Map › Colombia › Santa Verónica › Salinas del Rey

Atlántico · Juan de Acosta municipality · Juan de Acosta · Santa Veronica

Salinas del Rey

also known as Salinas Playa, Santa Veronica, Santa Veronica (Salinas del Rey), Playa Salinas del Rey

advanced onlymedium crowds

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

On this page

Wind
- Month by month
Forecast
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
- Rescue
Hazards
Rules & access
Schools
Tips
Getting there
FAQ

Nearby Santa Verónica 1 km · Puerto Velero 11 km · straight-line distance

SeasonJan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Decthe months riders and schools name How windy20-35 kttrade Launchtightaccess rules on record, below Watermixed8 things riders flag LevelIntermediate to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section Schools4named at this spot From the airportin words under Getting there

When it fills in

Mornings are lighter and less reliable. The trade builds through the day and is strongest in the afternoon; late on it eases, often ramps hard again for something like half an hour, then dies completely. Be off the water before sunset.

Salinas del Rey is the point beside Santa Veronica in Colombia's Atlantico department, Juan de Acosta municipality, roughly 45 minutes from Barranquilla and 1 h 20 min from Cartagena. It is a wave spot first.

The point throws a 1.5-2 m wave on a normal day and 3-3.5 m on the big ones, the inside is smoother and workable for twintips or freestyle when the tide and angle line up, and the GKA Kite World Tour stopped here in 2022 and 2023. The trade blows NE from late December or January through April, 20-35 kt on a typical day with February and March the windiest, gusty around the point and inside the bay; a secondary mid-June to early-August season gives 15-27 kt, and the water is warm all year, shorts only.

Do not learn here whatever the listings sell: rocks hide at high tide, Magdalena River logs float through, a strong current runs inside the bay, the launch is cramped when the schools are out, the water is deep and there is no rescue boat. First-timers get sent to Puerto Velero, Lomita Arena or Palmarito.

The Nautica Salinas del Rey centre opened on the point in 2025 with parking, showers and first aid, and in season more than 80 riders a day come through. The wind can drop fast near sunset, so do not be far outside when it does.

The wind

locals call it Caribbean trade winds

Direction

wind blows away from land — rescue cover matters here

Kite sizes

4567891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

trade

fills in: Mornings are lighter and less reliable. The trade builds through the day and is strongest in the afternoon; late on it eases, often ramps hard again for something like half an hour, then dies completely. Be off the water before sunset.

Typical strength

20-35 kt in the core season; some local schools describe 15-25 kt as reliable season wind, with occasional 30+ kt days.

Generally strong and consistent in season, but gusty around the point and inside the bay.

Primary season mid or late December through April. January-April is the core, February and March the windiest, and May-July can still give 15-25 kt days. A secondary mid-June to early-August season runs 15-27 kt.

Thermal or synoptic

synoptic (Caribbean trade winds)

Also on record

22.6

The quiver, in words

In the December to April core a 75-85 kg rider is on a 7m most days, dropping to 5-6m when February and March push past 30 knots; a 9-10m covers the 15-25 knot spells and the lighter June to August second season. It takes smaller kites than the Cartagena spots, which need roughly one size more.Indicative, derived from the season wind ranges; no local quiver figures were found.

Direction to shore

practically offshore right at the point/launch itself; the wider bay/coast is more commonly described regionally as side-onshore

Dominant direction

NE, sometimes described locally as E/NE

Forecast

Month by month

Jan, riders' month97
Feb, riders' month96
Mar, riders' month94
Apr, riders' month78
May33
Jun20
Jul58
Aug25
Sep20
Oct13
Nov19
Dec, riders' month86

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Dec.

16Jan27°
18Feb27°
16Mar27°
14Apr28°
10May30°
9Jun31°
12Jul30°
10Aug31°
9Sep31°
8Oct31°
9Nov30°
14Dec28°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	97%	16.4 kt	NE	27.1°C	27.4°C
Feb	96%	17.9 kt	NE	27.1°C	26.8°C
Mar	94%	16.2 kt	NE	27.5°C	27.2°C
Apr	78%	13.9 kt	NE	27.5°C	27.5°C
May	33%	9.6 kt	NE	27.7°C	29.7°C
Jun	20%	8.6 kt	NE	27.1°C	30.6°C
Jul	58%	11.8 kt	NE	27.7°C	30.1°C
Aug	25%	9.5 kt	NE	27.5°C	30.5°C
Sep	20%	9.1 kt	NE	27.4°C	31°C
Oct	13%	8.3 kt	SSW	26.9°C	30.8°C
Nov	19%	9.1 kt	SSW	26.4°C	30°C
Dec	86%	14.1 kt	NE	27.3°C	28.2°C

modelled

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

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. 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

mixed

Standing depth

Partly standing at low tide, over your head at high tide. Do not plan around shallow water: the teaching area has been described as too deep for beginners, and the rocks that show at low tide are covered as the water comes up.

Tides

Tide affects the spot: reports vary between flatter water behind the reef at low tide with choppier water/waves at high tide, and tide-independent; rocks are easier to see at low tide and hidden at high tide or in waves.

Wetsuit

No wetsuit normally needed; water is warm year-round, with shorts suitable in all seasons.

Currents

A local Salinas del Rey spot-warning article reports a fairly strong current inside the bay that affects upwind ability.

27–31°C water

The point creates the signature wave, with protected smoother water on the inside. Reported conditions range from flat water behind a reef at low tide to chop, shorebreak, and point-break waves; it is first and foremost a wave spot, with normal waves around 1.5-2 m and occasional larger days around 3-3.5 m.

Floating driftwood/logs from the Magdalena River can be present, especially with wind, tide and seasonal conditions. Rocks around the point may be visible at low tide and hidden at higher tide.

Your level

not for beginners hereintermediateadvanced

Experienced intermediates and advanced riders get the most out of the point. Some listings sell beginner lessons here, but waves, gusts, deep water, rocks, a small launch, no rescue boat and an offshore-feeling launch make it a poor first spot. Learn at Puerto Velero, Lomita Arena or Palmarito instead.

The scene

What riders come here for

wave ridingfreestylecompetitionstraplessbig airwing foilcompetition trainingdownwinders

Growing international kite village with local schools, hostels, weekend traffic from the cities, and competition and festival periods. In season more than 80 riders a day come through the spot (2025). It is still far from a mass-tourism resort.

Launch and rules

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

With a school or a boat

4 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: tight

access rules on record

Somewhere else

Santa Verónica, 1 km

Santa Verónica Puerto Velero

Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.

Rescue

No dedicated kite rescue boat is confirmed at Salinas del Rey. Locals may fetch you or your board, and a reward is expected. The 2025 opening of the Náutica Salinas del Rey centre announced Guardacostas, DIMAR and Policía Turística presence for general beach safety, which is not a kite rescue service.

Puerto Velero has a rescue dinghy.

Launch

Sandy beach/point launch at Salinas del Rey near Santa Veronica, now anchored by the Náutica Salinas del Rey center (opened 2025) positioned right on the point, with school premises, parking, boardwalk access, bathrooms, showers and first aid.Accounts vary: some describe only a thin sandbank in places, driftwood/logs on the setup area, a cramped launch during school traffic, and rocks near the point, while others describe a wide sandy, stress-free beach — check the exact launch and tide on arrival.

Space

tight

Hazards riders report 8

Rocks around and near the point, including rocks that can be hidden at high tide or in waves
Point-break waves and shorebreak: 1.5-2 m on a normal day, up to about 3-3.5 m on the big ones.
Floating and beached driftwood/logs from the Magdalena River
Fairly strong current inside the bay
Gusts and wind holes around the point and inside the bay
Wind can weaken quickly near sunset, leaving riders drifting toward rocks if they are far out
Crowded/tangled launch area when schools and independent riders mix
No dedicated rescue boat on record at the main spot

Rules & access

2025: one kilometre of Salinas del Rey beach holds Blue Flag certification, with 360 m zoned for bathers and sport users, marked access, maritime safety protocols, waste management and water-quality monitoring. No 2026 kite permit, fee, licence or municipal kite-zoning ordinance has been found.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Rider tips

Get a local to point out the rocks off the point before your first session; they show at low tide and vanish at high tide.
Come in before sunset; the wind drops fast late in the day and a rider caught far out drifts onto the rocks.
Walk the setup area for Magdalena logs and stray lines before you rig, and launch quickly when the schools are out.
Bring cash from Barranquilla or Cartagena; the village has no ATM and the nearest is in Juan de Acosta.
Look up the Santa Veronica or Salinas del Rey/NaranMiche forecast entries rather than a regional one.
A tuk-tuk from Santa Veronica to the point was 9,000 COP in 2022; the Barranquilla-Santa Veronica bus was 7,000 COP and the Cartagena bus about 40,000 COP the same year.

Getting there

Airport

Barranquilla Ernesto Cortissoz (closer) or Cartagena Rafael Nunez; reported transfer times range from about 45 minutes from Barranquilla and about 1 h 20 min from Cartagena, to both airports being within about 1.5 hours.

Route

Fly to Barranquilla or Cartagena, then a private transfer or the coastal buses and vans toward Santa Veronica. From Santa Veronica to the kite spot the usual ride is a carro-coche or tuk-tuk: 9,000 COP in 2022. The Barranquilla-Santa Veronica bus was 7,000 COP and the Cartagena-Santa Veronica bus about 40,000 COP in 2022.

Transfer

45-90 minutes depending on airport and traffic, based on multiple travel notes.

Cost level

medium

Staying

Kite hostels, kite houses, bungalows and local rentals are available in Santa Veronica, Salinas and Las Villas. Many hostels have restaurants, though local food options are otherwise limited; 2025/2026 infrastructure reporting points to the new Náutica Salinas del Rey centre adding visitor services.

No-wind days

Surf early before the wind when there is swell, fishing in Santa Veronica, a day in Barranquilla, nature and fauna walks, Juan de Acosta, and trips along the Costa Atlantico.

FAQ

When is the best time to kite at Salinas del Rey?

The core season runs December or January through April, with February and March the windiest.

Is Salinas del Rey suitable for beginners?

No, local guidance warns of rocks, gusts, deep water and no rescue boat at the main point; beginners are directed to nearby Puerto Velero, Lomita Arena or Palmarito instead.

What is the wind like at Salinas del Rey?

Northeast trade wind typically runs 20-35 knots in peak season, though it can be gusty around the point and weaken quickly near sunset.

What hazards should riders know about?

Rocks near the point, driftwood from the Magdalena River, a fairly strong current inside the bay, and no dedicated rescue boat are reported.

Are there kite schools nearby?

Yes, including Veronikites, Kitesurfexperience.co and Kite Explorer Colombia.

Last updated: August 2026