Altefaehr / Rugen / Germany

Altefaehr is located on the westerly side of Rugen which is Germany's largest island laying off the coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the Baltic Sea. It's a very small beached area that is really only suitable for experienced kitesurfers. The main season is spring to fall although winter surfing is possible if you can handle the cold.

The beach is small and sandy and surrounded by concrete and there is a lot of boat traffic, making it a tricky area to navigate unless you are experienced. There is also a grassed area for rigging and launching. To get here drive from Stralsund over the bridge to Rugen and take the first exit left to Altefaehr.

As with most of the island, the winds are frontal westerlies with depressions. The spot works best in fall and spring with these winds as other directions can be quite gusty. The summer winds are normally much lighter. The water is clean and there is a large shallow area of about 200 meters which can alternate between flat or choppy depending on the wind. If you go just around the corner towards Ummanz you will come across some very flat water (Heuwiese). Summers are warm and the water temperature is about 22o C. dropping down to 15o C in fall and spring. The air temperature can be as high as 30o C in the height of summer, dropping to around 15o C for the rest of the season.

There are toilets and places serving food. For night life head back to Stralsund or Bergen.

Keep a keen eye out for ships and boats