# Monte Hermoso - Faro Recalada — Monte Hermoso, Argentina

Monte Hermoso calls itself the capital of kitesurf, as it was previously the capital of windsurf. Its beach faces south and is huge: more than 150 m of firm sand from the dunes to the water, without stones, with small to medium waves. Today the kites launch mainly in front of Av. Juan Domingo Perón, approximately 1 km east of Faro Recalada; years ago the meeting point was further west, between the former East breakwater and Villa Caballero, where 70 or 80 sails used to gather.

On the beach you ride with south wind and its derivatives from the east and west; 10 kt is already enough. The west is the most frequent of the year and comes in side-shore; the south arrives on cloudy days that empty the beach, with a heavy sea. With north wind you do not go out to sea: it blows from the land, and on those days kiters go to Laguna Sauce Grande, near the town. The best times are from November to March.

There are kite schools in the town, including the Monte Hermoso Kite School, approved by the Argentine Kitesurf Association, and others that provide equipment. In summer the beach has bathers: the kites launch mainly early and at sunset. You arrive via Av. Juan Domingo Perón, which runs behind the dunes.

Photos: "Faro Recalada a Bahía Blanca, Monte Hermoso 08" by Roberto Fiadone (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons; "Faro Recalada (1)" by Robertoe (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons; "Balneario de Monte Hermoso" by LauraCeci (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

- **Sports:** Kitesurf, Windsurf
- **Difficulty:** Intermediate
- **Location:** Monte Hermoso, Argentina (-38.99291, -61.24773)
- **Favourable wind directions (where the wind blows from):** E (90°), SE (135°), S (180°), SW (225°), W (270°)
- **Wind range (knots):** 10–30
- **Best months:** 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 | 8 | 59 | 32 | 1 | 0 |
| February | 10 | 60 | 25 | 5 | 0 |
| March | 19 | 57 | 21 | 3 | 0 |
| April | 13 | 63 | 20 | 2 | 2 |
| May | 16 | 54 | 22 | 7 | 1 |
| June | 11 | 65 | 20 | 3 | 1 |
| July | 18 | 67 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| August | 12 | 62 | 22 | 4 | 0 |
| September | 9 | 58 | 29 | 3 | 1 |
| October | 6 | 52 | 39 | 3 | 0 |
| November | 5 | 56 | 35 | 4 | 0 |
| December | 5 | 55 | 35 | 5 | 0 |

## Local winds

- **Oeste** — W (270°), 12–30 kn. The most frequent wind of the year: comes in side-shore along the beach, which faces south. With west you ride comfortably and can go downwind towards the east along the coast.. It takes you towards the east: if you drift away, walk back along the beach.
- **Sur** — S (180°), 12–30 kn. The wind of the days that clear everyone off the beach: comes from the sea towards the coast, with clouds, waves and a heavy sea. It is what the local kiters look for.. With a strong south the shorebreak hits hard: set up far from the shore and enter with the kite low.
- **Este** — E (90°), 10–25 kn. East and southeast breeze: comes in side-onshore, with more organised water.. It takes you towards the west, towards the centre and the resorts: do not enter the bathing zones.
- **Norte** — N (0°), 10–30 kn. North wind: comes down from the dunes towards the sea, without waves. You do not ride at the beach; with north you go to Laguna Sauce Grande.. Offshore wind: takes you away from the coast. Do not go out to sea with north.

## Zones

- **Launch** — Launch zone
- **Monte Hermoso** — Navigation zone

## Points of interest

- **Launch in front of Av. Perón**: Firm sand in front of where you ride, approximately 1 km east of Faro Recalada (Strava heat map).
- **Faro Recalada**: Faro de Recalada to Bahía Blanca, approximately 1 km to the west: reference from the water (OpenStreetMap).

## Hazards

- North wind: blows from the land and takes you out to sea
- Strong shorebreak with south wind
- Bathers in summer, especially towards the centre
- Cold water outside of summer: use a wetsuit

## Obstacles

- Tracks from 4x4s and vehicles at the back of the beach
- Remains of breakwaters and jetties towards the centre

## Facilities

- School
- Parking

[See it on Ventus Surf (3D map, zones and live forecast)](https://ventus.surf/spots/monte-hermoso-faro-recalada-8mUyDNKAnDnc4wTwYrYz?lang=en)