Map › Greece › Crete - Kouremenos (Sitia) › Xerokambos
Creta · Zakros, southeast Crete · Lasithi Regional Unit · Zakros
Xerokambos
also known as Xerokampos, Xerocambos, Xirokambos, Ξερόκαμπος
Nearby Kouremenos 18 km · Tenda Bay 27 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
No onset time is published for this spot.
The wind
locals call it Meltemi / local W-SW thermal depending on source
Direction
Character
mixed
Typical strength
20-30 knots in peak summer per one source; 20+ knots from thermally strengthened W/SW flow per another
Thermal or synoptic
synoptic
Direction to shore
Unconfirmed. NW/WNW is reported arriving side-onshore, and the Meltemi is also reported fully offshore at Xerokambos. SW winter storms come in sideshore from the right.
Dominant direction
Reported inconsistently: NW/WNW Meltemi in some accounts, W to SW in others.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan66
- Feb61
- Mar48
- Apr38
- May29
- Jun, riders' month17
- Jul, riders' month26
- Aug, riders' month6
- Sep, riders' month28
- Oct40
- Nov72
- Dec56
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
- 66%Jan19°
- 61%Feb17°
- 48%Mar17°
- 38%Apr18°
- 29%May20°
- 17%Jun25°
- 26%Jul27°
- 6%Aug28°
- 28%Sep27°
- 40%Oct25°
- 72%Nov22°
- 56%Dec19°
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 | 66% | 74% | 73% | 16.8 kt | WSW | 14:00 | 13.2°C | 18.6°C | 62 |
| Feb | 61% | 70% | 67% | 15.9 kt | WSW | 15:00 | 13°C | 17.4°C | 57 |
| Mar | 48% | 68% | 60% | 14.5 kt | WSW | 15:00 | 14°C | 17.3°C | 62 |
| Apr | 38% | 48% | 45% | 12.7 kt | SW | 14:00 | 17.9°C | 18.3°C | 60 |
| May | 29% | 44% | 37% | 11 kt | SW | 15:00 | 21.1°C | 19.8°C | 62 |
| Jun | 17% | 23% | 18% | 7.9 kt | S | 13:00 | 26.5°C | 24.5°C | 60 |
| Jul | 26% | 39% | 35% | 10.9 kt | NNW | 13:00 | 28.8°C | 27.2°C | 62 |
| Aug | 6% | 18% | 13% | 7.7 kt | S | 14:00 | 28.3°C | 28°C | 62 |
| Sep | 28% | 40% | 33% | 10.5 kt | NNW | 13:00 | 25.7°C | 27.2°C | 60 |
| Oct | 40% | 55% | 47% | 11.8 kt | NNW | 15:00 | 21.8°C | 25.4°C | 62 |
| Nov | 72% | 80% | 78% | 16.3 kt | WSW | 14:00 | 18.4°C | 22.4°C | 60 |
| Dec | 56% | 65% | 58% | 14.1 kt | WSW | 13:00 | 15.5°C | 19.3°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
variable depth with shallow areas reported; no detailed standing-depth map was found
Temperature
Summer about 24-27 for Crete summer sea-temperature references; no Xerokambos-specific value was found
Winter about 16-17 for Crete winter sea-temperature references; no Xerokambos-specific value was found
Wetsuit
Likely lycra/shorts in high summer and full wetsuit in winter based on Crete sea temperatures and Crete spot-guide wetsuit guidance; no Xerokambos-specific wetsuit advice was found.
Currents
significant coastal current is reported in sustained Meltemi; no measured current data was found.
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
2 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: large
Somewhere else
Kouremenos, 18 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Wild sandy beach or beaches near the small Xerokambos settlement, reached by a long road from Zakros or via Ziros/Sitia. There is no kite infrastructure, no school, no rental and no rescue.
Space
large
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Never ride alone here; there is no rescue and nobody watching the water.
- Stand on the beach and read the wind angle before rigging, because it is unconfirmed whether the summer Meltemi arrives side-onshore or offshore.
- Carry water, sun cover, a repair kit and a conservative quiver; there is no kite infrastructure at the spot.
- Launch and land on the sandy section and stay off the rocky coast either side of it.
- Allow about 55 minutes by car from Sitia, 38 km, and expect a long winding approach if you come via Zakros.
- Go to Kouremenos or Palaikastro instead if you need a school, rental or a more predictable Meltemi.
Getting there
Airport
Sitia Public Airport (JSH) is the closest airport; Heraklion International Airport (HER) is the main international gateway.
Route
Xerokambos is 47 km south of Sitia, 103 km southeast of Agios Nikolaos and accessible mainly via the Sitia/Ierapetra-Ziros road, with another asphalt option from Zakros. Distance is also given as about 38 km and 55 minutes by car from Sitia to Xerokambos; the Zakros road is described as long, winding and sometimes difficult.
Transfer
about 50-60 minutes from Sitia/JSH area; about 2.5-4 hours from Heraklion airport depending on route and source
Cost level
medium
Staying
Small-scale rooms, villas and tavernas in the Xerokambos hamlet. The area has grown around its beaches but stays remote from the main Lasithi towns.
No-wind days
Xerokambos beaches such as Argilos, Mazida Ammos and Alatsolimni, Xerokambos/Lamnoni gorge, Zakros and Kato Zakros, Vai palm beach, Palaikastro/Kouremenos, Sitia old town and east-Crete archaeological sites.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite at Xerokambos?
June to September is when the Meltemi reaches this coast, though wind reports vary and it is generally more variable than at Kouremenos.
Is Xerokambos suitable for beginners?
No, all kite-specific sources describe it as an isolated, autonomous, advanced-only spot unsuitable for beginners or unguided intermediates.
What is the wind like at Xerokambos?
Sources disagree: some describe a wrapped northwest to west-northwest Meltemi reaching 20-30 knots side-onshore, while others describe the Meltemi as offshore here and point to west-to-southwest thermal or winter storm wind instead.
Is there rescue support at Xerokambos?
No, there is no kite school, rental or rescue at the beach, and sources explicitly warn riders never to sail alone.
How do you get to Xerokambos?
The spot is reached via a long road from Zakros or Ziros, about 47 km south of Sitia, with the final approach described as winding and sometimes difficult.
Last updated: August 2026