Amoudara / Crete / Greece

Located North on the island of Crete, just a short bus ride away from the capital Heraklion lies the spot at Amoudara. It is a great spot for wind surfing and kite surfing and there are no restrictions so you are able to use it all year around. The best times to surf here are from May through to September.

The beach here at Amoudara is wide and sandy and is medium in size. Its gentle slopes means that it is ideal for beginners to practice. There is lots of space on this beach, but beware of surfing and kiting outside the hotels, as these are generally for the hotel guests. To get here you will need to head 15 minutes out of Heraklion, following the signs for Amoudara and the beach, here there is plenty of parking.

The predominant wind directions come at you from the north, or variations thereof and are also the best directions here. The thermal winds tend to kick in in July and August, but it can get a little gusty. The water quality is clean and conditions are flat to choppy with small waves of up to 1 meter in height. The water temperature remains temperate, however it does get colder in the winter, so you might want to suit up accordingly.

As you would expect from a resort, the infrastructure is pretty good. It offers, showers and toilet facilities at the beach plus a good choice of eating establishments. There is also equipment rental plus a surf shop and even a repair shop. There is also a fully manned rescue center.

This is a very safe spot for beginners to practice, just be aware of other boarders and kiters and keep a watch out for swimmers and bathers in and around the water during the busy summer period