Map›Italy›Badesi – Valledoria, Sardinia›Valledoria / La CiacciaBadesi – Valledoria, Sardinia
Valledoria / La Ciaccia
Sardinia - Badesi/Valledoria · Tàttari/Sassari
also known as La Ciaccia, San Pietro a Mare, Coghinas, Coghinas / La Foce, Foce del Coghinas
Part of Badesi – Valledoria, Sardinia →
Riding essentials
Season
Mar–Oct
Months riders and schools name
How windy
14-25 kt
Character: mixed
Room to launch
ok
access rules on record, below
Water
mixed
25.8 °C in summerCoghinas/San Pietro offers flat to slightly choppy lagoon water behind a sandbar plus open-sea chop and waves outside
Hazards
8
Reported by riders
Level
Beginner to advanced
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
medium crowds · busy Jul Aug Jun
Schools
5
named at this spot
From the airport
Alghero-Fertilia (AHO)
Transfer times under Getting there
When it fills in
Picks up late morning and strengthens through the afternoon. In summer the thermal adds to whatever the gradient is doing, so afternoon sessions come in stronger than the forecast reads.
Nearbystraight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
- Porto Pollo
- Marina delle Roseno page yet
- Isola Rossa / La Marineddano page yet
- Vignolano page yet
- Stintino
The spot
Two spots, two sides
Multiple wind directions
Seasonal patterns
Skill levels
The wind
locals call it Maestrale / Grecale
Direction
Direction to shore
cross-on
Dominant direction
Useful directions: NW, NE, W. Main directions given for San Pietro are N, SE, NW; La Ciaccia is mainly NW/Maestrale.
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
The quiver, in words
No local size chart is published for either side of this cluster. Working from the wind ranges, a 75-85 kg rider covers the summer lagoon days at 14-20 knots on 10-12 m, the good Grecale sea sessions at 18-20 knots on 9-10 m, and a Maestrale at force 6 on 7-8 m, with 5-6 m for the 30-knot days and the gusts to force 7-8 that come with them.Indicative sizes derived from the reported wind ranges, not from measured local practice.
Character
Average strength
23.8 kt is quoted for Valledoria/Coghinas, and 6.5 kt as a 4-year year-round average for La Ciaccia. The two do not reconcile, so no single average is given here.
Typical strength
San Pietro/Coghinas: 14-25 kt in summer. Summer thermal often lifts Grecale to about 15 kt, and a good Grecale sea session runs 18-20 kt. Strong Maestrale days can pass 30 kt and count as advanced or speed conditions.
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan52
- Feb26
- Mar, riders' month45
- Apr, riders' month37
- May, riders' month19
- Jun, riders' month20
- Jul, riders' month18
- Aug, riders' month23
- Sep, riders' month27
- Oct, riders' month29
- Nov48
- Dec47
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.
- 52%Jan16°
- 26%Feb14°
- 45%Mar15°
- 37%Apr16°
- 19%May19°
- 20%Jun23°
- 18%Jul26°
- 23%Aug27°
- 27%Sep24°
- 29%Oct22°
- 48%Nov20°
- 47%Dec17°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
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.
Every figure, month by monthWindy days · Force 4+ · 12 kn or more · Knots · Wind from · Peaks at · Air · Water · Readings
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | Wind from | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52% | 73% | 66% | 13.8 kt | WSW | 13:00 | 11.3 °C | 15.5 °C | 62 |
| Feb | 26% | 37% | 33% | 10.1 kt | WSW | 15:00 | 11.6 °C | 14.3 °C | 57 |
| Mar | 45% | 53% | 52% | 12.7 kt | W | 15:00 | 13.1 °C | 14.9 °C | 62 |
| Apr | 37% | 50% | 43% | 11.7 kt | W | 14:00 | 15.1 °C | 16.1 °C | 60 |
| May | 19% | 31% | 26% | 9.3 kt | N | 14:00 | 19.1 °C | 18.9 °C | 62 |
| Jun | 20% | 25% | 22% | 8.5 kt | W | 15:00 | 24.4 °C | 23.2 °C | 60 |
| Jul | 18% | 21% | 19% | 8.6 kt | NNW | 14:00 | 27.1 °C | 26 °C | 62 |
| Aug | 23% | 27% | 23% | 9.6 kt | WNW | 15:00 | 26.6 °C | 26.6 °C | 62 |
| Sep | 27% | 38% | 33% | 10.3 kt | WNW | 15:00 | 23.5 °C | 24 °C | 60 |
| Oct | 29% | 35% | 34% | 9.5 kt | W | 14:00 | 20.9 °C | 22.2 °C | 62 |
| Nov | 48% | 60% | 53% | 13.3 kt | W | 14:00 | 16.2 °C | 19.8 °C | 60 |
| Dec | 47% | 55% | 53% | 13.4 kt | W | 11:00 | 13 °C | 16.9 °C | 62 |
How this is modelledmodelled · 2023-2024
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
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
mixed
Standing depth
In the Coghinas lagoon you stand near the shore, and the depth stays standable through the school area at both high and low water before dropping away quickly as you head offshore.Sandbanks shift after rain and after changes in river level, so the standable line moves between visits. The La Ciaccia reef is about 1 m deep where the wave breaks.
Tides
Tide independent / almost no marked tidal influence reported for both San Pietro and La Ciaccia.
Temperature
25.8 °C summer · 14.5 °C winter
Modelled monthly average: 14–27 °C
Wetsuit
Summer: shorts, lycra or shorty; spring/autumn: shorty to 3/2; winter: full suit, sometimes thicker suit.
Currents
Current can be stronger near the Coghinas river mouth; La Ciaccia can have a right-running current near shore in waves and shorebreak.
Conditions
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
5 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: ok
Somewhere else
1 spot nearby
Rescue
Launch
Use the sandy school/lagoon access around Coghinas/La Foce for the easiest rigging and teaching setup. At La Ciaccia, launch from the sandy beach/eastern side rather than over the rocky ledge, watch beach users in summer, and use the parking/grass areas near the seafront to rig where appropriate.
Rules & access
1 min read
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Schools that ride here
Rider tips
- Ask the school where the sandbanks and the safe entry and exit are before you ride the Coghinas lagoon; they move.
- Wear booties in the lagoon: there are rocks, fishing gear and moorings under the surface.
- At La Ciaccia, watch where the locals enter and exit, because the rock table starts close to shore and eats fins.
- Do not treat July-August as the wave season at La Ciaccia; watch for Maestrale and frontal systems, and be ready to move to Coghinas or Badesi.
- In summer, find the bathing zones and the launch corridors before you rig on the sea-side beaches.
- On a strong Maestrale with a messy sea, the lagoon is the controlled option, but expect company there.
Getting there
Airport
Alghero-Fertilia (AHO) is commonly cited as nearest/convenient; Olbia (OLB) is also practical by car or seasonal/direct bus.
Route
A car is the practical option, both for carrying gear and for moving between La Ciaccia, San Pietro a Mare and Coghinas/La Foce. There is a direct Olbia Airport to Valledoria bus taking 1h44m, but a rental buys the flexibility this cluster needs.
Transfer
AHO-Valledoria about 72-90 min depending on source/route; OLB-Valledoria about 89 min by car or 104 min by bus.
Cost level
mid
Staying
Village Camping La Foce sits at the Coghinas area; La Ciaccia and Valledoria have holiday apartments, hotels, restaurants and services near the beach.
No-wind days
SUP, kayaking/canoeing on the Coghinas, surfing, snorkeling/diving, biking/walking routes, Castelsardo, Isola Rossa/La Marinedda, Asinara boat trips and the Casteldoria thermal baths.
Photos
FAQ
Is Valledoria/La Ciaccia suitable for beginners?
The Coghinas lagoon at San Pietro is beginner-friendly with flat, shallow water and school support; La Ciaccia itself is intermediate to expert because of reef and rocks.
What is the wind like?
The lagoon works with summer thermal wind around 14-25 knots, while La Ciaccia is mainly a NW Maestrale wave spot that can exceed 30 knots.
When is the best time to go?
The lagoon season runs roughly March to October; La Ciaccia's wave season favors spring and autumn Maestrale and frontal days.
What hazards should riders know?
The Coghinas river mouth has stronger current, and La Ciaccia has a reef about 1 m deep close to shore with a right-running current in waves.
The bigger pictureEverything about Sardinia - Badesi/Valledoria
Last updated: August 2026