Mar Menor/Escuela de Vela / Alicante / Spain

Escuela de Vela is situated far north on the lagoon which is Mar Menor and is popular with  kitesurfers who are reasonably experienced. The area gets very busy with tourists, especially in the summer months, when kitesurfing is disallowed, so you are best to pick a weekday, to be sure of getting a space. There is no real season but late September to April are the best months to avoid the crowds.

There is a medium sized sandy beach with plenty of room for your gear and a small rigging/launching area. There are a couple of rocks in the ankle deep shallow water but nothing further out. The beach gets very crowded in the summer months of June, July and August when you need to arrive really early in them morning to have any chance of finding a space.

The winds here are predominantly easterlies and the best directions are NNE, NE, ENE and E. Northeast is best coming from the right and creates flat water which gets choppy further out. It tends to be fairly secluded here with other surfers tending to go further north east in this direction. The water is quite deep the further out you go, although you can still see the bottom. There are a couple of fishing nets in place to keep swimmers away, but they do not pose any threat to surfers since they are quite a way apart. The water is never below 18 degrees in Mar Menor and whilst a pair of shorts is fine for the summer, you will still need a wetsuit for winter.

There are toilet facilities here and places to grab a bite to eat but if you are looking for supplies or accommodation, then the nearest large town would be Cartagena where you will get everything that you need. You may need to travel into Alicante if you are looking for any serous night life.

No real safety issues here. Just be aware of swimmers in the summer months and be aware that kitesurfing is not allowed during the summer months because it is too crowded with tourists