THE LURE Barcelona is situated on the northeast coast of Spain in the Costa Meresma region. This coast can produce good wind and waves, and with more than 20 beaches around Barcelona, you should have plenty of choice. Barcelona is the party capital of the world! If you can't find entertainment here then you're doing something wrong. Whether you want to party all night or just slip a few quiet ones down, then you'll have no problem. There's lots to see and do culturally and you'll never be short of a no-wind option. It's commonly thought that Barcelona is one of the cleanest cities in the world. Surfing and kitesurfing are popular in Barcelona all year, but in the winter surfers and kitesurfers get the beaches and waves to themselves again. Plus, the Pyrenees mountains are a short journey away, so if you're taking a break in the winter, you could also go snowkiting!
THE SET UP As Barcelona is a huge city with great weather in the summer, you can imagine that the beaches get very busy, which is why there is a ban on kitesurfing on some beaches in the summertime. Make sure you check when and where you can kite. There are a lot of other great options, and it's probably worth getting some wheels to make the most of them. Barcelona's main beach is for more advanced surfriders. It's flat and choppy in the summer but gets big waves during the winter storms.
WIND & WEATHER: In the spring the wind comes from the southeast and is cross-onshore from the right. In the winter it switches to be mainly from the northeast and cross-onshore from the left. Best time to kite here is in the spring (April, May and June) when the thermal winds start and before the summer bans begin. July and August are the hottest months, getting up to 40ºC and a lot of people take a whole month off because it's simply too hot to work!
THE WATER: You can swim comfortably here for about four months between mid-June and September. In the winter you'll need a wetsuit.
AIRPORTS: Barcelona International Airport (BCN) – located 16 kilometres away from the city.
GETTING ABOUT: Get a taxi or hire a car from the airport - there's a lot to see.
