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Sardegna · Calasetta, Sant'Antioco island · Sulcis Iglesiente · Calasetta

Spiaggia Grande

also known as Calasetta Spiaggia Grande, Spiaggia Grande Calasetta

advanced onlyhigh 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 Spiaggia La Salina 2 km · Punta Trettu 8 km · Coequaddus 13 km · Funtanamare 18 km · Porto Botte 19 km · Is Solinas 19 km · Porto Pino 28 km · straight-line distance

SeasonJan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Decthe months riders and schools name How windy50 ktsynoptic LaunchLarge sandy beach, but the practical launch is constrained by summer bathers, wave size and seasonal rules.access rules on record, below Watersea25.6°C in summer · 15 things riders flag LevelAdvanced onlywith a caveat, in the Level section Schools3named at this spot From the airport110 minCagliari Elmas Airport (CAG)

When it fills in

No daily clock. This is system wind, not a thermal: once a Maestrale or a frontal westerly is in, it blows through the day and the night and can hold for days, and when nothing is coming through there is nothing to wait for. Sessions get picked off the forecast a day or two out.

Spiaggia Grande is a wave spot, not a freeride beach. It sits in a wide open bay near Calasetta on Sant'Antioco, with road access and parking, and it works from September to May when weather systems hit the island.

Maestrale from the NW is the main direction and the most powerful; Tramontana blows straight into the bay, Ponente comes good during disturbances, and Libeccio from the SW can put up solid waves. Next door, Maresciallo breaks onto sharp rocks and can exceed 50 kt in winter storms, so keep the two apart and do not drift into it.

The sand and the shallow water near shore mislead people: the conditions that make this place kiteable are strong and wavy, and it is graded for expert riders only. June to August is out, between bathers and beach rules, and Sardinia's 2026 regional ordinance runs the bathing season from the third week of May to the third week of September.

Winter sessions want a full suit, commonly 4/3 mm, and submerged rocks, fast-moving water and a launch through surf mean you want an exit plan before you pump the kite.

The wind

locals call it Maestrale, Ponente, Libeccio, Tramontana

Direction

Character

synoptic

fills in: No daily clock. This is system wind, not a thermal: once a Maestrale or a frontal westerly is in, it blows through the day and the night and can hold for days, and when nothing is coming through there is nothing to wait for. Sessions get picked off the forecast a day or two out.

Typical strength

Maresciallo next to Spiaggia Grande can exceed 50 kt in winter storms; no typical Spiaggia Grande-only range is on record.

Strong, forecast-dependent winter and shoulder-season wave wind rather than a regular teaching breeze.

Autumn, winter and spring are the seasons that work here. June-August is restricted or impractical, between bathers and beach rules.

Direction to shore

Tramontana/N blows directly into the bay, NW/Maestrale is the main and most powerful direction for open-sea wave conditions, W/Ponente works well during weather disturbances, and SW/Libeccio can generate solid waves; exact degree shore angles are unconfirmed.

Dominant direction

NW, W, SW, N

Forecast

Month by month

Jan, riders' month69
Feb, riders' month65
Mar, riders' month78
Apr, riders' month73
May, riders' month59
Jun77
Jul77
Aug69
Sep, riders' month73
Oct, riders' month70
Nov, riders' month69
Dec, riders' month55

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

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

15Jan15°
14Feb15°
15Mar15°
15Apr16°
12May19°
14Jun22°
14Jul25°
14Aug26°
14Sep24°
13Oct23°
15Nov20°
14Dec17°

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

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	69%	14.9 kt	NW	12.4°C	15.2°C
Feb	65%	13.8 kt	NW	12.2°C	14.8°C
Mar	78%	15.3 kt	NW	13.6°C	15.3°C
Apr	73%	15.3 kt	NW	15.3°C	16.2°C
May	59%	12.2 kt	NW	18.8°C	18.8°C
Jun	77%	13.9 kt	NW	23.5°C	22°C
Jul	77%	13.8 kt	NW	26.9°C	24.6°C
Aug	69%	13.5 kt	NW	26.7°C	25.9°C
Sep	73%	13.9 kt	NNW	24.4°C	24.3°C
Oct	70%	12.7 kt	ESE	21.7°C	22.9°C
Nov	69%	14.6 kt	NW	17.6°C	20°C
Dec	55%	13.8 kt	NW	14.2°C	16.8°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

Shallow water for a stretch near shore is reported, but a beginner standing-depth teaching area is unconfirmed.

Tides

No kite-specific tide dependency is published.

Temperature

25.6°C summer · 14.1°C winter

Wetsuit

Summer is usually boardshorts, rash vest or shorty depending on wind chill; winter wave sessions need a full wetsuit, commonly around 4/3 mm.

Currents

Fast-moving water is reported, unconfirmed for the kite launch itself.

15–26°C water

Open Calasetta beach with choppy to wave conditions. Strong Mistral/NW and winter weather systems can build powerful waves; adjacent Maresciallo is a separate, rockier expert wave area.

Your level

not for beginners herenot for intermediates hereadvanced

Expert riders only: strong wind, waves and a demanding launch. Nothing in the record grades it for beginners or intermediates.

The scene

What riders come here for

wavestraplessstorm sessions

Tourist beach in summer; off-season expert wave spot for confident independent riders.

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

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: Large sandy beach, but the practical launch is constrained by summer bathers, wave size and seasonal rules.

access rules on record

Somewhere else

Spiaggia La Salina, 2 km

Spiaggia La Salina Punta Trettu Coequaddus

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

Rescue

No kite rescue and no organised assistance. Outside the bathing season, which is when the spot works, there is no lifeguard on the beach at all: anything that goes wrong on the water is reported on 112 or on 1530, the national sea-rescue number, and help arrives from the maritime authority.

Inside the 2026 bathing season the rescue cover on free beaches is the comune's job under the maritime authority's own ordinance, and whether Spiaggia Grande is actually manned is unconfirmed. Plan the session so you can get yourself back to a beach you can walk out of.

Launch

Sandy beach in a wide open bay near Calasetta, with cliffs and the Maresciallo wave area nearby. The beach has road access and parking, but kite use is seasonal and condition-dependent.

Space

Large sandy beach, but the practical launch is constrained by summer bathers, wave size and seasonal rules.

Hazards riders report 15

submerged rocks
powerful waves
fast-moving water
summer bathers
strong winter wind
submerged or nearby rocks reported in kite spot notes
adjacent Maresciallo breaks onto sharp rocks
demanding launch and landing in surf
summer swimmers and beach crowding
possible posidonia/seaweed banks on the beach and near shore
submerged rocks at the launch
fast-moving water and current
summer bathers and beach crowding
waves reported up to 4 m here in the strongest winter systems, with 5 m next door at Maresciallo
no lifeguard cover in the season the spot actually works

Rules & access

2026: Spiaggia Grande is kiteable only outside the summer season, autumn through spring, and Calasetta's tolerance of kiting is framed the same way; in July and August the beach is a swimming beach. Sardinia's 2026 regional beach ordinance sets the summer season for beach concessions from 1 April to 31 October and fixes the bathing season from the third week of May to the third week of September. Within it, a 5 m strip along the waterline must be left clear for free transit, marked launch and landing corridors stay in public use and may only be used as their authorisation prescribes, and the comune is responsible for rescue cover on free beaches under the maritime authority's ordinance. Any danger to people on the beach or in the water is reported on 112 or 1530. No Calasetta municipal ordinance or kite corridor map naming Spiaggia Grande was found for 2026.

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

Rider tips

Keep Spiaggia Grande and Maresciallo apart in your head; the rocks are next door, not far downwind.
Skip June, July and August unless a current local authority or school confirms a legal, safe launch.
Read the wave size as carefully as the wind before you rig; there is no light-wind corner here.
Pack smaller storm and wave kites when the winter Mistral systems are strong.
Bring a 4/3 mm in winter; the water sits around 14.1 C.
On a day that is too much, drive to Is Solinas, Porto Botte or Punta Trettu instead.
Off-season nobody is watching this beach. The numbers are 112 and 1530, and help comes from the sea, not from a tower.

Getting there

Airport

Cagliari Elmas Airport (CAG)

Route

Drive from Cagliari through Carbonia and Sant'Antioco to Calasetta, then follow the coastal road toward Spiaggia Grande. Public buses are possible but slow for kite gear, so a car is the practical option.

Transfer

110 min

Cost level

medium, higher in July-August

Staying

Calasetta and Sant'Antioco have the closest hotels, B&Bs, apartments and restaurants; San Giovanni Suergiu or Punta Trettu are more kite-school-oriented bases.

No-wind days

Calasetta village and marina, Spiaggia Grande beach walks, Carloforte ferry trips, kayaking, e-bike tours, Sant'Antioco archaeology, beaches and Sulcis food/wine.

FAQ

Is Spiaggia Grande suitable for beginners?

No, local schools rate it exclusively for expert riders because of strong wind, powerful waves and demanding conditions.

When is the best time to go?

Autumn, winter and spring are the practical season, while summer kiting is restricted or impractical because of bathers.

What is the wind like?

The spot mainly works with NW Maestrale, along with Ponente and Libeccio for the wider Calasetta wave setup, in strong forecast-driven winter and shoulder-season systems.

What hazards should riders know about?

Hazards include submerged rocks, powerful waves and the adjacent Maresciallo area, which breaks onto sharp rocks.

Are there rules or restricted zones?

In 2026, kitesurfing at Spiaggia Grande is described as accessible only in autumn, winter and spring, and local sources note Sardinia's regional bathing-season rules run from the third week of May to the third week of September.

Last updated: August 2026