A kitesurfer off Costa da Fragata near Santa Maria, Sal

Kites over Kite Beach near Santa Maria, Sal

Kitesurfing on the island of Sal, Cape Verde

Chapters / Africa Open, 1 of 1 remaining

Ride Sal, keep it open

Sal is a flat, dry island in the Atlantic trade winds, where Santa Maria's Kite Beach teaches the world to ride and Ponta Preta hosts the best wave kiters on the planet.

Back this chapter

4 riders call this homeKite, WingSanta Maria

Everything you need to know about Sal

Live conditions

Why riders love it

What brings people here, from the people who manage it and the people who ride it.

Northeast trade winds blow 15 to 25 knots almost daily from November to June, strongest from about 9 am to 3 pm.
At Kite Beach the wind is cross-on from the left, with a mix of flatter water and waves; most schools teach here. Ponta Preta is offshore, with waves up to 6 metres and a rocky beach.
A 3/2 shorty suits most riders, though some bring a long wetsuit for full days.
Ponta Preta hosted GKA Kite-Surf World Cup events in 2018 and 2019, and Sal launched the 2024 GKA Kite World Tour.
Mitu Monteiro, Airton Cozzolino and Matchu Lopes are among the riders associated with the island.

Sources: IKSURFMAG; Kitesurfing Magazine; Kitesurfing Magazine; IKSURFMAG

See the wind right now

Access and rules

Local governments and environmental agencies set the terms. The chapter works with them, not around them.

We could find no published kiteboarding rules for Sal from local authorities.
Kite Beach is crowded in high season, and Ponta Leme gets busy when the swell is on. At Ponta Preta the long ride closes out near rocks.

Sources: IKSURFMAG; no kiteboarding policy found in official material as of 2026

Help hold the launch

Ecology and habitat

Protected lagoons, wetlands and the species that depend on them. Stewardship days keep launches clean inside the protected zones.

Endangered loggerhead turtles nest on Sal from June through October.
Projeto Biodiversidade, a Cabo Verdean nonprofit in Santa Maria, runs ranger and volunteer patrols to protect nesting turtles from poaching and other human threats.

Sources: Projeto Biodiversidade

Fund stewardship here

Good to know

Location, facilities and history.

Santa Maria is at the south end of Sal, one of the Cabo Verde islands in the Atlantic. The island's international airport code is SID.
Kite Beach, on Costa da Fragata east of Santa Maria, is about 3 km of sand and the island's main and busiest kite spot. Ponta Preta, west of town, is the expert wave spot; Ponta Leme is a short downwind from Kite Beach.
Mitu & Djo's is among the kite schools teaching on the island.
Sunscreen is essential year-round, and a light jacket helps in the evenings.

Sources: Kitesurfing Magazine; IKSURFMAG

Meet the riders

Back this chapter

Schools that teach on this water

Mitu & Djo Kite School

Sal

Northeast trades blow 15–25 knots almost daily from November to June.

Source: Kitesurfing Magazine

Know the spot

Sal

Kite Beach runs about 3 km of sand east of Santa Maria.

Source: Kitesurfing Magazine

Know the spot

Sal

Ponta Preta's waves reach 6 metres and host the GKA world tour.

Source: Kitesurfing Magazine; IKSURFMAG

Know the spot

Why Sal needs a chapter

Africa

The northeast trade winds blow across Sal for most of the year, and the island is low enough that nothing gets in their way. At Kite Beach they blow cross-onshore over flat patches and waves, and at Ponta Preta they groom one of the most famous wave spots in kiting.

4riders call this home

1local schools teach on this water

Kite, Wingdisciplines riding here

Sal chapter, World Wind Sports

Back this chapter

Africa

Sal is also where several world champions grew up riding, and where the GKA world tour starts its season. Tourism has grown quickly around Santa Maria, and the beaches riders use are the same beaches where endangered loggerhead turtles come ashore to nest.

4riders call this home

1local schools teach on this water

Kite, Wingdisciplines riding here

Sal chapter, World Wind Sports

Back this chapter

Africa

A chapter gives Sal's riders, local and visiting, a way to keep the island's beaches working for everyone: support for turtle protection, a voice with local authorities, and a link between the schools and the community that produced the champions.

4riders call this home

1local schools teach on this water

Kite, Wingdisciplines riding here

Sal chapter, World Wind Sports

Back this chapter

Photographer credits Back this chapter

The riders, schools and crew of Sal

Riders from Santa Maria, Espargos and the schools that teach them.

See the rider directory Talk on the board

MMitu & Djo Kite SchoolLocal school teaching on this waterWWSThe chapterHolds the line on access: one standing voice with whoever manages the launch.WWSThe chapterRuns stewardship days, so the people who manage the beach see riders as an asset.WWSThe chapterRuns sponsored certification weekends, so riders are trained and self-policing.MMitu & Djo Kite SchoolLocal school teaching on this waterWWSThe chapterHolds the line on access: one standing voice with whoever manages the launch.WWSThe chapterRuns stewardship days, so the people who manage the beach see riders as an asset.WWSThe chapterRuns sponsored certification weekends, so riders are trained and self-policing.

Nataniel Barros NatasInstructor Level 2, Santa Maria

Leo SpearsInstructor Level 1, Santa maria

Guilherme GomesInstructor Level 1, Santa MariaGGabriele DeneckeLevel 2I, Santa Maria

Nataniel Barros NatasInstructor Level 2, Santa Maria

Leo SpearsInstructor Level 1, Santa maria

Guilherme GomesInstructor Level 1, Santa MariaGGabriele DeneckeLevel 2I, Santa Maria

iSportsKite, WingiWind spotSanta MariaiKnow thisSanta Maria, at the south end of Sal, Cabo Verde, in the Atlantic off West Africa.iKnow thisNortheast trade winds of 15 to 25 knots from November to June; warm water and real waves.iKnow thisNo published kite rules; loggerhead turtles nest on the beaches from June to October.iSportsKite, WingiWind spotSanta MariaiKnow thisSanta Maria, at the south end of Sal, Cabo Verde, in the Atlantic off West Africa.iKnow thisNortheast trade winds of 15 to 25 knots from November to June; warm water and real waves.iKnow thisNo published kite rules; loggerhead turtles nest on the beaches from June to October.

Live conditions

Wind right now at Sal

Full forecast

Fund this chapter. You can too.

Your gift keeps the chapter running and the beach cared for: cleanup supplies, signage, certification weekends and the costs of being the group the park can call.

Back this chapter Become a steward