Rio Lagartos has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance
thermal sea breeze
11:00
Thermal breeze generally starts after 11:00 from February to August.
The marks are the clock times the record names, laid on a 24-hour day. The bar between the first and the last covers those hours; it is not a promise of wind.
The wind
locals call it Norte / thermal sea breeze
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: Thermal breeze generally starts after 11:00 from February to August.
Typical strength
10-25
Also on record
12-18
The quiver, in words
7-8m on stronger November-February north winds; 9-12m on March to mid-July thermals
Direction to shore
side-onshore to sideshore on the documented Rio Lagartos/San Felipe beaches; exact angle depends on the selected beach
Dominant direction
N, NE, SE, E; S and SW also reported for one specific beachfront entry.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month55
- Feb, riders' month70
- Mar, riders' month77
- Apr, riders' month85
- May, riders' month79
- Jun, riders' month67
- Jul63
- Aug23
- Sep15
- Oct61
- Nov, riders' month52
- Dec, riders' month53
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Nov, Dec.
- 55%Jan25°
- 70%Feb25°
- 77%Mar26°
- 85%Apr26°
- 79%May27°
- 67%Jun28°
- 63%Jul28°
- 23%Aug29°
- 15%Sep30°
- 61%Oct29°
- 52%Nov28°
- 53%Dec26°
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 | 55% | 81% | 71% | 14 kt | ENE | 15:00 | 23.9°C | 24.8°C | 62 |
| Feb | 70% | 86% | 81% | 15.1 kt | ENE | 15:00 | 24.1°C | 24.9°C | 57 |
| Mar | 77% | 98% | 97% | 16 kt | ENE | 17:00 | 26.2°C | 26°C | 62 |
| Apr | 85% | 98% | 95% | 17.1 kt | ENE | 16:00 | 27°C | 26.4°C | 60 |
| May | 79% | 94% | 87% | 16.3 kt | ENE | 16:00 | 28.5°C | 27.2°C | 62 |
| Jun | 67% | 95% | 90% | 15.2 kt | ENE | 15:00 | 28°C | 28.3°C | 60 |
| Jul | 63% | 100% | 89% | 14.5 kt | ENE | 15:00 | 28.5°C | 28.1°C | 62 |
| Aug | 23% | 73% | 63% | 12.2 kt | NE | 16:00 | 28.3°C | 29.2°C | 62 |
| Sep | 15% | 70% | 37% | 11.9 kt | ENE | 16:00 | 27.9°C | 30.2°C | 60 |
| Oct | 61% | 85% | 74% | 14.7 kt | ENE | 16:00 | 27°C | 29°C | 62 |
| Nov | 52% | 73% | 63% | 13.8 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 26°C | 27.5°C | 60 |
| Dec | 53% | 87% | 74% | 14.6 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 24.3°C | 25.7°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
remote shallow Gulf beach and estuary-reserve coastline with flat water sections and gentle waves
Standing depth
Yes, shallow water suitable for learning.
Tides
The tide is small. Predicted water runs from about 0.4 m at high to -0.1 m at low, half a metre between the year's extremes, and many days show a single high and a single low rather than two of each.Indicative from prediction; there is no local gauge and nobody has documented how the tide behaves at the individual beach launches.
Temperature
28°C summer · 24°C winter
Wetsuit
Usually no wetsuit. A shorty is useful on Norte days.
Currents
mild within the sheltered ría
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
3 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: Wide, long and mostly obstacle-free, including private off-grid stretches inside the reserve.
Somewhere else
No neighbour on record
No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.
Rescue
Launch
Remote beach launches around the Ría Lagartos coastline; Rio Lagartos and San Felipe beach access often requires taking a boat with local fishermen.
Space
Wide, long and mostly obstacle-free, including private off-grid stretches inside the reserve.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Clear beach access with a local operator, your host or the fishermen before you assume you can launch.
- Buy food and water in Valladolid, Tizimin, Cancun or Merida before you head out to a remote beach house.
- Run the Rio Lagartos to San Felipe downwinder only with a boat behind you.
- Stay off the mangroves, the bird flocks and the turtle-nesting beaches, and keep out of the Las Coloradas pink lagoons: they are private salinera property and kiting there is prohibited.
- Pack 7-8m for the November to February north winds and 9-12m for the March to mid-July thermals.
- Mid-July to October the wind drops to 8-12 knots: bring a foil or plan the trip for another month.
- The reserve's beach public-use areas are small and mostly boat-access, so treat the launch as something you arrange rather than something you drive to.
Getting there
Airport
Cancun International Airport (CUN) or Merida International Airport (MID)
Route
Rent a car or book a private transfer for the reserve coast. Reckon on 3-3.5 hours from Cancun and 2.5-3 hours from Merida to Rio Lagartos or the nearby beach access, and some beach houses then need a local boat or a rough track on top of that.
Transfer
180 min
Cost level
medium
Staying
small hotels and restaurants in Rio Lagartos, cabanas or rentals in San Felipe/Rio Lagartos, and remote beachfront houses such as Casa Kuka/Nirvana Blue; supplies should be bought before arriving at remote beaches
No-wind days
Ría Lagartos boat tours, flamingo and bird watching, crocodile tours, Las Coloradas pink lakes viewing, Ek Balam ruins, Valladolid and Tizimin
FAQ
Is Rio Lagartos suitable for beginners?
Shallow water, wide beaches and side-onshore wind make the zone suitable for learning, but access and supervision should be arranged locally.
When is the best time to kitesurf at Rio Lagartos?
The best-supported season is November to June, combining winter north winds averaging 14-18 knots with warmer thermal breezes of 12-16 knots from March into July.
How do you reach the beaches at Rio Lagartos?
Many beaches require boat access from Rio Lagartos or San Felipe with local fishermen, since the area sits inside the Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve.
What are the main hazards at Rio Lagartos?
Hazards include limited services and rescue infrastructure, protected mangrove and turtle-nesting habitat, and the Las Coloradas pink lagoons, which are private property and off-limits to kiting.
Last updated: August 2026