Brancaleone / Calabria / Italy

Situated on the southern tip of Italy, in the region of Calabria lies the beach at Brancaleone. It is a very popular spot with kite surfers and wind surfers of all levels and abilities. The beach does get busy with tourists, particularly during the summer months of June, July and August and because of this, there may well be surfing restrictions in place during this time. It may pay to check this out before you set off. Having said this the best months for surfing are between May and September when the thermal winds kick in.

Brancaleone has a long beach that is medium in size but is made up of small shingle instead of sand. To get here you will need to take the A106 southbound from Reggio following the coast, until you see the signs for Brancaleone and the beach. Here there is ample parking.

The main wind direction is south westerly and this direction works really well here. The water quality is clear and conditions are generally choppy. However, frequently you will also get small waves of up to 1 meter in height appearing when the wind is strong enough and in the right direction. The water temperature falls somewhere between 12-26 degrees depending upon the time of year so you may need to suit up accordingly.

There is ample parking and accommodation to be found close to the beach. The town of Brancaleone also has a reasonable selection of shops, bars and restaurants.

This is a pretty safe spot! However, be mindful of swimmers and bathers in and around the water during the busy summer months.