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Cicladi · Santorini · Thira Regional Unit · Monolithos

Monolithos Beach

also known as Santorini Kite, Μονόλιθος, Santorini / Monolithos

beginner-friendlyside-onshoremedium crowds

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

On this page

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

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

SeasonMay to Novthe months riders and schools name How windy20 knotsmixed, side-onshore LaunchMedium; about 1 km of sandy beach.access rules on record, below Watersea24.6°C in summer · 6 things riders flag LevelBeginner to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section Schools1named at this spot From the airportin words under Getting thereSantorini Airport (JTR)

When it fills in

Day hours; wind power falls in the afternoon and at night.

Monolithos is the kite beach on Santorini, on the east to northeast coast, and the sand is black. Summer Meltemi arrives side-onshore, strongest around July and August, 18-25 knots on the good days with 8-13 m the usual kite range. The water is clear over sand, small to medium waves outside and a flatter patch behind the mole.

Santorini Airport is 4-5 minutes away by car, which is convenient for the transfer and the reason to keep your lines out of the approach path. Published difficulty ratings disagree, beginner through expert in one place and intermediate in another, so an independent beginner should take the cautious reading and ride with Santorini Kite rather than self-launch.

The wind fades in the afternoon and at night. Greek national rules on swimmers, obstacles, ports and daylight apply here like anywhere else in the country.

The wind

locals call it Meltemi

Direction

cross-onWNW

Kite sizes

6789101112131415

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

mixed

fills in: Day hours; wind power falls in the afternoon and at night.

Typical strength

18-25; sometimes steady over 20 knots during windy summer daytime periods

Steady when the north Meltemi is running. The island is exposed, so days vary.

Meltemi is strongest around July and August. The season is given both as May-November and as May-October; take the shorter one if you are booking on wind alone.

Thermal or synoptic

thermal and synoptic summer wind

The quiver, in words

8-13 m

Dominant direction

WNW, NW, NNW

Forecast

Month by month

Jan89
Feb88
Mar90
Apr78
May, riders' month70
Jun, riders' month79
Jul, riders' month91
Aug, riders' month84
Sep, riders' month81
Oct, riders' month70
Nov, riders' month89
Dec72

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov.

19Jan18°
19Feb17°
18Mar17°
16Apr18°
14May20°
14Jun23°
16Jul25°
14Aug26°
15Sep26°
14Oct24°
16Nov21°
14Dec19°

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

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	89%	18.6 kt	N	13.5°C	17.8°C
Feb	88%	18.5 kt	N	13.4°C	17.3°C
Mar	90%	17.8 kt	N	14.2°C	17.3°C
Apr	78%	16.2 kt	NNW	17.5°C	18°C
May	70%	13.7 kt	NNW	19.9°C	19.5°C
Jun	79%	13.9 kt	NNW	24.9°C	23.3°C
Jul	91%	16.1 kt	NNW	27.3°C	24.9°C
Aug	84%	14 kt	NW	27.1°C	26.1°C
Sep	81%	14.5 kt	NNW	25.2°C	25.5°C
Oct	70%	14.3 kt	N	21.6°C	23.6°C
Nov	89%	15.8 kt	N	18.4°C	21.1°C
Dec	72%	14.4 kt	N	15.9°C	18.8°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

sea

Standing depth

Shallow over black sand along the first stretch out, which is why this is the family swimming beach of the east coast. No measured distance to chest depth exists for the kite launch, and there is no tide to move it either way, so treat the shallow band as a comfort rather than a lagoon you can walk out into.

Tides

Tide independent.

Temperature

24.6°C summer · 18.3°C winter

Wetsuit

Shorts or shorty in spring, summer and fall; normal wetsuit in winter. Also given as long wetsuit in winter and shorty in summer.

17–26°C water

Clear Aegean water off black sand, small to medium waves outside and flatter water behind the mole. It is also classified as a wave spot.

Your level

beginnerintermediateadvanced

Ratings split between beginner-through-expert and intermediate. Ride it as an intermediate spot if you are without a school: the mole, the waves and the airport line all reward someone who can already hold a line upwind.

The scene

What riders come here for

lessonsfreerideprogressionsmall wavesSUP on no-wind days

A public beach with a school on it, sunbathers walking through and food a few steps back.

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: Medium; about 1 km of sandy beach.

access rules on record

Somewhere else

No neighbour on record

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

Rescue

No on-site rescue is confirmed. The kite school working the beach is the practical first call, so ask what cover is running before you rig. At sea in Greece the coast guard emergency number is 108 and the general emergency number is 112; both work from a mobile.

Launch

Beach launch on the black sand at Monolithos, on the public stretch where Santorini Kite operates.

Space

Medium; about 1 km of sandy beach.

Rules & access

As of 2026 the national kitesurf rules (Ministerial Decision, Government Gazette 4415/B, 7 October 2020) apply here: no riding at beaches classed as popular and heavily frequented, none before sunrise or after sunset, none within 200 m of swimmers or of anchored boats, rocks, islets, reefs, buoys and other obstacles, none within 200 m of the shoreline except beyond the marked swimmer limit, and none beyond 1 nautical mile offshore.

Ports, marinas and fish farms carry a 1 nautical mile exclusion, which the local port committee can cut to 500 m where it judges that workable.

Airport approach and departure airspace has to be given a wide berth, with the exact minimum set per location by the airport authority, which is what matters on a beach 2 km from the Santorini runway.

Riders must carry helmet, harness with hook, line knife, quick-release and safety leash, board and kite leashes and a buoyancy vest, and wear a wetsuit between 15 October and 15 May. Posted spot information conflicts: 2025 material for Monolithos gives the local rules as none, which does not match the national text. Assume the national rules apply.

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

Rider tips

Call Santorini Kite before you rig for the current launch line, rescue cover and anything the airport traffic imposes that day.
Shorty or a sun layer spring through autumn; a full suit in winter, when the water sits near 18.3 C.
Use the flat water behind the mole only when the wind angle keeps you off it. The mole is the one hard object here.
Come in July or August for the strongest Meltemi and accept the tourist beach that comes with it.
Put 108 in your phone before you go afloat. There is no confirmed kite rescue on this beach, and 108 is the coast guard.
The runway is 2 km west. Keep your kite and your riding line out of the approach corridor; the minimum distance is set by the airport authority, not by you.

Getting there

Airport

Santorini Airport (JTR)

Route

Car, taxi or bus to Monolithos; the kite spot is just east of the airport and on the public beach.

Transfer

4-5 minutes by car or taxi from Santorini Airport; about 10-15 minutes from Fira depending on source and traffic.

Cost level

high

Staying

Rooms in Monolithos and anywhere else on Santorini; the beach itself has the kite school and a restaurant.

No-wind days

SUP, swimming, beach pilates, horse riding nearby, wine tasting, catamaran/boat trips, hiking and Santorini sightseeing.

Photos

The Black Beach - Santorini — seligmanwaite, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ

When is the best time to kite at Monolithos?

Meltemi is strongest around July and August, with the wider season given as May through October or November depending on the source.

Is Monolithos suitable for beginners?

Descriptions vary by source: some call it suitable for all levels, while another lists the required level as intermediate.

What is the wind like at Monolithos?

Side-onshore Meltemi blows mainly from the west-northwest to north-northwest at 18-25 knots, typically easing in the afternoon or at night.

Are there kite schools at Monolithos?

Santorini Kite operates on the beach, with lessons, rental and rescue listed among its features.

How do you get to Monolithos?

The beach is about 4-5 minutes by car or taxi from Santorini Airport, just east of the runway.

Last updated: August 2026