Map › Greece › Simos Beach & Pounta Pavlopetri › Simos Beach

Peloponneso · Elafonisos, Laconia · Laconia Regional Unit · Lefki

Simos Beach

also known as Elafonisos / Simos, Sarakiniko, Boardnrolla, Elafonisos / Sarakiniko, Σίμος

beginner-friendlyhigh crowds

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

On this page

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

Nearby Pounta Pavlopetri 5 km · straight-line distance

SeasonJan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Decthe months riders and schools name How windy15-22 knotssynoptic LaunchBig.access rules on record, below Watersea25°C in summer · 9 things riders flag LevelBeginner to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section Schools1named at this spot From the airportin words under Getting thereAthens International Airport (ATH)

When it fills in

Channelled gradient wind, not a daily sea breeze, so there is no hour to turn up for. Check the synoptic chart the day before rather than waiting on the beach for a thermal that is not coming.

Simos on Elafonisos is a real kite spot with a lot of conditions attached. It works on SW, WSW and W wind, which puts the good months in winter and the shoulder seasons rather than in summer; the summer northerly belongs at Pounta or Pavlopetri, not here.

Kiting at Simos is not allowed in July and August, and in those two months the beach is full of campers and families anyway. Sarakiniko and Simos get used as the same name in places: one big sandy beach with chop and small waves, and flatter water in the bays next door.

The sea sits around 25 C in summer and 17 C in winter, so a shorty covers most of the season you would actually ride. School coverage is the weak point, and whether anyone is permanently teaching here now is unconfirmed. Come in October or March, and ask locally before you rig.

The wind

Direction

cross-onSW

Kite sizes

567891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

synoptic

fills in: Channelled gradient wind, not a daily sea breeze, so there is no hour to turn up for. Check the synoptic chart the day before rather than waiting on the beach for a thermal that is not coming.

Typical strength

On the summer northwesterly and westerly the strait between the Peloponnese and Crete funnels the flow and it runs 15-22 knots. The winter and shoulder-season southwesterly comes off frontal systems and is far less even in strength. No station figure exists for the beach itself.

Frontal winter and shoulder-season wind. Not a reliable summer Meltemi beach.

Winter W-SW is the Simos wind, and the summer north wind belongs at Pounta or Pavlopetri. Under the Sarakiniko name the good months stretch to include May, June and September, with no kiting in July and August.

Thermal or synoptic

frontal

The quiver, in words

A 75-85 kg rider covers the 15-22 knot summer northwesterly on 9-12 m, keeping a 7-8 m for the top of that band. Frontal winter days are unpredictable enough that you want the full spread rather than one size. Indicative, derived from the reported wind band rather than from local session reports.

Direction to shore

On the Sarakiniko south/west-facing shore, the summer NW/W/WNW wind runs side-onshore to onshore; wind from the north shifts it to side-shore.

Dominant direction

SW, WSW, W; summer N wind is reported but riders are advised to use Pounta/Pavlopetri instead

Forecast

Month by month

Jan, riders' month77
Feb, riders' month74
Mar, riders' month75
Apr, riders' month71
May53
Jun47
Jul61
Aug54
Sep51
Oct, riders' month68
Nov, riders' month81
Dec, riders' month68

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

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

17Jan18°
15Feb17°
15Mar17°
14Apr17°
12May19°
12Jun24°
13Jul27°
11Aug28°
12Sep26°
13Oct24°
15Nov22°
14Dec19°

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

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	77%	16.5 kt	NNE	12.7°C	17.9°C
Feb	74%	15 kt	NNE	12.8°C	16.6°C
Mar	75%	14.9 kt	W	13.5°C	16.6°C
Apr	71%	14.2 kt	WSW	16.7°C	17.4°C
May	53%	12.2 kt	NE	19.3°C	19.1°C
Jun	47%	11.5 kt	NNE	25.3°C	23.9°C
Jul	61%	12.6 kt	NNE	28.5°C	27.4°C
Aug	54%	11.3 kt	NNE	28°C	28.1°C
Sep	51%	12.1 kt	NE	24.8°C	26.4°C
Oct	68%	13.4 kt	NNE	21.6°C	24.3°C
Nov	81%	15.4 kt	WSW	18.3°C	22.1°C
Dec	68%	13.6 kt	W	15.3°C	19.4°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

sea

Standing depth

Fine white sand shelving gently, with water shallow and clear enough over the sand to see the bottom while you sort your lines. No measured wading distance is documented.

Tides

Tide independent.

Temperature

25°C summer · 17°C winter

Wetsuit

Shorty or shorts in summer depending on source; normal wetsuit in winter and shoulder seasons.

Currents

Current runs in the strait once the wind is up, so staying inside the bay matters more here than the wind strength does.

17–28°C water

Clear water off a large sandy beach, with chop and small waves. The bays around Sarakiniko and Simos hold flat water plus small to medium waves.

Your level

beginnerintermediateadvanced

Beginner through expert all appear as the stated level, and Simos does get used for learning and progression. Seasonal crowds and the narrow band of usable directions mean you want local guidance before picking a day.

The scene

What riders come here for

freerideprogressionbig jumpssmall wavesflat-water bays when using the Sarakiniko/Simos setup

Campers, families and bathers on a beach people come to for the beach. Kiting here is conditional and gives way to the swim zoning.

Launch and rules

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

With a school or a boat

1 school names this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: Big.

access rules on record

Somewhere else

Pounta Pavlopetri, 5 km

Pounta Pavlopetri

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

Rescue

Nothing organised. No kite centre is permanently based on the island and no specialised rescue service operates here, so the cover is the personal safety gear the national rules already make mandatory, whoever else happens to be on the water, and a coastguard response from the mainland.

Launch

Large sandy beach launch at Simos/Sarakiniko when wind direction and beach use allow.

Space

Big.

Hazards riders report 9

Busy tourist beach in summer.
Unsuitable direction on common summer northerlies.
very crowded bathing beach in July and August
strong wind and waves possible on the larger Simos/Sarakiniko side
summer north wind is not the recommended Simos setup
general Greek kitesurf separation rules around swimmers, obstacles and daylight
current in the strait when the wind is up
no rescue service and no permanently based kite centre on the island
protected natural site: dunes and sea cedars behind the beach are not rigging ground

Rules & access

As of 2025, no kiting is allowed at Simos in July and August. The 2026 Greek national kitesurf regulation also prohibits kitesurfing before sunrise or after sunset, within 200 m of bathers, within 200 m of anchored boats/rocks/reefs/other obstacles, beyond 1 nautical mile from shore, or within 1 nautical mile of ports/marinas/fish farms; launch areas need a clear 100 m radius, and mandatory safety gear (helmet, harness, line-cutting knife, quick-release leash, personal flotation device) is required, with wetsuits mandatory from 15 October to 15 May.

No separate 2026 Simos/Sarakiniko municipal or port-police zoning beyond the July-August ban is published.

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

Rider tips

Do not plan Simos for July or August unless a local school or the port police confirms a legal kite zone that year.
On summer northerlies, check Pounta and Pavlopetri instead of forcing a session here.
Work out which side you actually mean before you drive: Simos, Sarakiniko and Fragos get used interchangeably.
Build ferry waiting time into a high-season plan; the Pounta crossing itself is about 10 minutes.
Sleep in Elafonisos village, or at Simos Camping if you want to be on the beach itself.

Getting there

Airport

Athens International Airport (ATH) or Kalamata Airport (KLX)

Route

Drive to Pounta in the southern Peloponnese, take the short ferry to Elafonisos, then continue by road toward Simos.

Transfer

About 10 minutes for the Pounta-Elafonisos ferry crossing; full transfer from airports is several hours and depends on road route and ferry wait.

Cost level

medium

Staying

Elafonisos village has most accommodation; near Simos itself options are limited, with Simos Camping directly by the beach.

No-wind days

Simos beach, Panagia/Kato Nisi beach, coastal walks, cycling routes, Agios Spyridon, Pavlopetri snorkeling/boat excursions where permitted, and exploring Elafonisos natural viewpoints.

Photos

Sand hills at Simos beach, Elafonisos — annagkai, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ

When is the best time to kite at Simos Beach?

Simos works mainly in winter and shoulder-season southwest to west winds; it is not presented as a reliable summer Meltemi spot.

Is kitesurfing allowed at Simos Beach in summer?

No, one local listing states kiting is not allowed in July and August, and riders are advised to use Pounta or Pavlopetri instead for summer north winds.

Is Simos Beach suitable for beginners?

The spot is described as suitable for learning and progression, though its seasonal restrictions and current school availability should be checked locally.

What is the water like at Simos Beach?

The large sandy beach has crystal-clear water, with reports of chop and small waves as well as flatter water in adjacent bays depending on the exact launch used.

Last updated: August 2026