# Cuesta del Viento - Lamaral — Rodeo, Argentina

Sandy peninsula on the west coast of the Cuesta del Viento dam, southeast of Lamaral beach. Launch from the southeast shore of the peninsula, facing the wind, and ride on both sides of the point: to the north, in front of the cape, and to the south, along the coast.

The wind is the easterly thermal that rises through the Jáchal river valley: mornings are calm and from midday it blows side-onshore towards the shore, from 20 to 30 kt and sometimes over 50 kt in the afternoon. The best season is from October to March (September to May with fewer days); in winter there is almost no wind.

The water is cold (approx. 1,600 m altitude) and the reservoir level changes significantly from year to year, and with it the peninsula and the shoreline. With Zonda (west-northwest) the wind is offshore: do not ride. The Lamaral parador, with a bar, camping, showers, school and windsurf and kite rental, is 1 km northwest via a dirt track; Rodeo, with accommodation and food, is about 5 km away.

Photos: "Emabalse Cuesta del Viento, dpto. Iglesia, prov. de San Juan, Argentina" by M.Bustos (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons; "Embalse Cuesta del Viento (Iglesia - San Juan - Argentina)" by Ascalise (CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

- **Sports:** Kitesurf, Windsurf
- **Difficulty:** Intermediate
- **Location:** Rodeo, Argentina (-30.18468, -69.09153)
- **Favourable wind directions (where the wind blows from):** E (100°)
- **Wind range (knots):** 15–40
- **Best months:** October, November, December, January, February, March

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

| Month | <7 kn | 7–13 kn | 13–20 kn | 20–35 kn | >35 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28 | 40 | 29 | 3 | 0 |
| February | 20 | 33 | 36 | 11 | 0 |
| March | 31 | 33 | 33 | 3 | 0 |
| April | 44 | 32 | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| May | 65 | 27 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| June | 75 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| July | 70 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| August | 58 | 35 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| September | 40 | 32 | 21 | 7 | 0 |
| October | 23 | 32 | 37 | 8 | 0 |
| November | 14 | 28 | 39 | 19 | 0 |
| December | 19 | 38 | 34 | 9 | 0 |

## Local winds

- **Térmico del este** — E (100°), 15–40 kn. The dam wind: easterly thermal that rises through the Jáchal river valley. Calm mornings; from midday it blows side-onshore towards the southeast shore of the peninsula, from 20 to 30 kt and sometimes over 50 kt in the afternoon.. In the afternoon it can exceed 40 kt with strong gusts: go out with a small sail or kite and return before it picks up.
- **Zonda** — WNW (300°), 15–50 kn. Hot, dry west-northwest wind coming down from the mountain range, especially from August to October. On the west coast it is offshore.. Do not ride with Zonda: offshore wind, gusty and with dust.

## Zones

- **Launch** — Launch zone
- **Lamaral** — Navigation zone

## Points of interest

- **Launch on the peninsula**: Southeast shore of the peninsula, facing the wind.
- **Tip of the peninsula**: End of the peninsula; when rounding it the wind changes.
- **Access via dirt track**: Arrival of the track at the base of the peninsula.
- **Lamaral Parador**: Bar, camping, showers, school and rental at Lamaral beach, 1.1 km northwest (approximate position).
- **Lamaral Hostel**: Hostel with rooms and dorms, 1.3 km to the west.
- **La Vicuñita**: Accommodation in Colola, next to route 150, 1.7 km southwest.
- **Camping El Arroyito**: Campsite in Rodeo, 2.6 km southwest.

## Hazards

- Very strong wind in the afternoon, sometimes over 50 kt, with gusts
- When rounding the tip of the peninsula the wind changes: keep your distance
- Highly variable reservoir level: the peninsula and the shoreline change from year to year
- Cold water: the dam is at an altitude of about 1,600 m
- With Zonda the wind is offshore: do not ride

## Obstacles

- Tip of the peninsula

## Facilities

- School
- Restaurant
- Showers
- Toilets

[See it on Ventus Surf (3D map, zones and live forecast)](https://ventus.surf/spots/cuesta-del-viento-lamaral-xCZCzuClmN8FhVtXxhp7?lang=en)