# Cartagena - Los Nietos — Cartagena, Spain

Los Nietos is on the southern shore of the Mar Menor, in Cartagena. Flat and shallow water, ideal for learning. In front of the promenade the sand is narrow and leaves no room to launch, so you head out from the western end of the village, where the beach widens towards Lo Pollo.

The best wind is the Jaloque, the south-east thermal of the summer, which comes in side-shore along the beach. The Levante comes in side-onshore in autumn and winter. Suitable for kitesurf, wingfoil, windsurf and SUP.

In high season it gets very busy: if it is full, move about 500 m west to Lo Pollo. To the east is the Los Nietos marina. After heavy rain the ramblas wash down nutrients and seaweed and jellyfish appear. The bottom has mussel shells, so wear booties. Forecasts are checked with ARPEGE, ECMWF and ICON.

Photos: "Los Nietos desde El Mingote" by B.N.Sanchez. (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons; "Paseo marítimo de Los Nietos" by B.N.Sanchez. (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

- **Sports:** Kitesurf, Wingfoil, Windsurf, SUP
- **Difficulty:** Beginner
- **Location:** Cartagena, Spain (37.65566, -0.79803)
- **Favourable wind directions (where the wind blows from):** SE (130°), ENE (70°)
- **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

- **Jaloque** — SE (130°), 12–28 kn. South-east wind, the summer thermal: the best wind in Los Nietos, side-shore along the beach.. Side-shore wind: drift takes you west, towards Lo Pollo.
- **Levante** — ENE (70°), 12–28 kn. North-east to east wind, side-onshore, mainly in autumn and winter.. Onshore wind: leave space downwind, the beach is narrow.

## Zones

- **Launch area** — Launch zone
- **Los Nietos** — Navigation zone
- **Parking** — Parking

## Points of interest

- **Kite spot**: Sports shop «Kite spot» at the western end of the beach (according to OpenStreetMap).
- **Lo Pollo**: Wider beach to the west: alternative when Los Nietos is full.
- **Los Nietos marina**: Club Náutico Los Nietos: boat traffic at the harbour entrance.

## Hazards

- Mussel shells on the bottom: wear booties
- Seaweed and jellyfish after heavy rain
- Bathers during bathing season
- Narrow beach in front of the promenade: do not launch among bathers

## Obstacles

- Promenade and houses next to the sand
- Los Nietos marina to the east

## 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-los-nietos-F2XxN1F1MKgyOWlCT3xY?lang=en)