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Porto Pollo

Sardinia - Porto Pollo · Gallura Nord-Est Sardegna · Palau

also known as Isuledda, Isola dei Gabbiani area, Porto Puddu, Poltu Puddu, Poltu Pullu, Porto Liscia Kite Zone, Barrabisa Beach

Part of Porto Pollo, Sardinia →

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

beginner-friendlyhigh 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

May–Sep

Months riders and schools name

How windy

15-30 knots

Character: mixed

Room to launch

access rules on record, below

Water

mixed

23.8 °C in summerSandy beaches and clear water around the Isuledda/Porto Liscia bays

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Beginner to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

high crowds · busy Jul Aug

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB)

Transfer times under Getting there

When it fills in

The Maestrale can blow all day, but the useful reinforcement is an afternoon feature: consistent 15-30 kt in the afternoon from April to November. Mornings are the softer, more forgiving slot and are what schools use for beginners; afternoons belong to the stronger riders. Riding is legally daylight only, sunrise to sunset.

Nearbystraight-line distance

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

Isola dei Gabbianino page yet
Santa Teresa Gallurano page yet
Porto Liscia / Barrabisa Kite Zoneno page yet
La Maddalenano page yet
Piantarella / Bonifaciono page yet
Vignolano page yet

The spot

Location and geography

Porto Pollo is the Palau wind-sports area on the north coast of Sardinia, where the Isuledda peninsula splits the water into two bays that face opposite ways.

Kite corridor and restrictions

The kite corridor is on the Porto Liscia side near Barrabisa, and the Porto Pollo bay itself is closed to kites from the Sunday before Easter to 10 November, so which side of the isthmus you rig on is a legal question rather than a preference.

Wind conditions

The Bonifacio Strait funnels the Maestrale, which is why this blows harder and more often than most Mediterranean beaches, and the afternoon reinforcement is the good part: 15-30 kt from April to November.

Water state

Water is flat to chop close in and chop with small wind waves further out, wilder when the Mistral is properly up.

Timing by day

Mornings are the softer slot and the one the schools use; afternoons belong to riders who are happy in a strong Maestrale and a crowd.

Best months to visit

May, June and September are the months to book.

Peak season crowds

July and August are hotter and dearer, and busy enough that parking becomes the first problem of the day, and La Maddalena is the boat trip when it does not blow.

The wind

locals call it Maestrale/Mistral, Ponente, Scirocco, Tramontana; local thermal reinforcement

Direction

cross-on

Direction to shore

cross-on. The two bays face opposite ways across the Isuledda isthmus: the Porto Liscia side to the west takes the Maestrale straight in and is where the kite corridor sits, while the Porto Pollo bay to the east sits in the lee, is flatter and lighter, and is closed to kites for most of the year.

Dominant direction

NW to W in Maestrale/Ponente patterns; E to SE also works in some Porto Liscia/Porto Pollo setups; NE/ENE/E are listed as best directions by some Porto Liscia kite-zone databases.

Kite sizes

567891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

The quiver, in words

7-12 m covers most days for a 75-85 kg rider on a twin-tip: 7 m and 9 m for the 20-30 kt Maestrale afternoons, 10-12 m for lighter thermal sessions in the mid teens, and 13-15 m only for marginal days or foiling. The published minimum for a session here is about 12 kt.

Character

mixed

When it fills in: see above ↑

Average strength

A 2017 observation-based station summary gives 11 kt average wind and 14 kt average gusts. Rideable summer and thermal wind runs stronger than that, so read the averages as a floor rather than a forecast.

Typical strength

15-30 knots when it is on, with 15-25 knots typical of a summer Scirocco. Frontal Mistral days go past the range a holiday quiver is packed for.

Reliable for the Mediterranean without being trade-wind steady. The Bonifacio Strait funnel adds strength, and the Maestrale and W winds get gusty close to land and in stronger systems.

The comfortable kite season runs roughly April/May to September/October, with May, June and September often the best balance of wind and lower crowds. July and August have warm water and useful thermals but also peak beach pressure; winter and autumn can be windier and stronger but colder and less holiday-oriented.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

Jan55
Feb26
Mar45
Apr50
May, riders' month34
Jun, riders' month35
Jul, riders' month52
Aug, riders' month39
Sep, riders' month38
Oct34
Nov52
Dec48

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

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

55%Jan
26%Feb
45%Mar
50%Apr
34%May
35%Jun
52%Jul
39%Aug
38%Sep
34%Oct
52%Nov
48%Dec

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

Month	Windy days	Force 4+	12 kn or more	Knots	Wind from	Peaks at	Air	Readings
Jan	55%	66%	65%	13.7 kt	W	14:00	10.6 °C	62
Feb	26%	46%	35%	11.1 kt	W	14:00	10.6 °C	57
Mar	45%	68%	53%	13.9 kt	W	15:00	12.5 °C	62
Apr	50%	62%	55%	13.6 kt	W	15:00	14.4 °C	60
May	34%	47%	37%	11.9 kt	W	15:00	18.1 °C	62
Jun	35%	53%	42%	11.5 kt	W	15:00	21.9 °C	60
Jul	52%	63%	56%	12.7 kt	W	16:00	24.4 °C	62
Aug	39%	52%	42%	12.2 kt	W	15:00	25 °C	62
Sep	38%	53%	47%	11.9 kt	W	15:00	22.5 °C	60
Oct	34%	48%	42%	11.2 kt	W	15:00	19.2 °C	62
Nov	52%	60%	58%	13.9 kt	W	14:00	15 °C	60
Dec	48%	63%	55%	13.6 kt	W	14:00	11.9 °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 and roughly waist-deep over a wide sandy area on the lee side used for teaching. Elsewhere in the two bays the bottom drops away within a few metres, with depths over 2 m reported. Which description fits depends on the exact stretch of beach, and no measured survey is published.

Tides

Tide-independent; normal Mediterranean tidal range is not the main session limiter.

Temperature

23.8 °C summer · 14.4 °C winter

Wetsuit

Summer is usually boardshorts/shorty; 3/2 mm or warmer full suit is sensible in spring/autumn, and winter needs a full suit. Porto Pollo monthly sea averages range from about 13.5 °C in February to 25.5 °C in August.

Currents

Strait of Bonifacio currents can be felt further offshore

Conditions

Sandy beaches and clear water around the Isuledda/Porto Liscia bays. Conditions range from flat close to shore or in the lee side, through chop, to small wind-driven waves on stronger Maestrale/Mistral days. Porto Pollo and the adjoining Porto Liscia side form a two-bay setup split by the Isuledda peninsula.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Schools teach beginners here, in the morning and in moderate wind. Independent beginners have a harder time of it: the corridor is narrow, the water crowds up, the Maestrale is gusty near land and the zones are enforced rather than suggested. Intermediates and advanced riders get the most out of the place.

The scene

What riders come here for

freeridefreestylebig airwavesintermediateadvancedwind-driven small wavesmulti-sport wind holidays

Who it suitslessons

Long-running international wind-sports scene shared by kiters, windsurfers and wingfoilers, with schools, beach bars and camping and resort services behind the sand. The shoulder months are the calmer riding; August is the pressure point for beach space, for parking and for what a bed costs.

Launch and rules

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

With a school or a boat

7 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

School and centre rescue boats cover the bay, and running a rescue and lifesaving service with certified staff is a condition of a school's authorisation to teach here.

Call-outs are charged: roughly EUR 20 in 2026 for a pick-up inside the bay and EUR 50 in 2026 outside it, with one of the on-site centres quoting a flat EUR 20 in 2026.

Lesson packages normally include boat cover and radio. The free national sea-emergency number is 1530.

Launch

Launch locationThe kite launch is on the Porto Liscia side of the Isuledda isthmus, near Barrabisa, and it is the only marked kite area of the two bays. The dedicated corridor is a cone running 200 m offshore from the low-water line, 80 m wide at the beach, marked with orange buoys at least 50 cm across and no more than 30 m apart, with the outer 10 m at each edge reserved for school use.Beach zonesThe strip of beach behind it is formally divided into a storage area, a rigging and launch/land area and a teaching area, so where you lay out lines is not a matter of choice. Schools, kite tents, compressors, storage, repair and rental sit behind that.The Porto Pollo bay on the other side of the isthmus is windsurf, dinghy and catamaran water.

Hazards riders report 19 reported

Wind

Crowded water and launch areas in July-August and on good wind days.
Gusty Maestrale/W winds near land and during stronger systems.
Strong Mistral/frontal days can be advanced-only.
Crowded water and launch areas in July and August and on any good wind day
Gusty Maestrale and W wind near land and in stronger systems

Crowds and zones

crowded launch zones in peak season
Marked swimmer/bathing zones: do not ride through them.
Boat/ship traffic is mentioned for Porto Pollo; keep clear of channels and local craft.
Swimmer areas marked with red buoys are closed to every craft, and the beach behind them may not be used for gear

Waves and currents

strong gusty Mistral days with waves to 2m
Strong Mistral and frontal days are advanced-only, with chop and wind-driven waves outside the bay

Protected areas and rules

Outside the marked corridor, kitesurfing is banned across the whole 200 m inshore strip
No jumps or tricks in the corridor or near the shore; riders returning to the beach have right of way
Daylight only: riding before sunrise or after sunset is prohibited
Motor-craft corridors run on both sides of the isthmus and there is boat traffic through the strait; keep clear

Other

check forecast before rigging - conditions swing quickly
Dune poles or beach obstacles around landing areas are noted by Porto Liscia spot guides.
Kitesurfing is closed in the Porto Pollo bay itself from the Sunday before Easter to 10 November, so launching on the wrong side of the isthmus is an offence, not a courtesy problem
Dune poles and beach obstacles around the landing areas

Rules & access

2 min read

2016, still cited as the operative special discipline and modified in 2017: at Porto Pollo and Porto Liscia, in the Comune di Palau, special-discipline areas apply within 200 m of the shore from the week before the bathing season starts until it ends. Kitesurfers must either sail beyond 200 m or use the dedicated corridors, and unlike windsurf, dinghies, canoes and beach craft they have no general right to the inshore strip. In the Bay of Porto Pollo itself, kitesurfing is closed from the Sunday before Easter to 10 November each year, the water in front of Porto Pollo being reserved for windsurf, dinghies and catamarans; the single exception is one authorised school running adaptive kite lessons beyond 200 m.

The kite zone

The kite zone is on the Porto Liscia shore: a cone-shaped dedicated corridor 200 m deep from the low-water line and 80 m wide at the beach, with 10 m at each edge for the schools, marked by orange buoys of at least 50 cm at up to 30 m spacing, not joined by floating lines. Inside it, bathing, fishing, mooring and any other craft are prohibited. Enter and leave by body drag or by riding slowly under full control, with no tricks and no jumps in the corridor or near the shore; riders coming back in have right of way; drop the kite far enough out that it lands in the water before the low-water line; wear a flotation aid. Kitesurfing is permitted from sunrise to sunset only.

School requirements

The beach behind the corridor is split into storage, rigging/launch and teaching areas: kites may not be flown or carried on extended lines in the storage area, and non-participants may not stand there. Swimmer areas marked with red buoys and yellow-and-red toggles are closed to every craft, and no gear may be left on the beach behind them. Schools must file a declaration with the maritime authority, use FIV-qualified instructors, run a certified rescue service, mark instructors in high-visibility vests, keep a lesson register and post the ordinance and their tariffs.

Updates and access

2025: the La Maddalena beach-safety ordinance forbids windsurf and kitesurf transit inside bathing zones and caps craft in launch corridors at 3 knots. 2026: the kite-zone operator requires IKO certification for independent rental, sets a minimum age of 9 with swimming ability, makes a radio helmet compulsory in lessons, and charges for rescue. No separate independent-launch permit applies.

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

Launch from the Porto Liscia side; it is the only marked kite zone, and the Porto Pollo bay is closed to kites from the Sunday before Easter to 10 November.
Find the orange buoys before you rig: the corridor is a cone 200 m deep and 80 m wide at the beach, and the 10 m at each edge belongs to the schools.
Rig in the marked preparation area rather than the storage area, and keep gear off the beach behind the red-buoyed swimmer zones.
Body-drag or ride slowly in and out, no jumps in the corridor, and drop the kite far enough out that it lands in the water.
Wear a flotation aid; here it is required, not advisory. Rescue is charged at roughly EUR 20 in 2026 inside the bay and EUR 50 in 2026 outside, and the free sea-emergency number is 1530.
Bring 7-9 m for the 15-30 kt afternoons and 10-12 m for light thermal days, and book May, June or September if you want space on the water.

Getting there

Airport

Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB)

Route

Drive north from Olbia toward Palau and follow the signs for Porto Pollo, Isola dei Gabbiani, Barrabisa or Porto Liscia. A rental car is the practical answer if you are carrying gear. An ARST bus runs from Olbia Stazione Terranova toward Capannaccia, but the whole airport connection that way is much slower than driving.

Transfer

40-60 minutes by car from Olbia; Rome2rio lists about 2h33 by public transport from Olbia airport area to Porto Pollo/nearby stops.

Cost level

medium-high, and high in July-August

Staying

On-spot and nearby options include Isola dei Gabbiani holiday village/camping, wind-sport package lodging, self-catering apartments within walking distance, hotels and guesthouses in Palau and nearby Gallura villages.

No-wind days

La Maddalena archipelago boat trips from Palau/Porto Pollo, SUP, kayak/canoe, snorkeling and diving around Isuledda and La Maddalena marine park, cycling/e-bike/MTB, hiking around Capo Testa or Monte Altura, and restaurants in Palau.

Photos

FAQ

Is Porto Pollo suitable for beginners?

Yes, schools teach beginners here, but strong Maestrale, crowding and gusts can make independent beginner riding inappropriate on many days; supervised sessions are recommended.

When is the best time?

May, June and September give the best balance of wind and lower crowds; July and August are warmer but busier.

What is the wind like?

Maestrale/Mistral and other synoptic winds are strengthened by the Bonifacio Strait funnel, typically 15-30 knots, with summer thermal support building in the afternoon.

Is there a kite school?

Yes, several schools operate on the Porto Liscia/Porto Pollo kite-zone side with rescue boat support, storage, repair and rental.

What are the hazards?

Strong gusty Mistral days with waves to 2 m, crowded launch zones in peak season, and marked swimmer/bathing zones that must not be crossed.

The bigger pictureEverything about Sardinia - Porto Pollo

Last updated: August 2026