Any location with consistent, steady side-onshore winds (10 to 35+ knots, 5 to 18+ m/s), a large open body of water and a good launch area is suitable for kitesurfing. Kitesurfing takes place along ocean shores, usually off beaches, on large lakes, on bays and inlets and occasionally on rivers.
Some of the world's top kitesurfing locations are listed below in alphabetic order. Many of these destinations can provide kitesurfing training and equipment rentals.
Boa Vista, Cape Verde
Sal, Cape Verde
Sao Vicente, Cape Verde
Dahab
El Gouna
Hamata
Hurghada
Marsa Alam
Port Safaga
Ras Sedr
Sharm El Shaikh
Soma Bay
Che Shale Beach,
Diani Beach, South Coast
Manda Bay, Lamu
Kizingoni Beach, Lamu
Nyali Beach
Watamu Beach,
Tripoli
Farwah, Zwara, West Tripoli
Garabulli, East Tripoli
Juliana Beach, Bingazi
Achakar
Agadir
Azemmour Beach
Cape Spartel
Dakhla
Essaouira
Luderitz (location of 2009 world speed record for kitesurfing)
Walvis Bay (location of 2006 world speed record for kitesurfing)
Big Bay, Western Cape
Kelso, KwaZulu-Natal
Palm Beach, KwaZulu-Natal
Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal
Capricorn Beach, Western cape
Cannon Rocks, Eastern Cape
Cape Town, Sunset Beach
Langebaan, Western Cape
Paje, Zanzibar
Djerba
Kalâat el-Andalous
El Haouaria
Téboulba
Kerkennah
Oneye, Le Morne, Mauritius
Paje, Zanzibar
Sri Lanka
Kalpitiya
Mannar island, Adams bridge, Talaimannar
Sri Lanka - Puttalam, Kalpitiya lagoon, Dutch Bay islands
Ulsan, South Korea
Jong Dal-ri, Jeju, South Korea
Penghu, Taiwan
Miaoli County, Zhunan Township, Taiwan
Amwaj Islands, Bahrain
Halfmoon Bay (Zabna Beach), Saudi Arabia
Sultanat of OmanAl Sawadi Beach
Masirah Island
Muscat
Bar Al Hickman
Al Jazir/ Salalah
Seeb Beach (The Wave)
Ras al Hadd
Aseelah
Al Askarah
Quriat Bay NW
Alzaibah Beach NE
Shatti NW
Dubai, U.A.E.
Bandar abbas, Iran
Lebanon Canaria Beach, Tripoli
Holiday Beach, Beyrouth
Zoo Beach, Batroun
Israel
Dolfinarium beach, Tel Aviv
Ze'elon beach Lake Galilee
Rif RAF beach, Eilat
Bat-Yam
Hainan Island, China
Morjim Beach, Goa, India
Bintan, Indonesia
Nusa Dua beach, Bali, Indonesia
Lhoknga, Sumatra, Indonesia
Sanur beach, Bali, Indonesia
Kuantan, Malaysia
Boracay Island, Philippines
Bulalacao, Mindoro Island, Philippines
Coron, Palawan, Philippines
Chumphon, Thailand
Hua Hin, Thailand
Pak Nam Pran, Pranburi, Thailand near Hua Hin
Mui Ne, Vietnam
Vung Tau, Vietnam
Ho Tram, Vietnam
Desaru, Malaysia
Sektori ri
Divjaka
Zvernec
Neusiedler See
Minskoe more
Naroch
Burgas
Pomorie
Varna
Lozenets
Primorsko
Bol
Medulin
Neretva River
Nin
Pelješac
Avdimou
Currium
Larnaca
Limassol
Mazotos
Paramali
Lipno
Nechranice
Nove Mlyny
Rozkos
Velke Darko
Amager, southern end near Kongelundsfortet
Hanstholm
Klitmøller
Ringkøbing Fjord
Rømø, west coast island
Velling
Haapsalu
Hiiumaa
Kakumäe
Laulasmaa
Narva-Jõesuu
Pärnu
Ristna
Tallinn - Pirita, Stromka
Vääna
Valkla
Saaremaa
The fédération française de vol libre, responsible for kitesurfing, maintains a map of the main spots with the situation, kitesurfing level needed, restrictions and zoning information, access and hazards at carte.ffvl.fr/?mode=kite.
Aber Wrac'h, Bretagne
Leucate
Lac de Monteynard, Isère (38)
Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, Carteau beach
Wissant, Pas de Calais (62)
Hyères
Bodensee
Eiderstedt
Fehmarn
Rügen
Sahlenburg
Salzhaff
Sankt Peter-Ording
Stralsund
List / Sylt
Westerland / Sylt
Tbilisi Sea
Anavyssos, Athens
Angelochori, Thessaloniki
Drepano, Achaea, Patras
Elafonisi, Chania
Halikounas, Corfu
Keros beach, Lemnos Island
Kitepark, Lefkandi, Euboea
Lake Volvi, Thessaloniki
Lavrio, Athens
Lefkada
Mykonos Island
Naxos Island
Nea Kios, Nafplio
Nissakia Surf Club, Artemida, Attica
Oropos, Athens
Paros Island
Pevki, Northern Euboea
Prasonisi, Rhodes
Monolithos Beach, Santorini
Schoinias Bay, Marathon, Greece
Theologos, Rhodes, Greece
Siófok, Szabadisóstó
Ireland
Bull Island, Dublin
Keel, Achill Island, Co. Mayo
Lahinch, Co. Clare
Rosses Point, Co. Sligo
Rossnowlagh, Co. Donegal
Rush, Co. Dublin
Tramore, Co. Waterford
Cagliari, Petrol Beach - Sardinia Island
Sant Anna Arresi, Porto Pino - Sardinia Island
Isola dei Gabbiani, Porto Pollo - Sardinia
Lake Como, Italy
Lake Garda
Pellaro
Tarpons Bay, Calambrone - Tirrenia (PI)
Bērzciems
Koklites
Kolka
Kuivižu osta
Liepāja
Lilaste
Pāvilosta
Ventspils
The White Dune
Zvejniekciems
Dreverna
Elektrenai
Juodkrantė
Monciskes, near Palanga
Nida
Šventoji
Velika Plaža, Ada Bojana
The Netherlands
Borssele
Callantsoog
Harlingen
Hindeloopen
IJmuiden
Kamperland
Katwijk
Makkum
Mirns
Monster
Muiderberg
Neeltje-Jans
Noordwijk Beach
Oostvoorne
Renesse
Rockanje
Westland
Workum
Zandvoort
Larkollen
Sola
Poland
Bay of Puck, Poland
Hel, Poland
Rewa, Poland
Cabedelo Beach, Viana do Castelo
Costa da Caparica
Faro Beach
Figueira da Foz
Guincho Beach
Anapa, Black Sea coast, Krasnodar Krai
Kite Beach on Vistula Lagoon, Kaliningrad Oblast
Lake Pleshcheyevo, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Yaroslavl Oblast
Yantarny, Kaliningrad Oblast
Ayamonte, Isla Canela near Ayamonte
Barcelona
Castelldefels, Barcelona
Costa Brava
Costa Calma, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands
El Medano, Tenerife, Canary Islands
Lanzarote Famara
Mallorca
Mar Menor, Murcia
Santa pola, Alicante
St. Pere Pescador
Tarifa
Fortuna Beach Rydebäck
Habo Ljung
Höllviken
Lagan Båstad
Varberg
Gotland
Switzerland
Lake Silvaplana, Switzerland
Alaçatı Bay, Cesme (Only north shore as south shore - shallow side is reserved for wind surfers), http://www.advancekiting.com/
Pirlanta Bay, Cesme (avoid weekends)
Çukurova, Karataş, Yumurtalık,Taşucu
Didim
Gökova Bay, Muğla
Ayvalik http://kitezoneayvalik.com/
Gökçeada District of Çanakkale Province http://www.volkite.com/
Gümüşdere, Sarıyer-ISTANBUL, http://www.surfschoolistanbul.com/#!home/c12ko
Urla, İzmir, http://www.advancekiting.com/
Gökova http://kitebasegokova.com/
Aberdeen, Scotland
Ainsdale, Merseyside
Allonby, Cumbria
Blackpool, Lancashire
The Bluff, Hayle, Cornwall
Bournemouth, Dorset
Calshot, Hampshire
Camber Sands, East Sussex
Daymer Bay, Cornwall
Exmouth, Devon
Fleetwood, Lancashire
Hayling, Hampshire
Hill Head, Hampshire
Hunstanton, Norfolk
Littlestone-on-Sea, New Romney, Kent
Minnis Bay, Thanet, Kent
Newborough, Anglesey
Poole Harbour, Dorset
Poppit Sands, Wales
Portland Harbour, Dorset
Rhosneigr, Anglesey
Rustington, Littlehampton, West Sussex
Southend, Essex
Troon, South Ayrshire
Watergate Bay, Cornwall
West Wittering, West Sussex
Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset
Weymouth, Dorset
Worthing, West Sussex
Callander Bay, Lake Nipissing, Ontario
Canmore, Alberta
Iles de la Madeleine, Québec
Lamèque, New Brunswick
Cocagne, New Brunswick
Malpeque, PEI
Nitinat Lake, British Columbia
Presqu'ile Provincial Park, Ontario
Sauble Beach, Ontario
Squamish, British Columbia
Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba
Georgian Bay, Ontario, Wasaga Beach Wasaga Beach Area 5
Malmok Beach, Aruba
San Salvador, Bahamas
Silver Sands, Barbados
Atlantis Beach, Bonaire
Turtle Beach, St Kitts and Nevis.
Cabarete Bay, Dominican Republic.
Mole Saint Nicolas, Haïti
Bounty Bay, Trelawny, Jamaica.
La Parguera, Puerto Rico
Ocean Park, Puerto Rico
Shacks, Puerto Rico
Cas en Bas, St. Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands
Lake Arenal, Costa Rica
Bahia Salinas, Costa Rica
Las Penitas, Leon, Nicaragua
Kiteboarding Lake Nicaragua, san jorge, la virgen
Punta Chame, Panama
Playa Lagartero/ Lagartero beach, Santa Catalina, Veraguas, Panama
Cozumel
Progreso Airlift Kiteboarding Yucatan
La Ventana, Baja Sur Kite spots in Baja
Los Barriles, Baja Sur
Playa del Carmen
Tulum
Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Ocean City, New Jersey (expect light wind kiting and plenty of beach less lifeguards and people beach side)
Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
Chesapeake Bay, Virginia
Cocoa Beach, Florida
Columbia River, Northwestern USA
Coronado, California
Corpus Christi, Texas, Gulf of Mexico
Dewey Beach, Delaware
East Tawas, Michigan
Lake Hefner, Oklahoma
Grand Haven, Michigan
Hood River, Oregon
Lake Isabella, California
Islamorada, Whale Harbor, Florida
Jekyll Island, Georgia
Jupiter, Florida
Kailua, Hawaii
Key Biscayne, Florida
Long Beach, California
Maui, Hawaii
Miami, Florida
Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Mokuleia Beach, Hawaii
Muskegon, Michigan
New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Pacific Beach, California
San Francisco Bay Area, California
Santa Cruz, California
Seattle, Washington
Texas City Levee, Texas
Texas City Dike, Texas
Turnagain Arm, Alaska
South Padre Island, Texas
Traverse City, Michigan
Ventura County, California
Washoe Lake, Nevada
Note: for Hawaii, refer to entries listed in the United States section on this page
Cairns, Queensland
City Beach, Western Australia
Coffs Harbour, New South Wales
Cooktown, Queensland
Cottesloe, Western Australia
Esperance, Western Australia
Geraldton, Western Australia
Inverloch, Victoria
Lancelin, Western Australia
Margaret River, Western Australia
Marrawah, Tasmania
Merimbula, New South Wales
Newcastle, New South Wales
Port Douglas, Queensland
Port Phillip Bay
Safety Bay, Western Australia
Sandgate, Queensland
Sandy Point, Victoria
Shoalhaven, New South Wales
Stanley, Tasmania
Tannum Sands, Queensland
Whitsunday Islands
Whyalla, South Australia
Woodman Point, Western Australia
Yorkeys Knob, Queensland
Rosebud, Victoria
Nananu-i-Ra, Fiji
Suva, Fiji
New Zealand
View Google Map of locations
Avon Heathcote Estuary, Christchurch
Beachlands, Auckland Region
Lake Clearwater, Canterbury
Lake Coleridge, Canterbury
Lake Dunstan, Otago
Eastbourne, Wellington Region
East End, Taranaki
Lake Ellesmere, Canterbury
Lyttelton Harbour, Canterbury
New Brighton, Christchurch
Orewa, Auckland Region
Otago Harbour, Otago
Tahunanui, Tasman
Waikuku Beach, Canterbury
Lake Wakatipu, Otago
Lake Wanaka, Otago
Westport, West Coast Region
Saipan, Mariana Islands
Sainte-Marie Bay, Noumea, New Caledonia
Bajada de Lanchas, Lago Lolog, San Martin de los Andes, Neuquén
Caleta de los Loros, Río Negro
Cape San Antonio, Buenos Aires Province
Cariló, Buenos Aires Province
Claromecó, Tres Arroyos, Buenos Aires Province [7]
Dique Roggero, Moreno, Buenos Aires Province [8]
El Cóndor, Viedma, Río Negro [9]
Embalse Río Tercero, Córdoba
Kitebeach, Martínez, Buenos Aires Province
Laguna De Chascomus, Chascomús, Buenos Aires Province [10]
Laguna de Gomez, Junin, Buenos Aires Province [11]
Laguna de Lobos, Lobos, Buenos Aires Province
Laguna La Salada, Pedro Luro, Buenos Aires Province
Laguna Mar Chiquita, Córdoba
Laguna Setubal, Santa Fe
Mar Chiquita, Buenos Aires Province
Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Province
Melincué, Santa Fe
Nahuel Huapi, Bariloche, Río Negro
Pinamar, Buenos Aires Province
Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Patagonia
Punta Indio, Buenos Aires Province
Punta Lara, La Plata, Buenos Aires Province
Punta Rasa, San Clemente del Tuyú, Buenos Aires Province
Quila Quina, Lago Lacar, San Martin de los Andes, Neuquén
Rosario, Santa Fe
San Antonio Este, Río Negro
Santa Clara, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Province
Tafí Del Valle, Tucumán
Termas de Río Hondo, Santiago del Estero
Dique Potrerillos, Mendoza
Dique El Carrizal, Mendoza
———Puerto Deseado, Santa Cruz
Araruama
Barra Grande
Canoa Quebrada
Cumbuco
Paracuru
Taiba
Guajiru
Icarai de Amontada
Flexeiras
Fortaleza
Ibiraquera
São Miguel do Gostoso
Itaúnas
Ilha do Guajiru
Jijoca de Jericoacoara
Bahia Inglesa
Laguna de Aculeo
La Sirena, Curanipe
Matanzas
Pichidangui
Puertecillo
Tranque Puclaro
Cabo de la Vela
Calima Lake
Cartagena
Puerto Velero
San Andrés Islas
Tomine
Laguna Merín
Punta del Este
Laguna Garzon
Playa Malvin
Parque del plata, solis chico
Adicora, Paraguana
Coche
Playa El Yaque, Isla Margarita
Laguna de la Restinga, Isla Margarita
Cayo de Agua, Los Roques Archipelago
Varadero, Morrocoy National Park
Dique de Guataparo, Carabobo
Lago de Macagua, Bolívar
La Tortuga Island
Puerto La Cruz
Máncora, Piura Region, Talara Province, Peru
Paracas, Ica Region, Peru
Villa Kite's beach, Santo Domingo, Paracas
Tres Cruces, Piura Region, Talara Province, Peru
Safety and Restrictions
Kite surfing is restricted or banned in some locations. This may be the result of safety and liability concerns, excessive beach traffic and poorly organized practising of kiteboarding. Bans have been reversed when kitesurfers have organized, prepared riding guidelines and negotiated with authorities for resumption of the sport. Many kite boarders stress safety and quality professional instruction to keep the sport from being banned or restricted.
Not all locations will have bans posted. Usually a warning from a park ranger, lifeguard or other official will let the rider know that kite surfing is not allowed. As a general rule, if other kiteboarders are in the water, it is probably permitted.
When new to an area or visiting check area restrictions and precautions before rigging up and riding. This courtesy should give a better riding session, avoid friction with locals and help to preserve kiting access. If riders offer suggestions, including not using a certain sized kite, relocating to a safer launch site or not going out in current conditions, consider their advice carefully.
Learners should practice at locations where there are few other beach users, with no hazards such as reefs, rock walls and rock groynes, strong tidal flows and busy boating areas.
