# Málaga - El Térmiko — Málaga, Spain

El Térmiko is the kite zone of Guadalmar beach, at the southern end of Málaga: the long beach of dark pebbles that runs alongside the Parador golf course, with the Termiko club and the La Traviata beach bar as references. It is a thermal spot widely used by locals, with a car park 20 metres from the sand.

The wind is the afternoon Poniente, side-on and reinforced by the sea breeze: 15 to 20 knots on average in spring and summer, the best time for medium-sized kites. In summer, a gentle thermal from the southeast also kicks in at 8 to 12 knots, leaving flat water near the shore, ideal for freestyle and for learning with a school. As evening falls, the wind turns offshore and becomes gusty.

Hazards and rules: the proximity of the airport limits the legal launch space to about 300 metres, with bathers on both sides; in summer, riding is not permitted inside the buoyed swimming areas and a life jacket is mandatory. On a good day there can be 40 kites, so it is advisable to launch in an orderly manner and respect schools and bathers.

From Málaga it is less than 20 minutes by car via the San Julián exit. On the beach there is a school and rental (Termiko), beach bars and nearby hotels such as Sol Guadalmar and the Parador del Golf. Forecasts are checked with ARPEGE, ECMWF and ICON.

Photos: "Cuando sopla el poniente" by montuno (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Flickr; "Playa de Guadalmar 01" by Tyk (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

- **Sports:** Kitesurf, Windsurf, Wingfoil
- **Difficulty:** Intermediate
- **Location:** Málaga, Spain (36.65777, -4.46511)
- **Favourable wind directions (where the wind blows from):** SE (135°), SW (235°)
- **Wind range (knots):** 10–28
- **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 | 48 | 43 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| February | 43 | 45 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| March | 35 | 59 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| April | 31 | 66 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 15 | 85 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| June | 14 | 85 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| July | 17 | 81 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| August | 27 | 73 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| September | 29 | 70 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| October | 32 | 66 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| November | 46 | 47 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| December | 53 | 35 | 12 | 0 | 0 |

## Local winds

- **Poniente (térmica de tarde)** — SW (235°), 12–25 kn. The spot's wind: Poniente from the west-southwest reinforced by the sea breeze from the south, side-on, 15–20 knots on average in spring and summer in the afternoon. As evening falls it becomes gusty and offshore.. Towards sunset the wind turns offshore and becomes gusty: come in earlier and do not go far from the shore.
- **Térmica del sureste** — SE (135°), 8–14 kn. Summer thermal breeze from the southeast, light (8–12 knots): comes in front-on, leaves flat water near the shore and is the favourite for freestyle and for learning.. In light wind do not go far out: you must be able to return to the shore.

## Zones

- **Launch** — Launch zone
- **El Térmiko** — Navigation zone
- **Parking** — Parking
- **Prohibited: outside the corridor (southwest)** — Restricted zone
- **Prohibited: outside the corridor (northeast)** — Restricted zone

## Points of interest

- **Termiko (school and rental)**: Water sports centre with more than ten years, run by Sergio Pereira; kite, windsurf, wingfoil, paddle surf and rental.
- **Chiringuito La Traviata Playa**: Reference beach bar: the Termiko club is next to it, with its flag in sight.
- **Parking next to the club**: Surface car park 20 m from the club and the beach.
- **Guadalmar breakwaters**: Breakwaters of Guadalmar beach, 750 m to the northeast: do not downwind towards them.
- **Swimming area (summer)**: In summer, bathers occupy both sides of the kite zone; no riding inside the buoys.
- **Chiringuito Servando**: Beach bar for 'espetos' on Guadalmar beach, next to the breakwaters.
- **Hotel: Sol Guadalmar**: Beachfront hotel in Guadalmar, 900 m from the club.
- **Parador de Málaga del Golf**: Parador next to the golf course, 900 m south-southwest; reference point to reach the beach.

## Hazards

- Offshore and gusty wind at sunset
- Proximity to Málaga airport: limited legal launch space and air traffic
- Up to 40 kites on a good day: launch and land in an orderly manner
- Bathers on both sides of the kite zone
- Guadalmar beach breakwaters to the northeast

## Obstacles

- Bathers on both sides of the kite zone
- Beach bars and sun loungers on the sand

## Facilities

- School
- Parking
- Restaurant

## Restrictions

- Verano: no se navega dentro de las zonas de baño balizadas; chaleco salvavidas obligatorio para el kite

[See it on Ventus Surf (3D map, zones and live forecast)](https://ventus.surf/spots/malaga-el-termiko-Jx8s387fmA0SS4qZEnos?lang=en)