Pointe de L'Or
Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab · Cercle d'El Argoub دائرة العركوب
also known as Pointe d'Or, Point d'Or, Golden Point Dakhla
Riding essentials
Season
May–Sep
Months riders and schools name
How windy
15-35 knots
Character: trade · cross-shore
Room to launch
huge
access rules on record, below
Water
waves
22–25 °C in summerAtlantic-side beach and point spot where a rocky point forms a small bay
Hazards
21
Reported by riders
Level
Intermediate to advanced
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
low crowds · busy Jul Aug
Schools
11
named at this spot
From the airport
20 min
Dakhla Airport (VIL)
When it fills in
Lighter in the morning and strongest in the afternoon. Wind reportedly starts around early noon, sometimes closer to 2 p.m.
Nearbystraight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
- Dakhla Lagoonno page yet
- PK25
- Dakhla Attitude Lagoonno page yet
- White Dune
- Oum Labouir / Foum Labouir
- Lassarga / La Sarga
The spot
Waves and swell
Wind and seasons
Difficulty and hazards
The wind
locals call it Northeast trade wind
Direction
Dominant direction
NNE to NE, with N also workable
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
The quiver, in words
7-12 m covers the spot for a 75-85 kg rider: 10-12 m in the moderate winter wave season, 8-9 m through spring and autumn, 7 m once the summer wind pushes past 30 knots (indicative, scaled from the reported wind range, with no local measurement).
Character
Average strength
16 knots at the Dakhla Airport station; 13.2 knots year-round at a modeled Pointe d'Or point.
Typical strength
15-35 knots depending on season; strongest April-September, more moderate in winter wave season
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan89
- Feb89
- Mar99
- Apr96
- May, riders' month99
- Jun, riders' month97
- Jul, riders' month98
- Aug, riders' month98
- Sep, riders' month98
- Oct94
- Nov83
- Dec80
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
- 15 ktJan18°
- 16 ktFeb18°
- 17 ktMar18°
- 17 ktApr20°
- 18 ktMay20°
- 18 ktJun21°
- 20 ktJul21°
- 18 ktAug22°
- 17 ktSep22°
- 15 ktOct22°
- 14 ktNov21°
- 14 ktDec19°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
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.
Every figure, month by monthForce 4+ · Knots · Wind from · Air · Water
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | Wind from | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 89% | 15 kt | NE | 18.7 °C | 17.6 °C |
| Feb | 89% | 15.7 kt | NNE | 18.8 °C | 18 °C |
| Mar | 99% | 17.4 kt | NNE | 18.7 °C | 18.2 °C |
| Apr | 96% | 17.1 kt | NNE | 20 °C | 19.6 °C |
| May | 99% | 17.7 kt | NNE | 20.2 °C | 19.9 °C |
| Jun | 97% | 18.4 kt | NNE | 21.2 °C | 21.1 °C |
| Jul | 98% | 20 kt | NNE | 22.2 °C | 20.8 °C |
| Aug | 98% | 18.4 kt | NNE | 23.5 °C | 21.9 °C |
| Sep | 98% | 17.4 kt | NNE | 22.9 °C | 21.7 °C |
| Oct | 94% | 15.2 kt | NNE | 23.4 °C | 21.7 °C |
| Nov | 83% | 14.3 kt | NNE | 21.7 °C | 20.5 °C |
| Dec | 80% | 13.5 kt | NE | 19.6 °C | 19.1 °C |
How this is modelledmodelled · 2022-2024
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
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
waves
Standing depth
Not measured, and no standing shallows are reported. This is an open Atlantic beach break on sand with waves running roughly 0.5-2 m and a shore break that builds at high tide, so plan the session on the assumption that you cannot stand up where you are riding.The rocky point at the edge of the bay is the shallow part, and it is exposed at low tide.
Tides
Wave quality and safety move with the tide. High tide can build a shore break, and tide together with swell decides how long and how big the wave runs.
Temperature
22–25 °C summer · 17–20 °C winter
Modelled monthly average: 18–22 °C
Wetsuit
3/2 mm is the reliable choice most of the year; shorty possible for many riders in summer; warmer 4/3 may suit cold-sensitive riders in winter.
Currents
Unresolved and unmeasured. Reports run from no strong current, through a moderate flow on the water, to a strong outgoing pull, and local coaches describe the swells and currents here as unpredictable. Treat it as a spot where nobody can tell you the number, and ride with someone.
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
11 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: huge
Somewhere else
8 spots nearby
Rescue
Launch
Remote desert sand beach on the Atlantic side of the peninsula, reached by 4x4 over soft sand from the lagoon camps, with parking directly on the beach.Very fine sand, a big open launch area, and the break itself over a sandy bottom; a rocky point at the edge of the bay is the exception. High-tide shore break and strong afternoon wind both complicate launching and landing, and the beach collects washed-up waste.
Rules & access
1 min read
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
- Go with a camp guide who knows the access track, the tide and the current setup.
- Do not put a normal rental car on the soft-sand track; take a 4x4 or the organized transfer.
- Check tide and swell before you commit, because high tide adds shore break and the wave depends on the swell.
- Carry sun protection, water, a phone or radio arrangement and a buddy; there is nothing reliable on site.
- Ask your camp in plain words whether the excursion includes rescue or beach assistance, or only the drive out.
- If the waves matter more than the wind, aim at the autumn and winter swell windows rather than peak summer.
Getting there
Airport
Dakhla Airport (VIL)
Route
Fly to Dakhla, commonly via Casablanca, then cross to the Atlantic side of the peninsula. The point is put at about 15 km north of town, roughly a 20-minute drive, and the lagoon camps are only a few minutes away over the strip of land, though other accounts quote 35 km from town or airport. The last stretch is soft sand: take a 4x4 or the camp's organised transfer and park on the beach.
Transfer
20 min
Cost level
medium-high
Staying
Most riders stay in full-board lagoon camps or hotels around PK25-PK28 such as Dakhla Attitude, Dakhla Evasion, Dakhla Club/KBC, New Spirit, PK25 or Dakhla Spirit; the wave spot itself has no permanent kite school or services on record.
No-wind days
Surf at Atlantic wave spots, SUP or kayak in the lagoon, White Dune and Dragon Island excursions, oyster farm visits, fishing, e-bike/desert trips, hammam/spa at larger camps, or wake/wake-foil where offered by camps.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite at Pointe de l'Or?
May to September gives the strongest wind, while October to March or September to May is the cleaner wave season.
Is Pointe de l'Or suitable for beginners?
No, it is best treated as intermediate to advanced because of waves, remote access and no permanent rescue.
What is the wind like?
Wind is a north-northeast to northeast trade flow, typically 15-35 knots depending on season, generally a few knots weaker and sometimes gustier than the lagoon.
How do riders get there?
Most riders access the spot by 4x4 from lagoon camps around PK25-PK28, since ordinary cars are not recommended on the soft sand track.
The bigger pictureEverything about Dakhla
Last updated: August 2026