# Cartagena - Islas Menores — Cartagena, Spain

Islas Menores is the neighbouring village of Mar de Cristal, on the southern shore of the Mar Menor. The Playa de Levante in Islas Menores is a strip of sand between two small marinas, with flat water and waist-deep for about 250 m: a quiet spot for learning and for foil.

It works with Levante, which comes side-onshore at this north-facing beach, and with Jaloque, the summer thermal, which here comes side-offshore and light. It is suitable for kitesurf, wingfoil, windsurf and SUP.

The two harbours enclose the beach on the sides: stay away from the entrances. The water is very shallow, so be careful with fins and foils. The bottom has mussel shells, so wear booties. The islands of the Mar Menor are protected areas and landing is not allowed. Forecasts are checked with ARPEGE, ECMWF and ICON.

Photos: "IslasMenores" by Duquesesto (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons; "Mar de Cristal22" by Duquedesesto (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons; "Atardecer en el Mar Menor" by Fcarreradelafuente (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

- **Sports:** Kitesurf, Wingfoil, Windsurf, SUP
- **Difficulty:** Beginner
- **Location:** Cartagena, Spain (37.64495, -0.76589)
- **Favourable wind directions (where the wind blows from):** ENE (60°), SE (130°)
- **Wind range (knots):** 12–28
- **Best months:** April, May, June, July, August, September, October

## Wind by month (% of days per strength)

| Month | <7 kn | 7–13 kn | 13–20 kn | 20–35 kn | >35 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25 | 53 | 16 | 5 | 1 |
| February | 22 | 60 | 11 | 6 | 1 |
| March | 13 | 53 | 22 | 12 | 0 |
| April | 13 | 65 | 19 | 3 | 0 |
| May | 10 | 83 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| June | 2 | 74 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| July | 4 | 88 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| August | 5 | 85 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| September | 7 | 84 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| October | 22 | 64 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| November | 29 | 54 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| December | 32 | 58 | 10 | 0 | 0 |

## Local winds

- **Levante** — ENE (60°), 12–28 kn. Northeast-east wind. Comes side-onshore towards this north-facing beach.. Onshore wind: drift leads towards the western harbour.
- **Jaloque** — SE (130°), 12–28 kn. Southeast wind, the summer thermal. On this shore it comes side-offshore, light.. Side-offshore: do not go too far out and watch that it doesn't shift further south.

## Zones

- **Launch** — Launch zone
- **Islas Menores** — Navigation zone
- **Parking** — Parking

## Points of interest

- **Club Náutico Islas Menores**: Marina to the west of the beach: boat traffic at the entrance.
- **Puerto de Mar de Cristal**: Marina to the east of the beach: stay away from the entrance.

## Hazards

- Mussel shells on the bottom: wear booties
- Seaweed and jellyfish after heavy rains
- Bathers during bathing season
- Very shallow water: watch out for fins and foils

## Obstacles

- Marina to the west
- Mar de Cristal marina to the east
- Houses next to the sand

## Facilities

- Restaurant
- Parking
- Showers

## Restrictions

- En temporada de baño (aproximadamente de junio a septiembre) el frente de playa se baliza para el baño: entrar y salir solo por los canales balizados y fuera de la zona de bañistas

[See it on Ventus Surf (3D map, zones and live forecast)](https://ventus.surf/spots/cartagena-islas-menores-yMssRjaEBXM1jB91Lcej?lang=en)