Map › Italy › Tremestieri & Il Pilone › Tremestieri
Sicilia · South Messina, Strait of Messina · Messina
Tremestieri
also known as 3M, Tremestieri - Messina, Messina Tremestieri
Nearby Punta Pellaro 16 km · Il Pilone 19 km · Lazzaro 22 km · straight-line distance
On the clock
09:00 · 10:00 · 17:00 · 18:00 · 20:00
Nothing before sunrise. It builds through the morning, is usually worth rigging from around 09:00-10:00, holds a plateau from midday to about 17:00, then falls away between 18:00 and 20:00. Nights normally go quiet, though sessions after dark are reported when the pressure difference holds.
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 Grecale, grecalotto, vento Cavaliere
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
thermal
fills in: Nothing before sunrise. It builds through the morning, is usually worth rigging from around 09:00-10:00, holds a plateau from midday to about 17:00, then falls away between 18:00 and 20:00. Nights normally go quiet, though sessions after dark are reported when the pressure difference holds.
Typical strength
12-20 knots for the local Grecale thermal; ideal setups can reach 50-60 km/h gusts/peaks on the south Messina coast.
Also on record
Regional Messina statistics give an annual average of 6 knots from NW. That is a regional figure, not a Tremestieri thermal-session average.
The quiver, in words
No local size list is published, so these are converted from the wind rather than reported by riders: at 75-85 kg, 12 m for the bottom of the 12-20 knot Grecale, 10 m for the usual working afternoon, 9 m once it is fully on, and a 7 m in the bag for the peak days when channeling pushes gusts past 27 knots. Indicative, no local measurement.
Direction to shore
Side-shore. On the N-NE Grecale, face the water with the Peloritani behind you and it runs left to right along the beach, pushing you down the coast rather than off it. SE and SSE days are side-shore from the other end.
Dominant direction
NE, NNE, N, NW; SE/SSE also listed as rideable/recommended
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan26
- Feb23
- Mar29
- Apr33
- May, riders' month16
- Jun, riders' month10
- Jul, riders' month10
- Aug, riders' month15
- Sep, riders' month15
- Oct16
- Nov28
- Dec27
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
- 26%Jan16°
- 23%Feb15°
- 29%Mar15°
- 33%Apr17°
- 16%May19°
- 10%Jun24°
- 10%Jul28°
- 15%Aug28°
- 15%Sep27°
- 16%Oct24°
- 28%Nov22°
- 27%Dec18°
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 | 26% | 40% | 39% | 11.4 kt | NNW | 14:00 | 11.9°C | 16.4°C | 62 |
| Feb | 23% | 47% | 40% | 11.8 kt | NNW | 15:00 | 12.1°C | 15.3°C | 57 |
| Mar | 29% | 45% | 37% | 12.1 kt | NW | 14:00 | 12.9°C | 15.4°C | 62 |
| Apr | 33% | 48% | 38% | 11.6 kt | NW | 14:00 | 15.3°C | 16.5°C | 60 |
| May | 16% | 26% | 21% | 9.5 kt | S | 14:00 | 19°C | 18.9°C | 62 |
| Jun | 10% | 27% | 18% | 9.7 kt | N | 14:00 | 24.5°C | 23.5°C | 60 |
| Jul | 10% | 24% | 18% | 10 kt | N | 14:00 | 27.8°C | 27.5°C | 62 |
| Aug | 15% | 31% | 16% | 10.3 kt | N | 15:00 | 27.4°C | 28.1°C | 62 |
| Sep | 15% | 23% | 17% | 9.4 kt | NNW | 14:00 | 24.4°C | 26.6°C | 60 |
| Oct | 16% | 31% | 23% | 9.6 kt | S | 13:00 | 21.4°C | 23.9°C | 62 |
| Nov | 28% | 42% | 38% | 11 kt | NNW | 13:00 | 17°C | 21.5°C | 60 |
| Dec | 27% | 42% | 37% | 11 kt | NNW | 14:00 | 14°C | 18.4°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
sea
Standing depth
No reliable standing-depth data; a Strait beach with flat water/chop rather than a shallow lagoon.
Tides
Not a tide-dependent spot, though the Strait runs strong tidal and stationary currents. A Messina tide table for 27 August 2026 shows astronomical heights around 0.0-0.3 m, with table extremes from -0.2 m to 0.5 m.
Temperature
26.8°C summer · 14.6°C winter
Wetsuit
Wetsuit only needed in winter. Water temperature is around 26.8 C in August and around 14.6 C in the coldest months.
Currents
Yes. The Strait of Messina runs strong tidal and density-driven currents, and they are what make the spot technical.
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
8 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: medium
Somewhere else
Punta Pellaro, 16 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Beach on the Tremestieri waterfront south of Messina, with parking along the coastal road and access from SS114 south of Messina. It is a medium launch area on a pebble beach with grass behind.
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
- Read Tremestieri or Strait readings before you drive, not the general Sicily forecast: channeling makes the wind here stronger than the regional number.
- Ask a local rider which way the current is running before you launch.
- Bring booties if you do not like walking on pebbles.
- Stay well clear of the ferry lanes; do not let a downwind drift take you toward the port.
- In summer, aim for the late-morning to afternoon window, noon to 17:00 at its best.
- The Grecale strengthens as you go south along the Messina littoral: mild on the north coast, hardest between Maregrosso and the Giampilieri marina, which is the stretch Tremestieri sits in.
- Put 1530 in your phone before you rig. It is the free Coast Guard sea emergency number.
Getting there
Airport
Reggio Calabria (REG) is the closest airport across the Strait; Catania Fontanarossa (CTA) is the main practical Sicily gateway.
Route
From Messina, drive south on the A18 or the SS114 to Tremestieri. Reggio Calabria is the nearest airport to Messina port and Catania the other one within reach; buses run Catania to Messina, and hydrofoils cross Reggio to Messina.
Transfer
25 min
Cost level
medium
Staying
Stay in Messina city, in Tremestieri and south Messina, or across the Strait in Reggio Calabria. Kite-specific accommodation at Tremestieri is unconfirmed.
No-wind days
Messina city, Capo Peloro/Torre Faro, ferry or hydrofoil to Reggio Calabria, Taormina, Mount Etna day trips, coastal villages and Strait sightseeing.
Photos
FAQ
What is the wind like at Tremestieri?
A channeled NE Grecale thermal, locally called grecalotto or vento Cavaliere, blows 12-20 knots from May to September, strongest in July and August.
Is it suitable for beginners?
Independent beginners are not recommended because of Strait of Messina currents and maritime traffic; supervised riders may be able to use it.
When does the wind typically blow?
It often starts in the morning, peaks between noon and 17:00, then weakens in the late afternoon.
Are there hazards?
Strong Strait currents and ferry traffic between Messina and Reggio Calabria are the main hazards, alongside a pebble-and-sand beach with medium launch space.
Last updated: August 2026