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Andalucía · Cádiz · Bay of Cádiz · El Puerto de Santa María

Valdelagrana

also known as Playa de Levante, Los Toruños, Playa de Valdelagrana

beginner-friendlymedium 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 Cortadura 9 km · Punta del Boquerón 18 km · Sancti Petri 21 km · Sanlúcar de Barrameda 26 km · Conil (Rio Salado / Fontanilla) 36 km · Los Caños de Meca 46 km · El Palmar 47 km · straight-line distance

SeasonMar to Augthe months riders and schools name How windy12-25mixed Launchlargeaccess rules on record, below Waterbay22.7°C in summer · 7 things riders flag LevelBeginner to intermediatewith a caveat, in the Level section Schools4named at this spot From the airport25 minJerez Airport (XRY)

When it fills in

afternoon for the spring-summer thermal poniente

Valdelagrana is the Bay of Cádiz spot at El Puerto de Santa María, and the water behaves the way bay water does: light chop, moderate depth, almost no swell. That makes it a progression beach: smoother and lighter than the open-coast Cádiz and Tarifa spots down the road.

The wind that matters is poniente, the afternoon thermal westerly of spring and summer, typically 12-25 knots. The 2026 El Puerto de Santa María beach order allows kite-surf only in the authorised, signposted nautical-activities zone at Valdelagrana and at Playa de Levante, and wants a federation licence or accident and civil-liability insurance behind you.

At Playa de Levante the rules go further: marked launch and landing channels, more than 200 m from shore, less than 1 nautical mile out, with restrictions around Punta de los Saboneses and during the nesting periods.

Levante and NW blow offshore here, and the bay carries boat traffic and a navigation channel, so the direction decides whether you go out at all. Water runs 22.7 C in summer and 15.1 C in winter: lycra or a shorty in summer, a 4/3 in winter.

The exact shore angle for each direction is unconfirmed, and there is no kite-specific rescue behind you, only the general beach lifeguards.

The wind

locals call it Poniente

Direction

wind blows away from land — rescue cover matters here

Kite sizes

567891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

mixed

fills in: afternoon for the spring-summer thermal poniente

Typical strength

12-25

smoother and lighter than open-coast Cádiz/Tarifa spots because it is inside the bay

Spring and summer carry the afternoon thermal poniente. Consistent thermal wind is also given as May to October, so the autumn tail is worth checking rather than writing off. Summer riding is confined to the authorised nautical zone, and the natural-park side is closed to navigation through the bird-nesting window.

Thermal or synoptic

afternoon thermal westerly plus occasional synoptic winds

The quiver, in words

7 m and below · 8-9 m · 10-11 m · 12-13 m · 14 m and above · 12-14 m is what the local school has on the water most days, which tells you how light the bay thermal usually runs.For a 75-85 kg rider a 12 m covers the ordinary 12-16 kt afternoon and a 9 m the 20-25 kt top of the range; the 9 m is indicative from the published knot range, not a local measurement.

Direction to shore

Poniente, the W to SW wind the spot is built around, comes in side-shore to onshore. Levante from the east blows straight offshore. NW is close to offshore too, and it is rare, unstable and awkward when it does show up.

Dominant direction

W, SW, NW; S also listed as navigable

Forecast

Month by month

Jan41
Feb51
Mar, riders' month47
Apr, riders' month50
May, riders' month46
Jun, riders' month50
Jul, riders' month29
Aug, riders' month27
Sep30
Oct56
Nov27
Dec31

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug.

11Jan15°
12Feb15°
13Mar16°
12Apr19°
11May20°
11Jun23°
10Jul25°
10Aug25°
10Sep23°
12Oct21°
10Nov18°
10Dec16°

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

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	41%	10.6 kt	NNE	12.5°C	15.2°C
Feb	51%	11.9 kt	E	13.9°C	15.3°C
Mar	47%	12.5 kt	SW	15°C	16.4°C
Apr	50%	11.8 kt	ESE	17.4°C	18.7°C
May	46%	11 kt	W	20.1°C	20.3°C
Jun	50%	11.3 kt	WSW	22.9°C	22.8°C
Jul	29%	10.4 kt	W	25.6°C	24.8°C
Aug	27%	10 kt	SW	25.5°C	24.5°C
Sep	30%	10.3 kt	WSW	22.4°C	23.2°C
Oct	56%	12 kt	E	21°C	21.1°C
Nov	27%	9.8 kt	NNE	16.9°C	18°C
Dec	31%	9.9 kt	NNE	13.4°C	15.9°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

bay

Standing depth

Shallow over a wide area inside the marked kite zone, which is the reason schools teach here. How far out you can stand, and at which state of tide, is not documented.

Tides

Tide independent. Tide forecasts exist for nearby Bay of Cadiz points, not for the beach itself.

Temperature

22.7°C summer · 15.1°C winter

Wetsuit

Summer lycra or shorty; winter 4/3 wetsuit normally enough.

15–25°C water

Protected Bay of Cádiz water with light chop and minimal swell. Flat most days, with some wave reported.

Your level

beginnerintermediatenot for advanceds here

Beginner and intermediate. The beach is rated beginner in places, and the water backs that up: light chop, moderate depth, no swell to speak of.

The scene

What riders come here for

learningfreerideprogressionflat water

A local Cádiz bay progression spot, with schools and family beach services behind the sand. Few people on the water most of the time; in summer the crowd is on the beach and you stay inside the dedicated zone.

Launch and rules

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

With a school or a boat

4 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: large

access rules on record

Somewhere else

Cortadura, 9 km

Cortadura Punta del Boquerón Sancti Petri

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

Rescue

The 2026 municipal beach order sets out no dedicated rescue service for kitesurfers, only general beach lifeguard and safety personnel. Independent riders should not count on kite-specific cover.

Launch

The authorised, signposted nautical-activities zone on Valdelagrana, reportedly near the groyne at the northern end. It is a marked lane that swimmers are kept out of, separate from the bathing water, and it is the only part of the beach where kite-surf is allowed.

Space

large

Rules & access

2026 El Puerto de Santa María beach order: kite-surf is allowed only in the authorised, signposted nautical-activities zone at Valdelagrana and at Playa de Levante, and you need a federation licence or accident and civil-liability insurance.

At Playa de Levante the marked launch and landing channels are compulsory, riders stay more than 200 m off the shore and inside 1 nautical mile. On the rest of Levante the activity is banned from 15 April to 31 July for nesting birds, with further restriction around Punta de los Saboneses.

The order runs with the bathing season, 3 June to 30 September 2026, and maritime-safety breaches carry fines up to €900.

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

Rider tips

Rig inside the marked nautical-activities zone in summer; the 2026 beach order gives kite-surf nowhere else.
Carry a federation licence or proof of accident and civil-liability insurance.
Plan sessions for the afternoon: the spring and summer poniente is thermal and fills in late.
Stay out of the navigation channel and watch boat traffic across the bay.
Skip Levante and NW days; both are offshore here.
Keep away from the nesting ground at Punta de los Saboneses and Playa de Levante even when the wind looks rideable.

Getting there

Airport

Jerez Airport (XRY)

Route

Valdelagrana sits beside El Puerto de Santa María, with road access from Cádiz and Jerez and a Cercanías stop in Valdelagrana itself. Jerez Airport and La Parra connect to Puerto de Santa María by direct rail in about 15-16 minutes, then a local link to the beach.

Transfer

25 min

Cost level

medium

Staying

Beach hotels and apartments in Valdelagrana or El Puerto de Santa María; Cádiz is also close.

No-wind days

Los Toruños/Bahía de Cádiz nature park, cycling, kayaking, birdwatching, Cádiz old town and El Puerto de Santa María.

Photos

Playa de Valdelagrana 02 — CarlosVdeHabsburgo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ

Is Valdelagrana suitable for beginners?

Yes, local guides recommend it for beginner and intermediate riders because of the protected bay water with light chop and minimal swell.

What is the wind like at Valdelagrana?

The main wind is Poniente, especially a spring and summer afternoon thermal westerly, with local sources giving a common 12-25 knot range.

Are there rules or restricted zones at Valdelagrana?

The 2026 El Puerto de Santa María beach order confines kite-surf to the authorized, signposted nautical-activities zone at Valdelagrana and at Playa de Levante, and requires a federation license or accident and liability insurance.

When is the best time to kite Valdelagrana?

March through August is highlighted, driven by the spring and summer afternoon thermal Poniente.

Are there kite schools near Valdelagrana?

Cadiz Kite, Foreño Kite School in El Puerto de Santa María, and Windkite School Sanlúcar de Barrameda serve the area.

Last updated: August 2026