Nature Reserve - no rigging, walking or riding in restricted areas, use the marked accesses.
- 2026: no visitor permit process, fee, insurance requirement or seasonal closure date appears in any current municipal ordinance.
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Schools that ride here
Rider tips
- Ask a local school or an AKBC contact whether the kite zone is open and whether membership and club lycra are required before you rig.
- Budget 20-30 minutes of walking each way with your gear from the resort frontage to the tip of the spit, and factor it into how late you launch.
- Check the forecast and the Punta y Dunas webcam, then look at the water yourself, because the NE trade can miss the south-tip beach.
- Do not launch when pedestrians or bathers sit inside your downwind buffer; it is the hazard that comes up again and again here.
- Stay off the Faro side unless the wind is W-SW and a local confirms it is on; La Punta is the access that works.
- Keep to the marked beach accesses and out of the dune reserve and the lagoon, which are not rigging or riding ground.
Getting there
Airport
Gran Canaria Airport (LPA)
Route
Drive south on the GC-1 toward Playa del Ingles and Maspalomas; the final approach to Maspalomas and the Faro is on foot. Bus routes 66 and 90 link the airport with Faro de Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles, and route 5 connects the airport, Las Palmas and Faro de Maspalomas.
Transfer
About 25 minutes from Gran Canaria Airport to the south tourist area; allow longer by bus or in peak traffic. As of 2026, bus route 66 runs hourly, with airport fares of EUR4.05 to Faro de Maspalomas and EUR3.50 to Playa del Ingles.
Cost level
medium
Staying
Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles are year-round resort towns with hotels, apartments, restaurants, bars and beach services. Staying in Playa del Ingles shortens the walk to La Punta; staying by the lighthouse gives you the resort amenities and, depending on which kite zone is active, a longer beach walk.
No-wind days
Surf lessons, SUP, bodyboard and snorkeling with the Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles schools, the permitted dune routes and lagoon viewpoints, Faro de Maspalomas, Meloneras, Yumbo nightlife, dolphin and boat trips, buggy and jeep tours, golf, cycling and the rest of Gran Canaria.
Photos
FAQ
Is it suitable for beginners?
No; La Punta is not recommended for riders who cannot ride upwind, since pedestrians and downwind kite recovery make mistakes costly.
Are there rules or permits?
Riding is only allowed inside the designated kitesurf zone, and access may require AKBC club membership, so check with a local school before rigging.
What is the wind like?
The normal NE trade doesn't always reach this south-tip beach; it rides best with extra east in the wind, and winter easterly or southerly systems can also work.
What are the hazards?
A reef sits near the lighthouse jetty extension, and the beach borders protected reserve terrain, so kiters must stay on the permitted access route.
Are there kite schools?
Several IKO-affiliated schools operate in Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles, offering lessons, rentals and spot transfers.
The bigger pictureEverything about Maspalomas - Gran Canaria
Last updated: August 2026