Nearby Arenales del Sol 8 km · Playa Els Tossals 10 km · Playa de San Juan 24 km · straight-line distance
On the clock
13:00 · 20:00
The warm-season thermal is an afternoon wind: it usually gets going after about 13:00 and can hold until around 20:00. Mornings sometimes carry a light south breeze, but the reliable window is the afternoon.
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 Garbi / Llebeig; Levante; Poniente in winter
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
thermal
fills in: The warm-season thermal is an afternoon wind: it usually gets going after about 13:00 and can hold until around 20:00. Mornings sometimes carry a light south breeze, but the reliable window is the afternoon.
Typical strength
The Garbí/Llebeig thermal runs 15-20 knots and is the one to plan around. Levante comes in side-shore and generally lighter, Xaloc is foil wind, and winter Poniente arrives strong and gusty.
The quiver, in words
No local log by rider weight exists. Indicative for 75-85 kg in the 15-20 knot thermal: 9m as the everyday size, 12m for the early afternoon before it builds, 7m for a strong winter Poniente.
Direction to shore
SW and S are generally side-on/onshore for the Santa Pola bay beach setup; E/Levante also works. Poniente/N can be gustier or more offshore depending on exact launch.
Dominant direction
SE, S and SW dominate, and SW/Llebeig is the strong regular one. E/Levante works through the year, W/Ponent is offshore and gusty, N/NW is the cold winter wind.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan21
- Feb28
- Mar35
- Apr, riders' month27
- May, riders' month31
- Jun, riders' month22
- Jul, riders' month27
- Aug, riders' month29
- Sep, riders' month32
- Oct26
- Nov13
- Dec8
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
- 21%Jan15°
- 28%Feb14°
- 35%Mar15°
- 27%Apr18°
- 31%May21°
- 22%Jun25°
- 27%Jul28°
- 29%Aug29°
- 32%Sep27°
- 26%Oct23°
- 13%Nov18°
- 8%Dec16°
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 | 21% | 39% | 32% | 10.5 kt | WNW | 17:00 | 11.9°C | 14.7°C | 62 |
| Feb | 28% | 53% | 49% | 12 kt | ENE | 16:00 | 12.6°C | 14.4°C | 57 |
| Mar | 35% | 63% | 53% | 12.8 kt | S | 16:00 | 14.8°C | 15.3°C | 62 |
| Apr | 27% | 42% | 33% | 11.1 kt | SE | 16:00 | 16.2°C | 17.7°C | 60 |
| May | 31% | 52% | 44% | 12.3 kt | E | 15:00 | 19.3°C | 20.6°C | 62 |
| Jun | 22% | 37% | 28% | 11.3 kt | ESE | 16:00 | 23.3°C | 24.5°C | 60 |
| Jul | 27% | 50% | 34% | 11.4 kt | E | 15:00 | 26.7°C | 28.1°C | 62 |
| Aug | 29% | 42% | 32% | 11.6 kt | E | 16:00 | 27.2°C | 29.3°C | 62 |
| Sep | 32% | 50% | 38% | 11.8 kt | ESE | 16:00 | 23.9°C | 26.6°C | 60 |
| Oct | 26% | 48% | 45% | 11 kt | S | 16:00 | 21°C | 23.2°C | 62 |
| Nov | 13% | 28% | 22% | 9.8 kt | S | 17:00 | 17.3°C | 17.9°C | 60 |
| Dec | 8% | 21% | 16% | 8.9 kt | WNW | 13:00 | 13.3°C | 16.1°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
flat to chop
Standing depth
Shallow at the shoreline with a progressive drop, so you can stand for the first stretch out. No measured depth or distance from shore has been published for the La Gola sector itself.
Tides
Kiting here does not depend on tide. The Mediterranean range is small next to Cantabria, and no La Gola-specific tidal constraint is on record.
Temperature
26.9°C summer · 14.3°C winter
Wetsuit
No wetsuit needed April-September as a rule; winter wants one, and a 3/2 or 4/3 is realistic for a cold session with wind chill.
Currents
Currents along this bay are weak and are not a factor in normal conditions. Nothing kite-specific has been measured for La Gola.
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: medium
Somewhere else
Arenales del Sol, 8 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Historically a beach launch at the south/west end of Santa Pola, near the salinas and the salt factory. The public kite channel is at Tamarit and the return to La Gola needs Costas approval, so confirm the legal launch point locally before rigging.
Space
medium
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Confirm the current legal kite channel before you rig; do not assume La Gola is it.
- Ask a local school or the municipal beach office where the Tamarit and La Gola boundary sits right now.
- Keep gear off the salinas edges and out of the protected natural park.
- Rig early if you want space: the thermal builds through the day and so does the beach.
- Treat winter Poniente/N as a different spot, strong and gusty, whatever the bay's easy-water reputation.
- Watch the groynes, moles and concrete structures along the Santa Pola beachfront.
- Come for the afternoon: the thermal is an after-13:00 wind and it can run to 20:00 in the long days.
- Treat winter Poniente as a different spot, strong and gusty, whatever the bay's easy-water reputation.
- Ponent from the west is offshore here. If that is the forecast, ride somewhere else or go with someone who has a boat.
Getting there
Airport
Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernandez Airport (ALC)
Route
Fly into Alicante, then bus or taxi to Santa Pola; the kite beach is at the south end of town by the salt factory and the salt piles. A car helps for checking where the legal channel is that week, between Tamarit, Playa Lisa/Gran Playa and La Gola.
Transfer
20 min
Cost level
medium
Staying
Beach-town apartments and family resort places around Playa Lisa, Gran Playa, Tamarit and the town centre; no kite-specific lodging is listed for La Gola.
No-wind days
Flamingos and birdwatching on the Salinas de Santa Pola, the boat to Tabarca island, sailing, windsurf, SUP, swimming, the port and town, and Alicante or Elche up the road.
Photos
FAQ
What is the wind like at Santa Pola?
SW/Llebeig is described as strong and consistent. E and NE can also work but may be gusty as wind accelerates against nearby hills, and winter Poniente is strong and gusty.
When is the best time to kite Santa Pola?
April through September is given as the main window, driven by the warm-season thermal/sea-breeze pattern.
Is kiting currently allowed at La Gola?
This is unresolved. A 2023 municipal record shows the Alicante Coastal Service issued an unfavorable report on returning the public kite channel to La Gola because the beach sector is classified N1, so riders should not assume La Gola is open without checking current signage or a licensed local school.
Is Santa Pola suitable for beginners?
The sheltered bay water suits beginners through freeriders when a legal channel is available, but because access to La Gola specifically is unclear, independent beginners should use a confirmed legal channel rather than assume La Gola is open.
Are there kite schools near Santa Pola?
Parres WaterSports and KITE45 are listed as local operators.
Last updated: August 2026