Blue Flag · Dec 2025GKA Kite World Tour

Beaches and water sports in Atlántico

80 kilometers of Caribbean coast with the Americas' first Blue Flag sports beach, trade winds built for world-class kitesurfing, and sunsets you won't find anywhere else. This is the real Caribbean.

Beaches

along 80 km of coast

1ª

Blue Flag

sports beach in the Americas

Knots

max. trade winds

30°C

Water

average temperature

Kitesurf PDF Guide

“Atlántico has the first Blue Flag sports beach on the American continent”

FEE Certification

Foundation for Environmental Education

80 km of coast, one department

Puerto Velero

Kitesurf capital

Salinas del Rey

Blue Flag · the Americas

Pradomar

Barranquilla's favorite beach

Sabanilla

History and surf

Caño Dulce

Where river meets sea

Punta Astilleros

World's #8 rural beach

Santa Verónica

The locals' secret

Playa Mendoza

Golden sand

Playas del Country

Caribbean exclusivity

Bocatocino

Wild nature

International Certification

Blue Flag

The Americas' first Blue Flag sports beach

On December 1, 2025, Salinas del Rey made history: the Blue Flag went up over 1 km of Atlántico coastline, making it the first sports beach on the entire American continent — and the tenth in Colombia — to earn Blue Flag certification from the Foundation for Environmental Education.

Certified water quality

Guaranteed safety

Environmental sustainability

Universal access

“When that flag went up, Salinas del Rey stopped being a beach and became a symbol.”

Discover Salinas del Rey

🏆Blue Flag
2025

Conditions by spot

Atlántico's wind spots

8 spots, 8 different conditions — from flat bays for beginners to strong waves for the advanced.

Download PDF Guide

77–86°F air

79–82°F water

NE trade winds

18–28 knots

Salinas del Rey

Swell: medium to strong

Advanced

KitesurfWindsurf

15–22 knots

Puerto Velero

Swell: gentle

All levels

KitesurfWindsurfKayak

15–20 knots

Punta Roca

Swell: strong

Advanced

Surf

12–18 knots

Pradomar

Swell: long and steady

All levels

SurfPaddle Surf

10–16 knots

Playa Mahalo

Swell: low

Beginner

Surf

10–14 knots

Miramar

Swell: low

Beginner

SurfPaddle Surf

8–12 knots

El Muelle

Swell: low

Recreational

PaddleboardSurf

10–15 knots

Puerto Mocho

Swell: gentle

Beginner

SurfRecreational kayaking

What's your level?

Recommended zones by level

Find your ideal spot based on experience. Every level has its own perfect corner.

🌊

Beginners

Calm water, low swell, certified schools on-site. The perfect place to start.

Where to go

Puerto Velero (inner bay), Playa Mahalo, El Muelle, and Puerto Mocho

💨

Intermediate

More open conditions with light chop — ideal for building skills and confidence.

Where to go

Puerto Velero (outer bay), Pradomar, and Miramar

🔥

Advanced

Salinas del Rey: prime conditions for freestyle, big air, and racing. Punta Roca: strong waves, recommended for experienced surfers only.

Where to go

Salinas del Rey and Punta Roca

🏆 GKA Kite World Tour

Salinas del Rey · Since 2022

International events

Events and positioning

GKA Freestyle World Tour – Salinas del Rey

An international competition with elite riders from around the world. Host site since 2022.

Kite Fest Atlántico

Cultural activities, clinics, local tournaments. The Caribbean's wind festival.

Disciplines featured:

FreestyleBig AirTwintip RaceFormula KiteWindsurf Slalom

🏗️ Regional growth

The Centro de Deportes Náuticos at Salinas del Rey aims to strengthen sports tourism with classrooms, training zones, and world-class events.

Everything you need

Schools, services, and lodging

Certified operators, oceanfront lodging, and all the support your trip needs.

Kite and windsurf schools

Kite Puerto Velero
Salinas Sunset Kite School
Kitesurf Experience
Kite Eco House
Veronikites
Umma Gumma Windsurf

Surf and paddle schools

Natural Surf
Anuwanna
Club de Surf Puerto Colombia

Nearby lodging

Kite Eco House Hotel
Guacamaya Kite Lodges
Casa Agua Vela Hostal
Hotel Pradomar
Hotel Isla Verde
Kasamar Boutique
Hotel El Emigrante

Available services

Lessons for every level
Equipment rental
Gear and accessories for sale
Equipment storage
Boat rescue (main spots)

Kitesurfing in Colombia — Atlántico Guide

PDF · Conditions, spots, schools, routes, and more

Download

A coastal story

A day on the coast

This is what a perfect day on Atlántico's beaches looks like. From sunup to sunset, no filters.

7:00 AM

The early start that's worth it

You leave Barranquilla with the windows down and vallenato on the radio. Twenty minutes to Pradomar, fifty to Puerto Velero. Solinilla's fishermen are already back with the morning's catch, and the gulls are celebrating. The air changes — salt, clean breeze, the real Caribbean.

10:00 AM

When the wind kicks in

The northeast trades show up right on time. Kites start filling the sky over Puerto Velero — a steady 15 to 22 knots over flat water. At Salinas del Rey, the Blue Flag zone is perfect for paddleboarding. The water's at 82°F — you won't need a wetsuit, just the will to get in.

2:00 PM

Ceviche, beer, and a breeze

Lunch at a kiosk in Caño Dulce: fried fish with patacón and coconut limeade. Or go upscale at Klimandiaro Sunset Lounge in Pradomar, with cocktails that give Cartagena a run for its money. Feet in the sand, always.

5:30 PM

The sunset that needs no filter

The sky turns orange over the Caribbean and everyone reaches for their phone, but no photo does it justice. La Ventana de Sueños in Sabanilla catches the last light. Golden hour, free, every single day of the year.

Where do you want to go?

Blue FlagActive

Puerto Colombia

Salinas del Rey

The Americas' first Blue Flag sports beach

45 minJan–Apr (winds: 18–28 knots)

18–28 knots Medium to strong Intermediate / Advanced

This beach made history. On December 1, 2025, Salinas del Rey raised the Blue Flag and became the first sports beach on the entire American continent to earn the certification — the tenth in Colombia. A full kilometer of coast, with 360 meters certified for swimmers and athletes under international protocols, and the rest set aside as an environmental protection zone. The GKA Kite World Tour has been held here since 2022, with elite riders from around the world flying over its waters. Prime conditions for freestyle, big air, and racing. Certified water quality, universal access, lifeguards, and a sunset you won't forget.

Active

Tubará

Puerto Velero

Colombia's Caribbean kitesurf capital

50 minDec–Aug (peak: Jan–Apr)

15–22 knots Gentle All levels

Want to fly? Literally. Puerto Velero is THE mecca of kitesurfing on Colombia's Caribbean coast. Northeast trade winds averaging 15–22 knots with gusts to 30–35, a bay with flat, wave-free water to learn in peace, and La Punta for riders who've already got it down. IKO-certified schools like Kite Puerto Velero and Veronikites teach you from scratch. The marina has lodging, restaurants, and everything you need to stay a few days. And outside the bay, there are waves waiting for the advanced crowd.

Family

Puerto Colombia

Pradomar

Atlántico's favorite city beach

20 minYear-round

12–18 knots Long and steady All levels

This is Barranquilla's beach. Twenty minutes from downtown, with the best food scene on the whole coast: Pradomar Beach Club, Klimandiaro Sunset Lounge (cocktails, sunset included), and Hotel Pradomar with its oceanfront cabañas. Winds of 12–18 knots and a long, steady swell make it ideal for surf and paddle surf at every level. On weekends it comes alive — music, beach soccer, jet skis, and a Caribbean energy you won't find anywhere else.

More beaches in Atlántico

Sabanilla

History and sea in perfect balance

Chill

25 minYear-round

Caño Dulce

Where the river meets the sea

Chill

55 minYear-round

Santa Verónica

The locals' best-kept secret

Chill

1h 10minYear-round

Playa Mendoza

Golden sand and near-perfect swell

Adventure

35 minDec–Mar

Playas Miramar

Endless horizon over the Caribbean

Chill

30 minYear-round

Playa Modelo

Caribbean elegance by the sea

Exclusive

25 minYear-round

Playas del Country

Exclusive and private, right on the sea

Exclusive

25 minYear-round

Salgarito

The insiders' secret spot

Chill

30 minYear-round

Solinilla

Fishing tradition and open sea

Chill

35 minEarly morning, to catch the fishermen coming in

Playa Palmarito

Palm trees, breeze, and nothing else

Chill

1h 15minYear-round

🤫 Few people know these

Hidden Coastal Gems

Untouched beaches, ancestral land, and corners mass tourism hasn't reached yet.

Playa Bocatocino

Wild nature, untouched

45 min + hike

Punta Astilleros

One of the world's top 8 rural beaches

1h 20min

Playa Tubará

Indigenous culture by the sea

Puerto Caimán

Where the Caribbean bares its teeth

Atlántico has 80 kilometers of coastline, and every beach tells a different story.

Adventure in the water

Water Sports

World-class kitesurfing, surf on the Caribbean's best waves, kayaking through mangroves, and real ecotourism.

Kitesurf & Wingfoil

Trade winds of 15 to 28 knots depending on the spot, flat water in the Puerto Velero bay, and the GKA Kite World Tour's home base at Salinas del Rey. Schools like Kite Puerto Velero, Salinas Sunset Kite School, and Veronikites teach you from zero. Water's at 82°F — no wetsuit needed. Disciplines: Freestyle, Big Air, Twintip Race, Formula Kite.

Where to go

Puerto VeleroSalinas del ReySanta Verónica

Season: Dec–Aug (peak: Jan–Apr)

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Out here, you don't fly the kite — the kite flies you.

— Local instructor, Puerto Velero

Plan your trip

Suggested Routes

2 to 4 day itineraries that mix sport, culture, and food.

2 daysKitesurfCultureFood

Kite and Caribbean Culture

For those short on time but wanting it all

🪁

Kitesurfing at Puerto Velero

Stop 1 · Day 1

🚶

Walk along the Gran Malecón

Stop 2 · Day 1

🍽️

Dinner in the historic center

Stop 3 · Day 1

1 / 2

Ready to feel the Caribbean in every breeze?

Download routes as PDF

When to go?

Seasonal Calendar

High season (Dec–Apr): steady wind, clear skies · Shoulder season (May–Jul): lighter wind · Low season (Aug–Nov): scattered rain

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Kitesurf

Surf

Paddleboard

Ecotourism

Swimming

Kitesurf PDF Guide

PDF

🪁

Free download

The Complete Atlántico Kitesurf Guide

Wind conditions by spot, recommended zones by skill level, certified schools, rider-friendly lodging, suggested 2–4 day routes, a seasonal calendar, international events, and practical tips. Everything you need to plan your trip.

Download PDF Guide

8 spots with wind data 3 suggested routes 9 schools and operators

From local to tourist

Local Secrets

What nobody tells you, but everyone should know.

🏄

🪁

🏖️ Your Beach Guide

Not sure where to start?

Jimmy knows every wave, every corner, and every ceviche stand in Atlántico. Ask him which beach fits you, where to kitesurf, what to pack, or have him build you a full plan. 🌊

Descargar Guía PDF

Live the Caribbean differently.

@visitatlantico_