Map › Spain › Praia de Lourido & Praia da Lanzada › Praia de Lourido
Galicia · Ria de Pontevedra, Poio · Pontevedra · Poio / Pontevedra
Praia de Lourido
also known as Playa de Lourido, Praia da Polvoreira, Playa da Polvoreira
Nearby Praia de Cesantes 14 km · Praia da Lanzada 17 km · Praia do Bao 21 km · Praia da Canteira 21 km · Praia das Sinas 21 km · Praia do Vao 27 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
Afternoon. It is a thermal, so mornings are usually still, the breeze builds as the day heats and it fades in the evening. On the neighbouring ria the same 280-degree thermal runs about six hours and strengthens through the afternoon. No onset hour has been published for Lourido itself, so treat this as the pattern rather than a timetable.
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
thermal
fills in: Afternoon. It is a thermal, so mornings are usually still, the breeze builds as the day heats and it fades in the evening. On the neighbouring ria the same 280-degree thermal runs about six hours and strengthens through the afternoon. No onset hour has been published for Lourido itself, so treat this as the pattern rather than a timetable.
Typical strength
No wind measurement exists for this stretch of sand. The working kite range of 10-14 m puts the usable thermal at roughly 12-18 kt for a 75-85 kg rider, which is indicative rather than measured. For scale, the nearest long-run station up the ria at Pontevedra averages only 4 kt across the year over 2010-2026: the breeze here is a local afternoon event, not a background wind.
The quiver, in words
10-14 m for the southwest thermal wind at Lourido.
Direction to shore
Cross-shore with an onshore lean. The beach lies on the north side of the Ria de Pontevedra and faces south into the water, so the 280-degree southwest thermal runs along the sand rather than straight onto it. Derived from the beach orientation; no local launch-angle report was found.
Dominant direction
SW thermal, around 280 degrees.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan18
- Feb14
- Mar, riders' month21
- Apr, riders' month12
- May, riders' month15
- Jun, riders' month5
- Jul, riders' month2
- Aug, riders' month3
- Sep, riders' month10
- Oct, riders' month18
- Nov17
- Dec5
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.
- 18%Jan14°
- 14%Feb14°
- 21%Mar14°
- 12%Apr16°
- 15%May16°
- 5%Jun18°
- 2%Jul17°
- 3%Aug17°
- 10%Sep17°
- 18%Oct19°
- 17%Nov17°
- 5%Dec15°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18% | 31% | 27% | 8.5 kt | SW | 15:00 | 10.1°C | 14.1°C | 62 |
| Feb | 14% | 19% | 16% | 7.9 kt | NE | 15:00 | 10.7°C | 13.5°C | 57 |
| Mar | 21% | 39% | 29% | 10 kt | SSW | 15:00 | 11.8°C | 14.1°C | 62 |
| Apr | 12% | 23% | 17% | 8.4 kt | W | 16:00 | 13.8°C | 15.5°C | 60 |
| May | 15% | 32% | 21% | 9.1 kt | NNE | 17:00 | 16.5°C | 15.6°C | 62 |
| Jun | 5% | 15% | 8% | 7.7 kt | WSW | 16:00 | 18.8°C | 17.7°C | 60 |
| Jul | 2% | 13% | 5% | 8.1 kt | N | 16:00 | 21.3°C | 17.2°C | 62 |
| Aug | 3% | 23% | 11% | 8.3 kt | N | 16:00 | 21.6°C | 16.8°C | 62 |
| Sep | 10% | 18% | 13% | 8 kt | WSW | 16:00 | 18.8°C | 16.7°C | 60 |
| Oct | 18% | 37% | 27% | 9.2 kt | SSW | 15:00 | 17.2°C | 18.6°C | 62 |
| Nov | 17% | 28% | 18% | 8 kt | WSW | 15:00 | 14°C | 16.8°C | 60 |
| Dec | 5% | 18% | 13% | 6.6 kt | NNE | 13:00 | 10.7°C | 15°C | 62 |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
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. 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
estuary beach
Standing depth
The shallow areas make it a good beach to learn on; the exact standing-depth zone and the tide state that opens it are unconfirmed.
Tides
Tide-dependent: navigation depends on the tide, and with a narrow average width both the usable water and the rigging space swing hard with it.
Temperature
19°C summer · 14°C winter
Wetsuit
The nearest Vigo and Rias Baixas water references run roughly 18-20 C in late summer and 13-15 C in winter. Wetsuit guidance for Lourido itself is unconfirmed.
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
5 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: limited to moderate; narrow average beach width and tide changes matter
Somewhere else
Praia de Cesantes, 14 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Beach launch on a sheltered half-shell bay of fine white sand on the Poio shore, where the ria narrows toward Pontevedra. It runs about 700 m long but averages only about 10 m wide, so rigging space swings with the tide and the crowd.Unguarded parking with more than 100 spaces sits behind it; the sand can also be reached on foot or by boat.
Space
limited to moderate; narrow average beach width and tide changes matter
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Check the tide and the beach crowd before you unroll anything; the strip is narrow and navigation depends on the tide.
- Target southwest thermal days, the setup the local schools work on.
- Give lessons and non-kiters extra room; the launch is less forgiving than Cesantes or A Lanzada.
- Base yourself in Pontevedra or Poio for simple logistics and something to do on no-wind days.
- The lifeguard post sits at the Cabeceira end of the sands: rig away from it and from the bathers in July and August.
- Nothing is watched outside the bathing season and there is no rescue boat for kiters, so 112 is the number.
Getting there
Airport
Vigo Airport (VGO)
Route
Lourido sits between Poio and Pontevedra on the north shore of the ria, and a car is the practical way in with kite gear. Behind the beach there is an unguarded parking area with more than 100 spaces. Access on foot is easy, and the beach can also be reached by boat.
Transfer
About 25-40 minutes by car from Vigo Airport to the Poio and Pontevedra area in normal traffic; the last stretch to the launch parking is unconfirmed.
Cost level
medium
Staying
Stay in Pontevedra, Poio or Combarro; no kite-specific accommodation at Lourido is listed.
No-wind days
Pontevedra old town, Combarro, Ria de Pontevedra beaches, kayaking/SUP in sheltered ria water, seafood towns and day trips to O Grove or the Atlantic Islands gateway ports.
FAQ
Is it suitable for beginners?
Yes, local schools use it for lessons thanks to calm water and shallow zones, though the beach itself is narrow.
When is the best time?
The southwest thermal season runs roughly from March to early October.
Are there kite schools nearby?
Yes, both Kite Galicia and Kiteboarding Galicia run regular lessons here.
What hazards should I know about?
The beach is only about 700 m long and 10 m wide on average, so tide state and summer crowds limit rigging space.
Last updated: August 2026