Kitesurfing in Sal Cape Verde

January 6, 2025
Spot Review

Kitesurfing in Sal Cape Verde

Home of the legendary Mito Monteiro who was one of the pioneers in strapless kitesurfing. Sal is one of the fifteen island that make up Cape Verde and the most known for strapless kitesurfing rather smaller waves in Kite Beach and big waves in Ponta Preta on the other side of the island.

“No stress” is the motto on the island. Sal is not just about wind and waves. If you are not kitesurfing you can visit the island’s unique attractions, such as the Pedra de Lume salt crater where you can float in salt waters, or the Buracona lagoon, fabous for its natural “Blue Eye” phenomenon.

The main spots

Kite Beach: Located on the southeastern coast, this spot is perfect for Beginners and Intermediate riders. The wind is side-onshore, consistent and the ocean bottom is sandy. The kiteschool of Mitu Monteiro is next by offering drinks, food and lessons for the ones just beginning their kitesurf journey.

Das ist ein Kitestrand in Sal.
Cape Verde - Kite Beach Sal

Kite Beach in Sal is one of the most popular kite spots on the island, with a mix of waves and flat water, and is also one of the only places on the island where you can learn to kitesurf. It is located a short distance from the main town of Santa Maria, and due to the pretty friendly kitesurfing conditions and the fact you can choose to kite with either your surfboard or twintip, it tends to be one of the busiest spots in Sal. The island is home to multiple world champion wave kitesurfers, and kite beach is the place where a lot of people hone their skills before hitting the more aggressive wave spots around the island. The wind blows cross onshore, so it’s perfect if you aren’t super comfortable with the waves as you know you will always be blown back to the beach.

Santa Maria Bay: Located on the southern tip of the island. It offers a mix of flat water and small waves. Perfect for intermediate riders and beyond to train freestyle tricks.

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Cape Verde - Santa Maria

In the heart of the expansive Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Senegal, lies the invaluable archipelago of Cape Verde. This seemingly modest cluster of islands, however, holds immense significance, not only for its geographical allure but also as a haven for board sports enthusiasts. The ION CLUB Sal, with its two distinct centers strategically placed on the beautiful Santa Maria beach and in Ponta Leme, embodies the essence of this aquatic paradise.

Ponte Preta: Only for professionals, as it is rocky and the waves can become very big on a good day (4-5m). It is worth a visit even just watching the locals surfing and kitesurfing the spot.

Wave Sufer riding a white water wave at Kitesurfspot Ponta Preta
Cape Verde - Ponta Preta

Ponta Preta is a gnarly but incredible wave spot, with a wave that breaks close to the rocks and with offshore wind, so it’s definitely for advanced kitesurfers only! If you are at a level to take this one on you’ll be stoked with the long pumping waves and perfect cross offshore wind direction. The waves can get really big here, and the launch isn’t exactly the easiest with a big shore break to get through, but it’s totally worth it for the kitesurfing conditions once you get out. The wave kitesurfing world tour has stopped here more than once, and it’s home to Mitu Monteiro and Airton Cozzolino, two of the best wave kitesurfers in the world. If you could name a reason they got so good, it might be having Ponta Preta on their doorstep!

Wind and Gear

The wind blows steady between December June at 25 knots and above. Basically, there is wind all year long, but the hot season between July and November is less strong winds plus some rain between August and October. Bring small kites, like 7m to 9m and maybe a larger backup kite.


Noticeable Neighboring Islands

While Sal is the kitesurfing hub, Cape Verde’s neighboring islands also offer unique experiences.

Boa Vista: Known for its expansive sandy beaches and rolling dunes. The island is chilled and quieter than Sal. There are kitesurf spots in Boa Vista, but I have never been there, so I leave it to other people to comment about Praia de Chaves and Ervatao. There are cheap flights from Sal to Boa Vista (around 70$ for a round-trip which takes 25mins).

Sao Vicente: Best known for Mindelo, the port city and cultural hear of Cape Verde. The music scene, traditional markets, festival (like Carnival) make it a must-visit for kitesurfers that want to suck in some cultural vibes besides kitesurfing. The most famous – still very simple without much infrastructure – spot is Salamansa Bay. Depending on the wind the waves are considerably small and it should work for Beginner to Intermediate riders. Praia Grande is the place to go for advanced kiters. There are reef breaks from the right side with 0.3-2.4m waves. Watch out for the wind direction, as it is often on-shore.

Santo Antao: Don’t get fooled by seeing Mitu Monteiro shredding the waves in Santo Antao. This place is not easy to get in. There are stones and rocks all over the place. The water is choppy and the conditions can be rather rough. There are not many kitesurfers in Santo Antao and hence, not much infrastructure. Better stay on Sal, Sao Vicente or Boa Vista.

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