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Punta Paloma

Andalusia · Tarifa · Campo de Gibraltar

also known as Las Dunas, Punta Paloma / Valdevaqueros west end

Part of Tarifa →

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

Mar–Oct

Months riders and schools name

How windy

9 kt

Character: mixed

Room to launch

huge

access rules on record, below

Water

mixed

22 °C in summerPoniente usually brings chop and small beach-break waves

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Beginner to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

high crowds · busy Jun Jul Aug Sep

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

15 min

Gibraltar (GIB)

When it fills in

Thermal Poniente is commonly described as building in the afternoon in spring/summer; Levante is synoptic and can blow all day for several days.

Nearbystraight-line distance

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

Los Lances Norteno page yet
Los Lances Surno page yet
Arte Vidano page yet

The spot

Punta Paloma is the dune end of Valdevaqueros, about 10 km northwest of Tarifa and straight off the N-340, and the sand is wide enough that you can still find your own rigging square on a busy day.

Wind patterns

Which wind you get changes everything. Poniente comes off the Atlantic side-on to onshore, steadier, with chop and small beach break, and it is the wind to learn in. Levante is stronger, gustier and side-shore to side-offshore at this end of the bay, and in winter the first 50 m off the beach can sit windless for days while it blows hard further out.

Rescue and safety

A Levante day here is not a self-rescue-optional day, which is why the private rescue boat working these beaches year round is what makes the strong days feel normal.

Zoning and logistics

From 15 June to 15 September the beach is zoned for kite, windsurf and bathers, the lines are not obvious on the ground, and the windsurf lane is where the collisions happen. Skip strong Levante if you are in your first season, and skip July and August if you want the wind without the parking.

The wind

locals call it Levante / Poniente / Termico

Direction

cross-onPonientecross-offLevantewind blows away from land — rescue cover matters here

Direction to shore

Depends which wind is blowing. Poniente arrives side-onshore on roughly 40% of days; Levante is side-shore to side-offshore on roughly 50%, with drift risk out to sea; southerlies are onshore and northerlies side-shore, about 5% of days each.

Dominant direction

E to ESE Levante and W to WNW Poniente

Kite sizes

4567891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

The quiver, in words

Wide spread: roughly 5-7 m for strong Levante and 12-15 m on light or thermal days, with most Valdevaqueros sessions somewhere in between.

Character

mixed

When it fills in: see above ↑

Average strength

Station statistics show a 9 kt annual observed average wind speed for 2015-2020, while usable riding winds are commonly in the mid-teens to 30+ kt range.

Typical strength

15-35 depending on Levante/Poniente and thermal enhancement; strong Levante days can exceed beginner-friendly strength.

Poniente is the steadier, safer learning wind and comes in side-on to onshore at this end of the bay. Levante is stronger and gustier, side-shore to side-offshore near Punta Paloma and Valdevaqueros, with drift out to sea and rescue cover strongly advised.

Tarifa works all year, and the split at this end of the bay is roughly half Levante, four days in ten Poniente, the rest southerly or northerly.

Spring, the summer thermal season and autumn give the best blend of wind and temperature; summer has the most reliable wind and the worst crowds.

Winter is quieter and colder, brings the swellier Poniente sessions, and in Levante the first 50 m off the beach can sit windless for days at a time.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

Jan39
Feb56
Mar, riders' month45
Apr, riders' month42
May, riders' month32
Jun, riders' month50
Jul, riders' month23
Aug, riders' month34
Sep, riders' month37
Oct, riders' month42
Nov35
Dec27

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.

39%Jan16°
56%Feb16°
45%Mar16°
42%Apr16°
32%May18°
50%Jun19°
23%Jul21°
34%Aug22°
37%Sep21°
42%Oct20°
35%Nov18°
27%Dec17°

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	39%	47%	40%	11.9 kt	E	14:00	13.3 °C	16.1 °C	62
Feb	56%	81%	72%	15.6 kt	E	15:00	13.9 °C	15.6 °C	57
Mar	45%	61%	56%	13.3 kt	E	15:00	15 °C	15.6 °C	62
Apr	42%	60%	55%	13.3 kt	E	15:00	16.1 °C	16.1 °C	60
May	32%	56%	44%	11.9 kt	W	16:00	18.3 °C	17.8 °C	62
Jun	50%	63%	57%	13.7 kt	E	16:00	21.1 °C	19.4 °C	60
Jul	23%	27%	23%	9.2 kt	W	15:00	23.3 °C	21.1 °C	62
Aug	34%	44%	40%	11.1 kt	E	14:00	23.9 °C	22.2 °C	62
Sep	37%	48%	38%	12.7 kt	E	16:00	22.2 °C	21.1 °C	60
Oct	42%	53%	48%	13 kt	E	15:00	19.4 °C	20 °C	62
Nov	35%	48%	37%	11.3 kt	E	15:00	16.7 °C	18.3 °C	60
Dec	27%	45%	35%	10.8 kt	E	14:00	14.4 °C	17.2 °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 sandy ocean beach close in, reportedly waist-deep near the sand at lower tide, with a small lagoon or flat-water pocket depending on tide and wind.

Tides

Semidiurnal Atlantic tide with a modest range. Tarifa tide tables top out near 1.0 m above and 0.9 m below mean level, so about a metre of movement on an ordinary day and closer to two on the biggest springs.The open ocean riding is not tide-dependent; the flat pockets near the shore and the river-mouth lagoon further east fill and drain with it, and the rocky ends of the beach show more at low water.

Temperature

22 °C summer · 15 °C winter

Modelled monthly average: 16–22 °C

Wetsuit

Summer: shorty or light full suit depending on wind chill; spring/autumn/winter: typically 4/3 mm, with some riders using 5/4 mm in January/February Poniente sessions.

Currents

Tidal streams in the Strait of Gibraltar run strong offshore. No named beach current is documented at Punta Paloma; the risk that gets flagged here is offshore drift in Levante.

Conditions

Poniente usually brings chop and small beach-break waves; Levante is generally flatter but gustier near shore. Winter swell can produce larger waves on a few days. The beach is sandy and backed by the Punta Paloma dune system.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Schools teach beginners at Punta Paloma and Valdevaqueros, mostly on Poniente or thermal days. Independent beginners should stay off strong or offshore Levante and out of the crowded summer zones unless a school or a rescue operator is watching.

The scene

What riders come here for

freestylebig airfreerideintermediatelearning with a schoolwave on Poniente/southerly swellwingfoilwindsurf

Who it suitsbeginner

Classic Tarifa dune-beach scene: schools, vans, beach bars around Valdevaqueros, freestyle and freeride riders, plus summer tourists. Quieter and more natural toward Punta Paloma than central Valdevaqueros, but still busy in peak season.

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: huge

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

8 spots nearby

All 8 spots within 40 km are under Nearby

Rescue

+34 633 95 31 88VHF channel 76

Rescue — full text1 min read

Two layers of cover.

Municipal rescue

The municipal beach-rescue service deploys at Valdevaqueros: a medical assistance module and a watchtower at the beach car park, two roving patrols, a support and evacuation vehicle, an ambulance shared with Los Lances Norte, and a rescue boat stationed there. The 2017 plan ran that deployment 15 June to 15 September, 12:00 to 20:00.

Private operator

On top of it, a private watersports rescue operator works the kite beaches year round from stations at Los Lances Norte and Valdevaqueros, covering a safety zone up to 1 km offshore: June to September 11:00-20:00, October 11:00-19:00, then 11:00-18:00 after the clocks change, every day. To call them: +34 633 95 31 88, VHF channel 76, or wave both arms from the water.

Payment and cards

Riders buy a card of 1, 2 or 5 rescues in advance from shops, schools, campsites and petrol stations along the N-340; season vouchers sold through kite schools have run at 30 EUR for two rescues and 50 EUR for five, valid 15 June to the end of September. No card is needed to be picked up, but a one-off rescue then costs 50, 100 or 150 EUR depending how far out they have to go, 300 EUR outside the published hours, and 200 EUR in the Balneario and Bajeta areas they are not stationed at; the boat keeps the recovered gear until the bill is settled.

Schools and rental

Cards do not cover school or rental students - schools contract the service separately and include rescue in the lesson price. Nothing here is compulsory: it is paid cover you arrange yourself, and it is what makes Levante days sane.

Launch

Wide sandy beach at the western end of Valdevaqueros below the Punta Paloma dune, with large rigging space outside the busiest summer beachgoer areas. Access is commonly via N-340 km 74/Punta Paloma or the Valdevaqueros beach entrances and car parks.

Hazards riders report 14 reported

Wind

strong, gusty Levante wind
Strong, gusty Levante with side-offshore/offshore drift risk depending on exact launch position.
In winter Levante the first 50 m off the beach can be dead air, which turns a body-drag return into a long swim.

Crowds and zones

crowding on peak days
Heavy crowding in July-August and on strong forecast days; schools, windsurfers, wingfoilers and beachgoers share a limited summer zoning system.
Beachgoer/swim zones from mid-June to mid-September must be respected.
Parking and N-340 access can be congested in summer.
Summer zone boundaries are not clear on the ground. The signs are the only guide and they are easy to walk past.

Bottom

rocky western point near the naturist area
Descriptions of the seabed disagree on which end the rocks are at, far north or southern end, so check whichever end you plan to ride.

Waves and currents

Possible rocks at the ends/left side of the kite area at low tide are reported, though not consistently.
Winter Poniente/swell can create beach break and 1-2 m waves, with larger winter swell on rare days.
Rocks on the seabed at the north end, left side of the kite area, uncovered at low tide. Some spot descriptions say there are none; ride as though there are until you have seen the bottom.
Southerly days are onshore with steep chop and make it hard to get off the beach and upwind.

Rules & access

1 min read

Year-round access

2026: kitesurfing is allowed at Punta Paloma all year round. From 15 June to 15 September the beach is split into zones - most of it for kitesurf, one zone for windsurf, small zones for bathers - and the boundaries are not always obvious on the ground, so read the signs and the lifeguards before rigging and keep off the windsurf lane, which is where the collisions and the friction happen.

Seasonal restrictions

The 2017 municipal beach-safety plan line that windsurf and kitesurf are prohibited during the summer period belongs to the risk analysis of Playa Chica, the 60 m urban beach between the Isla de las Palomas causeway and the port breakwaters, and does not apply to Punta Paloma or Valdevaqueros. That same 2017 plan set the municipal lifeguard deployment at 15 June to 15 September, 12:00 to 20:00, with partial cover only over Easter and none for the rest of the year.

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

For a first session pick Poniente or a moderate thermal day, not Levante.
Buy a rescue card before a Levante week: season vouchers have run 30 EUR for two rescues and 50 EUR for five, valid 15 June to the end of September, against 50, 100 or 150 EUR for an unplanned pickup and 300 EUR outside the published hours.
Save the rescue number before you rig: +34 633 95 31 88, VHF channel 76, or both arms up from the water.
Read the zoning signs between 15 June and 15 September and stay out of the windsurf lane and the school teaching lanes.
Arrive early in July-August; parking around the dune and along Valdevaqueros fills fast.
Turn off the N-340 at km 74 for the dune. The campsite and the beach bars are right there, and the naturist area is just west of the point.

Getting there

Airport

Gibraltar (GIB) is the closest airport by distance; Malaga (AGP) is commonly recommended for wider international flight choice, with Jerez (XRY) and Seville (SVQ) also used.

Route

From Tarifa, drive northwest on the N-340 toward Bolonia/Cadiz and turn at km 74 for Punta Paloma; the spot is about 10 km/15 minutes from Tarifa. A car is the practical option for carrying kite gear and moving between Tarifa spots.

Transfer

15 min

Cost level

medium-high

Staying

Options include staying in Tarifa town and driving to the spot, or staying around Valdevaqueros/Punta Paloma in campsites, glamping/camping accommodation, beach hotels and surf houses near N-340 km 74-76.

No-wind days

Walk up the Punta Paloma dune, drive to Bolonia for Baelo Claudia, spend an afternoon in Tarifa old town and Guzman castle. On the water: whale and dolphin trips in the Strait, surf or SUP on small swell. Inland: birdwatching during the migration, mountain bikes or horses in the natural park.

Photos

FAQ

Is it suitable for beginners?

Yes, schools teach here on Poniente or thermal days, though independent beginners should avoid strong or offshore Levante.

What is the wind like?

Poniente is steadier and side-on, while Levante is stronger, gustier and can carry offshore drift risk.

When is the best time?

Spring, summer and autumn offer the best mix of wind and temperature; summer has the most reliable wind and the biggest crowds.

Are there rules or restricted zones?

Separate kitesurf, windsurf and bathing zones apply from 15 June to 15 September 2026; check current signage on site.

Are there kite schools or rental?

Yes, several schools operate here, including 3Sixty Kite School, ION Club Tarifa and Tarifa Spin Out.

The bigger pictureEverything about Tarifa

Last updated: August 2026