Sipacate has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance
When it fills in
Nothing measured on the beach. On the rare days the flow does turn side-shore, the modelling puts them in the afternoon and mostly in June.
The wind
Direction
Character
mixed
fills in: Nothing measured on the beach. On the rare days the flow does turn side-shore, the modelling puts them in the afternoon and mostly in June.
Typical strength
There is no kiteable range to quote. Four years of modelled wind give a 4.5 kt year-round average and put side-shore kiteable days at roughly 0-3% of the year, so no normal session strength exists for this beach.
Thermal or synoptic
mixed thermal/synoptic
Also on record
4.5 kt year-round average, from four years of modelled historical weather data.
Direction to shore
Mostly offshore to side-offshore under the NE dry-season trade. The only side-shore window is a narrow northerly one, on the rare days it turns up.
Dominant direction
NE through the dry season, which blows offshore here. Modelled wind data points to N as the only workable side-shore direction, and it is rare. A wider E/S/W range appears elsewhere and is unconfirmed.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month13
- Feb, riders' month38
- Mar31
- Apr32
- May8
- Jun7
- Jul1
- Aug4
- Sep9
- Oct, riders' month4
- Nov, riders' month1
- Dec, riders' month1
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Oct, Nov, Dec.
- 10Jan30°
- 11Feb30°
- 11Mar30°
- 10Apr31°
- 9May32°
- 8Jun31°
- 8Jul32°
- 7Aug32°
- 8Sep32°
- 7Oct31°
- 7Nov30°
- 8Dec30°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13% | 9.7 kt | W | 27°C | 29.5°C |
| Feb | 38% | 10.7 kt | WSW | 27.1°C | 29.5°C |
| Mar | 31% | 10.5 kt | WSW | 28.3°C | 30.3°C |
| Apr | 32% | 10.2 kt | WSW | 28.8°C | 30.8°C |
| May | 8% | 8.8 kt | WSW | 28.4°C | 31.8°C |
| Jun | 7% | 8 kt | W | 26.5°C | 31°C |
| Jul | 1% | 7.6 kt | WNW | 27.5°C | 31.5°C |
| Aug | 4% | 7.4 kt | WNW | 27.1°C | 31.7°C |
| Sep | 9% | 7.7 kt | WNW | 26.9°C | 31.6°C |
| Oct | 4% | 7.4 kt | WNW | 26.5°C | 30.5°C |
| Nov | 1% | 6.9 kt | WNW | 26.3°C | 30.4°C |
| Dec | 1% | 8.3 kt | W | 26.8°C | 29.7°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
Pacific ocean waves
Tides
Semidiurnal: two highs and two lows a day. Across a September 2026 month the highs ran 1.45-2.03 m and the lows 0.08-0.63 m, which is a spring range close to 1.9 m and a neap range nearer 1.3 m. High tide is the better tide.
Temperature
29°C summer · 29°C winter
Wetsuit
Shorts are listed for all seasons; the water is described as warm, around 29 C.
Currents
Rips are a standing hazard on this beach break, and the bottom is sandbar, so the channels that feed them move with the banks.
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
1 school names this spot
On your own
Room to launch: huge
Somewhere else
No neighbour on record
No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.
Rescue
Launch
A wide beach of black volcanic sand, a short walk from where you park, with nothing on it to catch a line and almost nobody on it year-round.
Space
huge
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Check a live forecast before you drive; modelled data puts kiteable side-shore days at 0-3% of the year.
- Plan the session around high tide.
- Read the wind direction on the beach before you pump: the dry-season NE blows offshore here.
- Drive or book a transfer. The warning against public buses is undated, but nothing local contradicts it yet.
- Keep clear of the turtles at Poza del Nance and go slow near the mangroves.
- Bring a surfboard; the waves are the dependable part of this beach.
- The rips are the real water hazard, not the wind. Read the banks before you swim out, and remember there is nobody here to come and get you.
Getting there
Airport
La Aurora International Airport (GUA), Guatemala City
Route
Drive; the local advice is against the buses. The park is about 140 km from Guatemala City on CA-9 Sur, then CA-2 towards La Democracia and La Gomera, then paved road to Aldea Rama Blanca. La Aurora (GUA) is about 104 km away in a straight line.Paredon Buena Vista is reached by boat from Sipacate or El Escondite.
Transfer
150 min
Cost level
low to medium
Staying
Rooms, camping, showers, toilets, food, parking. Surfboard rental is cheap around Sipacate-Naranjo, and so are lodging and food.
No-wind days
surfing · mangrove boat trips · Poza del Nance turtle watching · birdwatching · beach time
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite Sipacate?
January, February and October through December are listed as best, though wind reliability at the spot is poorly documented.
Is Sipacate suitable for beginners?
No, sources list intermediate and expert riders only, on a wave beach best ridden at high tide.
What is the water like?
Clean, medium-to-big Pacific Ocean waves off a black volcanic-sand beach.
Are there any rules?
No kite-specific rule was found, but the beach sits inside Sipacate-Naranjo National Park, a protected area with turtle habitat nearby.
Last updated: August 2026