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Playa Honda

Canary Islands · Playa Honda - Lanzarote · Las Palmas · Playa Honda; Arrecife is the nearest city

also known as El Cable, La Concha / Playa Honda, Guacimeta - Playa Honda, Playa Honda Airport

Part of Playa Honda, Lanzarote →

not for beginnersmedium crowds

On this page

The spot
Wind
Forecast
Month by month
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Riding essentials

Season

no season named

Months riders and schools name

How windy

15-25 kt

Character: mixed

Room to launch

access rules on record, below

Water

mixed

22.4 °C in summerAccounts split between flat water and chop, with mirror-flat water reported next door at La Concha and El Cable

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Intermediate to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

medium crowds · busy summer Jul Aug Jun

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

Manrique-Lanzarote Airport (ACE)

Transfer times under Getting there

When it fills in

The useful easterly is thermal and short. It tends to come in through the middle of the day and can last as little as an hour before fading, so this is a check-the-station-then-drive spot rather than one to commit a day to.

Nearbystraight-line distance

Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.

Arrietano page yet
Matagordano page yet
Costa Teguise / Los Charcosno page yet
La Santano page yet
Playa Quemadano page yet
Playa Blancano page yet

The spot

Playa Honda is the beach you drive to when the wind goes east and Famara is wrong, on the southeast coast of Lanzarote right beside Cesar Manrique-Lanzarote Airport.

Wind and timing

East is the useful direction; west is offshore here and not worth a thought. The easterly is thermal and short, filling in through the middle of the day and sometimes gone in an hour, so check the station and drive rather than committing a day to it.

Water and riding

The water goes deep almost at once off the sand, which suits nobody still learning, and rock shows as the tide drops, so high water is the better twin-tip window. It runs 15-25 kt when it works, gusty, on 8-12 m, and the surface is flat to choppy depending on exactly where you launch.

Access and rules

There is 1.3 km of golden sand with parking and a promenade, and the appeal is convenience: airport, town, quick session. Municipal beach rules separate the bathing zone from the boat entry with a buoy line and no kite-specific 2026 map has been published, so where that line sits is the question on the day. Keep well clear of the airport boundary with a kite up.

The wind

locals call it Alisios / NE trade wind for Lanzarote generally; Playa Honda itself is mainly an E wind backup and thermal E-wind spot.

Direction

cross-on

Direction to shore

cross-on

Dominant direction

NNE in the Lanzarote Airport statistics, but for riding here it is E, and sometimes S or SE.

Kite sizes

67891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

The quiver, in words

8-12 m across the usable 15-25 kt easterly, with 10 m the everyday size for a 75-85 kg rider on the island's steadier 18 kt days. Because the wind here is gusty when it works, take the smaller end of what the average suggests.

Character

mixed

When it fills in: see above ↑

Average strength

13 knots annual average at Lanzarote Airport weather station, based on observations from 2000-10-01 to 2026-07-31.

Typical strength

15-25 kt when the easterly setup comes together, gusty throughout; the island's general trade-wind days sit nearer a steady 18 kt, but that is Famara's number rather than this beach's.

Gusty and opportunistic rather than a primary reliable trade-wind spot.

Lanzarote kiting is steadier in summer on the NE trades, but Playa Honda mainly works when the wind swings east, which happens less often than the standard Famara setup. No best-month table exists for this beach.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

Jan48
Feb51
Mar60
Apr52
May73
Jun50
Jul81
Aug73
Sep43
Oct37
Nov25
Dec42

windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)

48%Jan19°
51%Feb18°
60%Mar18°
52%Apr18°
73%May19°
50%Jun21°
81%Jul21°
73%Aug22°
43%Sep23°
37%Oct22°
25%Nov21°
42%Dec20°

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	48%	61%	56%	12.7 kt	NE	13:00	17.2 °C	18.9 °C	62
Feb	51%	68%	61%	13.4 kt	NE	14:00	17.2 °C	18.3 °C	57
Mar	60%	73%	69%	14.1 kt	NNE	16:00	18.3 °C	18.3 °C	62
Apr	52%	72%	62%	13.6 kt	NNE	16:00	18.9 °C	18.3 °C	60
May	73%	87%	77%	14.3 kt	N	16:00	20.6 °C	19.4 °C	62
Jun	50%	78%	63%	13.3 kt	N	17:00	21.7 °C	20.6 °C	60
Jul	81%	95%	90%	15.4 kt	NNE	16:00	23.3 °C	21.1 °C	62
Aug	73%	94%	87%	15.4 kt	NNE	13:00	24.4 °C	22.2 °C	62
Sep	43%	77%	65%	12.7 kt	NNE	17:00	23.9 °C	22.8 °C	60
Oct	37%	63%	45%	12.1 kt	NNE	16:00	22.8 °C	22.2 °C	62
Nov	25%	43%	33%	11.1 kt	NE	14:00	20.6 °C	21.1 °C	60
Dec	42%	69%	58%	12.5 kt	NE	13:00	18.3 °C	20 °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

No beginner shelf. The water deepens almost at once off the sand, which leaves no walking-out area and no useful shore break.

Tides

Atlantic range, and it visibly moves the waterline: the neighbouring Guacimeta stretch measures 91 m wide at high water and 116.5 m at low. High tide is the better twin-tip window because more rock shows as the water drops. Arrecife, 5 km away, is the reference tide station.

Temperature

22.4 °C summer · 18.3 °C winter

Modelled monthly average: 18–23 °C

Wetsuit

Shorty or normal wetsuit in spring/summer/autumn and normal wetsuit in winter; also summarized as 18–22 °C water with a 3/2 mm wetsuit.

Conditions

Accounts split between flat water and chop, with mirror-flat water reported next door at La Concha and El Cable. Flat to choppy depending on the exact launch, the tide and the wind is the honest reading, with some rock showing at lower tide.

El Cable and Playa Honda are also described as a sheltered reef or point wave that only works on the right swell, so this is no lagoon.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

not for beginners here

Intermediate and expert. A beginner-and-improver rating exists for Playa Honda, but it sits badly against water that gets deep at once and wind that is gusty when it works; treat beginner suitability as unconfirmed unless a local school sets up a supervised session on the day.

The scene

What riders come here for

intermediatefreerideintermediate freeridefreestyle on flatter east-wind daysbackup sessions when Famara is wrong for wind directionwingfoil

Residential Playa Honda and Arrecife rather than a tourist kite base. In November there can be nobody on the sand; in summer it fills, because the beach belongs to the village and Arrecife is close.

Launch and rules

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

With a school or a boat

11 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: ok

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

6 spots nearby

All 6 spots within 40 km are under Nearby

Rescue

High season only, and general rather than kite-specific: a staffed lifeguard post with a homologated watchtower, flag signalling for sea state, Local Police and a municipal emergency plan. No rescue craft is based on this beach and nothing covers kiters out of season. Ride inside your self-rescue range and use 112.

Launch

Sandy launch beside Playa Honda and La Concha, minutes from the airport, with promenade, parking and short walk-on access from the LZ-2. About 1.3 km of golden sand, so there is room to lay lines out. The vehicle ramp for carrying craft to the water is at the south end of the Guacimeta section.

Hazards riders report 15 reported

Wind

Gusty wind when the spot works
Wind can become offshore when it shifts westerly

Crowds and zones

Navigation and floating craft are restricted in designated bathing zones under San Bartolomé beach rules
Navigation and floating craft are restricted in designated bathing zones under San Bartolome beach rules

Waves and currents

Rocks exposed at lower tides.
Reef rock around El Cable and Playa Honda in wave conditions, reportedly
No standing shelf: the water deepens almost at once and there is no useful shore break to stand in.
Reef rock at El Cable when there is swell running.

Protected areas and rules

The exclusive bathing zone runs from Playa Honda 1 to the buoy line marking boat entry and exit; sport navigation and floating craft are banned inside it.

Other

open-ocean exposure
proximity to airport approach path
Gets deep immediately.
The airport boundary sits right behind the beach: keep well clear of it with a kite up
Long, featureless beach - easy to lose track of how far downwind you have drifted.
Keep well clear of the airport boundary with a kite up.

Rules & access

1 min read

2014 (San Bartolome beach ordinance, definitive text as amended 8 October 2014): the municipality catalogues three beaches - Playa Honda 1, Playa Honda 2 and Guacimeta - all classed as free beaches usable for bathing, nautical sports and other recreation under the ordinance.

Bathing zone

The exclusive bathing zone runs from Playa Honda 1 to the buoy line that marks the boat entry and exit; inside it, sport and recreational navigation and any floating craft whatever its propulsion are prohibited, and so is fishing.

Coastal band

That buoyage sits within a 200 m coastal band where navigation is banned or limited to 3 knots, and on unbuoyed stretches the whole 200 m strip counts as bathing water.

Vehicles and gear

Beaching or storing boats, surf and windsurf boards, jet skis and the like outside the signed areas is an offence and the gear can be removed at the owner's cost. Vehicles carrying craft must use the ramp at the south end of Guacimeta and cannot linger on the sand.

Events and lifeguards

Nautical competitions and organised events need municipal authorisation. Lifeguard cover is high season only.

Kite access

No kite-specific zone or map has been published, so the practical question on the day is where the buoy line sits.

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

Schools that ride here

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Rider tips

Check the actual wind at Lanzarote Airport and Playa Honda, not just the island forecast; the east-wind window is short and gusty.
Treat it as a session of opportunity: the thermal east can last about an hour, so rig fast and go.
Favour high tide on a twin-tip, because more rock shows at lower tide.
Do not ride on west wind at this beach; westerly is offshore.
Pick a landmark before you launch: 1.3 km of similar-looking beach makes drift easy to misjudge.
Ask a local school or rider where the buoy line and the nautical-sports zone sit before launching, and if you are carrying gear by vehicle use the ramp at the south end of the Guacimeta stretch rather than driving onto the sand.

Getting there

Airport

Cesar Manrique-Lanzarote Airport (ACE)

Route

By car, take the LZ-2 from Arrecife toward the airport and exit for Playa Honda; there is a large car park on the airport side. The Arrecife-Airport-Playa Honda bus runs the same route, and line 23 stops in Playa Honda.

Transfer

3-10 minutes from Lanzarote Airport to Playa Honda depending on the exact point and the mode. The airport bus line links Playa Honda and the capital with the terminal, and 3-5 minute bus or car hops between Playa Honda and the airport are the normal figure.

Cost level

mid

Staying

Playa Honda is a residential beach town with promenade, restaurants, parking and public services; Famara remains the main kite base for schools and kite accommodation.

No-wind days

Surf at Famara, wingfoil with local schools, walk/cycle the Playa Honda promenade toward Arrecife or Puerto del Carmen, or visit Lanzarote sights such as Timanfaya, Cueva de los Verdes, Jameos del Agua and Mirador del Rio.

Photos

FAQ

Is Playa Honda suitable for beginners?

No, it is listed for intermediate and advanced riders, since the water is reported to get deep quickly close to shore.

What is the wind like at Playa Honda?

It mainly works as a backup when wind turns easterly, typically 15-25 knots on those days, while the island's usual NE trade wind favors Famara instead.

What hazards are there at Playa Honda?

Wind can turn offshore on a westerly shift, rocks are exposed at lower tide, and the launch sits close to the airport approach path.

Are there rules or restricted zones at Playa Honda?

A 2014 municipal ordinance restricts nautical sports to designated zones away from bathing areas, though no 2026 kite-specific zoning map was verified.

The bigger pictureEverything about Playa Honda - Lanzarote

Last updated: August 2026