# Cartagena - Playa Paraíso — Cartagena, Spain

Playa Paraíso is the natural beach of the Mar Menor at the base of La Manga, opposite the Salinas de Marchamalo. It has a wide, clear strip of sand and slightly deeper water than on the western shore of the lagoon, so it is a good spot for progressing.

It works with Levante, which comes in side-shore along the beach, and with Mistral, the northwest wind that comes in head-on from the lagoon and can be strong and gusty in autumn and winter. It is suitable for kitesurf, wingfoil, windsurf and SUP.

Behind the beach there are protected salt flats and dunes: enter and exit via the access points. There are no services on the beach, so do not go out alone. The bottom has mussel shells, so wear booties. During the bathing season, the front is buoyed off for swimmers. Forecasts are checked with ARPEGE, ECMWF and ICON.

- **Sports:** Kitesurf, Wingfoil, Windsurf, SUP
- **Difficulty:** Intermediate
- **Location:** Cartagena, Spain (37.63514, -0.72683)
- **Favourable wind directions (where the wind blows from):** NE (50°), NW (315°)
- **Wind range (knots):** 12–30
- **Best months:** October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May

## 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** — NE (50°), 12–28 kn. Northeast wind. Comes in side-shore along the beach, with flat water.. Side-shore wind: the drift takes you towards Playa Honda, to the southwest.
- **Mistral** — NW (315°), 12–28 kn. Northwest wind, head-on from the lagoon. In autumn and winter it can be strong and gusty.. Onshore wind but gusty: choose your kite or sail size carefully.

## Zones

- **Launch area** — Launch zone
- **Playa Paraíso** — Navigation zone

## Points of interest

- **Salinas de Marchamalo**: Protected salt flats behind the beach: do not cross them.
- **Kitecenter**: Kite school and shop in La Manga, about 2 km to the north (kitecenter.es).

## Hazards

- Mussel shells on the bottom: wear booties
- Strong and gusty Mistral in autumn and winter
- Natural beach without lifeguards outside of summer

## Obstacles

- Dunes and salt flats behind the beach

## Facilities

- Parking

## 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-playa-paraiso-yfeim4cc1WtBDVNU9Vt0?lang=en)