Nearby Plage de Lozari 4 km · Algajola - Aregno 16 km · Calvi - Plage de la Pinède 26 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
No fixed hour. Libeccio is a frontal wind and can be in at dawn and still blowing after dark. The plain westerly that turns up on otherwise quiet days is strongest in the afternoon, so an early walk down often means sitting on the sand waiting.
The wind
locals call it Libeccio and west-coast Corsican winds
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: No fixed hour. Libeccio is a frontal wind and can be in at dawn and still blowing after dark. The plain westerly that turns up on otherwise quiet days is strongest in the afternoon, so an early walk down often means sitting on the sand waiting.
Typical strength
No measurement at the beach. The nearest long-run airport record on this coast averages 8 kt over the year with gusts to 23 kt, which flattens in every calm day, so treat it as a floor rather than a session forecast. A working Libeccio here runs roughly 15-22 kt, arriving weaker than on the west coast but reportedly holding longer; strong days push past 25 kt and bring shorebreak with them.
The quiver, in words
Indicative, taken from the wind range rather than a local count. For 75-85 kg a 9 m covers the usual 15-22 kt Libeccio, a 7 m the days it goes over 25 kt, and a 12 m the light west that only just fills the bay.There is no rental and no school on this stretch of coast, so what you carry down the path is what you ride.
Direction to shore
onshore to side-onshore for west and south-west winds on the north-coast bay
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan19
- Feb23
- Mar26
- Apr, riders' month27
- May, riders' month19
- Jun, riders' month17
- Jul15
- Aug15
- Sep, riders' month22
- Oct, riders' month19
- Nov26
- Dec21
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct.
- 8Jan15°
- 9Feb14°
- 9Mar15°
- 9Apr16°
- 9May19°
- 9Jun23°
- 9Jul27°
- 8Aug27°
- 9Sep24°
- 8Oct22°
- 9Nov19°
- 8Dec16°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19% | 7.9 kt | SE | 6.8°C | 14.6°C |
| Feb | 23% | 8.5 kt | SE | 8.5°C | 14.1°C |
| Mar | 26% | 9.3 kt | SE | 9.5°C | 14.6°C |
| Apr | 27% | 9.1 kt | SE | 12.3°C | 15.9°C |
| May | 19% | 8.7 kt | NW | 16.7°C | 18.5°C |
| Jun | 17% | 8.5 kt | NNW | 21.8°C | 23.1°C |
| Jul | 15% | 8.5 kt | NW | 24.9°C | 26.7°C |
| Aug | 15% | 8.4 kt | NW | 24.5°C | 27.3°C |
| Sep | 22% | 8.6 kt | W | 20.3°C | 23.7°C |
| Oct | 19% | 8.1 kt | SE | 16.2°C | 21.7°C |
| Nov | 26% | 9 kt | SE | 11.5°C | 19.1°C |
| Dec | 21% | 8.1 kt | SSE | 8.1°C | 16.1°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 (2020-2024), 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 · 2020-2024
The water
Type
mixed
Standing depth
You can stand for about 60 m out from the sand, reportedly; shallow by any measure.
Tides
Minimal Mediterranean tidal range; conditions do not depend on tide.
Temperature
23-28°C summer · 13°C winter
Wetsuit
Boardshorts in peak summer; shorty or 2 mm top in shoulder season; thicker suit in winter.
Currents
Possible river-mouth current and beach/rip currents during west or north-west wind and swell.
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: medium to large sandy beach, with access carrying gear on foot
Somewhere else
Plage de Lozari, 4 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
Open sandy beach at the river mouth, reached on foot from parking near the Ostriconi camping/village area; rocks sit at both ends of the bay.
Space
medium to large sandy beach, with access carrying gear on foot
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Carry in your own water and food, plus a repair kit; there is next to nothing on the beach and the walk back to the car is long.
- Check for W or SW wind and the swell before you commit to the walk in; on a wrong-direction day you have carried a kite to a beach for nothing.
- Stay off the dunes and the vegetation behind the beach; it is protected land and the paths are the only way through.
- Launch away from the river mouth and the rocks at both ends, and expect a current where the river comes out, worse with west or north-west swell.
- Plan it for April to June or September to October; in July and August the beach belongs to bathers.
Getting there
Airport
Calvi Sainte-Catherine Airport (CLY) or Bastia Poretta Airport (BIA)
Route
From L'Ile-Rousse take the T30 toward Bastia for about 15 km and turn off at the Ostriconi signs by the camping. The parking is free, unsurfaced and set high above the sea.From there it is a 10 to 20 minute walk down a marked path through the maquis, rocky and steep in stretches, onto the boardwalks and the river crossing laid by the Conservatoire du Littoral.
Staying
A camping and holiday village sit on the access road; that is the accommodation. Nothing kite-oriented, and L'Ile-Rousse is the nearest town.
No-wind days
Agriates walks · Ostriconi beach and river scenery · Ile-Rousse · Lozari beach
Photos
FAQ
Is Ostriconi suitable for beginners?
No; local access, rocks, no on-site kite school and exposed wind and swell make it better suited to independent intermediate and advanced riders.
What is the wind like?
The spot works mainly in westerly and southwesterly wind, especially on Libeccio-influenced days, and is less powerful here than farther west on Corsica but more consistent.
When is the best time to visit?
Riding is possible year-round when the wind is right, though spring and autumn are generally better than winter for a planned trip.
Are there rules or restrictions?
The beach sits within a protected Conservatoire du Littoral, ZNIEFF and biotope area, so riders should stay off dunes and vegetation and use existing paths.
What are the main hazards?
A river-mouth current at the Ostriconi outlet, rocks at both ends of the bay, and very limited facilities on site.
Last updated: August 2026