Kitesurfing
Ride the Wind & Waves Kitesurfing in Colombia!
Colombia offers a myriad of kitesurfing destinations. Transitioning from the serene waters of Lake Calima nestled inland near Cali and the enchanting Coffee Triangle, to the vibrant shores of the Caribbean coast encompassing the Rosario Islands and Cartagena, there’s a plethora of options. Moreover, adventurers can explore even further north to the exotic Guajira desert, marking the northernmost tip of South America, where more exhilarating kitesurfing experiences await.
Kitesurfing in Colombia is Adventure in Paradise!
Kitesurfing in Colombia is definitely one of the most fantastic activities to do with all its exotic and beautiful coastline, inland lakes close to major cities, and friendly people.
The sport has undeniably made its mark in Colombia on a grand scale. Transitioning from hosting major international competitions to offering numerous kitesurfing schools and expeditions, the country now stands as a premier destination for enthusiasts. Collaborating with Kitesphynx, Guanabana Tours is poised to curate your unforgettable kiteboarding getaway. Whether you’re a complete novice or an experienced kitesurfer seeking the ultimate adventure, Colombia beckons as the perfect destination for you!
Plenty of different spots to go kitesurfing Colombia.
We have inland kitesurfing in beautiful lake Calima two-and-a-half hours away from Salento and one-and-half from Cali.
This beautiful lake in the mountains has great wind conditions all year round, great spots to kitesurf, and is a great place to learn and practice kitesurfing. Activities during the downtime here are also paragliding, ATVing, mountain biking, trekking, and horseback riding.
In the Caribbean coastal region, we have kitesurfing spots all the way from Cartagena and the Rosario Islands up to Cabo de la Vela & Punta Gallinas in the Guajira desert, the northernmost tip of South America.
Contact us if you want to learn kitesurf in Colombia and we will set you up in an intensive kite camp program. We will coordinate with our different acquainted schools and instructors at the different spots guaranteeing that all certifications are in order and schedules kept.
Furthermore, if you’re an experienced kiter that wants to live magical kitetrips Colombia then Guanabana will take care of everything. We will pick you up at the airport and transport you and your gear in air-conditioned vans and 4x4s with English-speaking drivers to the different spots. We arrange itineraries with the local kitesurfing hostels, schools, restaurants, hotels and villas will so everything will be smooth sailing.
Kitesurfing Colombia downwinds in the exotic desert! 200 kms in 4 stages from Punta Gallinas to Riohacha, in the Guajira Desert!
If downwinding is your thing, Colombia’s Guajira region is the place!
Colombia’s Guajira desert is destined to become one of the world’s best downwinding destinations. It is the ancestral territory of the wayuu natives, harsh and beautiful. Tourism has grown a lot in the last few years, so now you can find better accommodations and food in all the spots. And what is one of the best features of the Guajira? Wind! +25 kts all year round, and we do some of the best downwinding in the world. Let us know and we’ll take you downwinding with us!
Exotic Kitetrips Colombia!
In Colombia kitesurfing has plenty of beautiful spots with great water and wind conditions. There’s miles upon miles of beautiful tropical beaches where we travel in our 4×4’s or the pristine Rosario Islands that we visit on sailboats. Furthermore, we always stay in local kitesurf owned hostels or beautiful and luxurious island/beach villas too. With Guanabana, kitetrips in Colombia are always an adventure to never forget!
When is the best time for kitesurfing in Colombia?
The best time of the year on the Caribbean coast (Cartagena, Salinas del Rey, Puerto Velero) go from January to beginning of April. Up in the Guajira region the season lasts longer, there’s great wind from January to August. Down in Lake Calima their’s wind pretty much all year round, with a few sporadic days in May/June and Sep/Oct that fizz out due to rains.
How to get around to the different kite spots while kitesurfing in Colombia
Moving around with kite gear is always a challenge. In Colombia there are many ways to skin this cat. Between the major cities like Cartagena, Riohacha, and Cali there’s not too expensive domestic flights, and once on the ground you can choose buses, taxis, Ubers or Tuk Tuks to transport you to the spots. Or you can talk to us and we’ll take care of everything, moving you around comfortably and safely to all the kite spots in Colombia, contact us!
Kitesurfing Colombia’s Caribbean Coast From Cartagena To Barranquilla
Caribbean/Atlantic Coast
Colombia kitesurfing spots have their prime seasons depending on their general geographical location. The best time of the year in the Caribbean coast for example, whose main kite spots are Cartagena, Salinas del Rey, and Puerto Velero (but not the only kite spots in the area by far) goes from end of December up to March/beginning of April, with wind speeds averaging 17 to 20 kts with gusts 25-30 kts. The wind direction averages NE.
Salinas del Rey, in Santa Verónica
Salinas del Rey was put on the global kitesurfing map thanks to the GKA stops of 2022 & 2023. Salinas is a beach adjacent to the town of Santa Verónica, between Cartagena (50 miles) and Barranquilla (27 miles). Winds average 20-25 knots during the prime period from December to March. Furthermore, the spot has waves. We recommend going out early to the spot because it can get crowded in the afternoons. There are also options of other, more solo spots, very close in the area, just let us know and we’ll point them out for you and tell you how to get there (or take you ourselves). Salinas is the place to set up base to visit all the other surrounding spots in the area and doing some of the local downwinders.
Puerto Velero
Puerto Velero is a 20 minute drive north from Salinas del Rey and Santa Verónica. Despite being so close, the conditions are quite different. Puerto Velero (or Velero as everyone calls it for short) is in a big bay, so there aren’t waves, just chop, making it a great place to go out and have some fun. It has different spots, and one of the most popular ones is way out at the end of the peninsula. It’s a bit remote and the driving is sand and brush. The local school there is Kite Puerto Velero.
The Guajira Desert, Northernmost Tip Of Colombia & South America
The Mystical Guajira Desert
There’s great wind averaging 25 kts with gusts of 30-35 kts from January until August. September, October, November and December are rainy, overcast, muggy, and windless. By the last week of December and certainly January the wind comes back for the start of another great season! Lake Calima down south has wind pretty much all year round, with a few days of no wind spread out in the rainy season, October. The Guajira is shaping itself out to be a future global kitesurfing destination!
Mayapo
Mayapo in the Guajira is a 30 minute drive north of the capital, Riohacha. It is known for its wide beaches, thick sand, and some great kiting conditions. Mayapo has been steadily gaining popularity in the past years both for local tourism as for kitesurfing. It has gone from a desolate beach only five years ago to having hostels, restaurants, and of course, multiple kite schools. Wind is constant 18-24 knots with the NE wind being side-on. Waves are choppy, not too big. Furthermore, right next to Mayapo there’s a lagoon called El Buey which is totally flat and great for learning and practicing tricks while the NE kicks in.
El Pájaro
El Pájaro is the new rising star spot of the Guajira. It is 44 kms (45 minutes) from Riohacha, 18 kms (15 minutes) north of Mayapo, on the way to Cabo de La Vela. The spot is quickly gaining followers due to its constant 18-24 kts of NE wind, and a beach and water all to yourself and is great to use as a launch pad for easy and safe downwinders to Mayapo (11.5 kms/7 mi) and to Riohacha (33 km/20.5 mi). This makes for a great stop during a kite trip on the way to the northern spots of Cabo and Punta Gallinas. It is also 30 minutes away on the way north to Manaure, a town famous for its open air sea-salt mines, a must-see on the way to Cabo.
Cabo de La Vela
Cabo de La Vela is pretty much a legend in Colombia. It is at the mid section of the High Guajira desert, and what makes it famous is its mystical desert and ocean landscape, with the water being as flat as a mirror. It is a 2.5 hour drive from Riohacha, 2 hours from Mayapo. The wind is an average of 25 knots with gusts to up to 35. Speaking of gusts, Cabo is gusty, full stop. Cabo has also advanced a lot in the past years, going from a small wayuu indigenous fishing town without electricity or water, to having hostels with private rooms, bathrooms, running water, A/C, and restaurants. There are also a number of kiteschools in Cabo.
Punta Gallinas
Punta Gallinas is on the northernmost tip of Colombia and South America, and it’s not a place easy to get to! It takes some serious off roading to travel through the Guajira desert to get there. There are no roads, so it takes having wayuu indigenous guides during expeditions to Punta Gallinas, because not even GPS will get you there. The terrain is too broken and the access shifts with each rainy season (2 weeks a year in September), so it takes wayuuPS to get there. But the reward is outworldly, the wind is constant 25-30 kts, with a few local spots and downwinders to make this trip an adventure of a lifetime!
Inland Lakes In The Andes Mountains
Lake Calima
Lake Calima is in the southern west part of Colombia, 1.5 hours away from the capital city of the state of Valle del Cauca, Cali (population 2,300,000). The town next to the lake is called El Darien (pop. 18,500) and is 1,484 mts/4,872 feet above sea level, making its climate cool and sometimes chilly at night. Lake Calima is a hydroelectric and up the canyon that was dammed is direct wind from the Pacific Ocean is channeled. Every afternoon (pretty reliable all year) the wind blows over the lake, even creating the special phenomenon cloud waterfall as seen in the picture. In Calima it is called El Brujo, The Witch. Great kiting all year round!
watch this 55-second video and get a glimpse
Of some of the fantastic spots we have for kitesurfing in Colombia! There’s lake Calima close to the city of Cali and Salento, there’s Cartagena, Santa Verónica, Puerto Velero, Riohacha, Mayapo, Cabo de la Vela and Punta gallinas. All magical spots with great wind conditions, great beaches and places to stay. Not to mention lots of friendly locals to make long lasting friendships in Colombia!
And don’t forget all our other cool stuff!
