# Zahara de los Atunes - Playa de Zahara — Zahara de los Atunes, Spain

Kite and windsurf launch at Zahara de los Atunes beach, at the north-western end of the village, next to the mouth of the river Cachón. The beach faces southwest: the Levante (E) comes in cross-offshore and pushes out to sea, and the Poniente (W) comes in from the Atlantic with a shorebreak. The launch area, about 200 m long, is in front of the first houses of the village, between the northern end of the promenade and the Pez Limón beach bar. North of the Cachón begins the military property of El Retín (training ground). We have not found published bathing or kitesurf regulations for this section: check with lifeguards or the Local Police before entering the water. The Zahara almadraba, in front of Cabo de Plata, sets its nets in spring (catch in May and June): we do not have its position, so avoid the sea area on those dates. The zones have been traced from aerial imagery and OpenStreetMap, without on-site verification.

Photos: "Zahara de los Atunes vista desde el cielo" by Killeando (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons; "Zahara de los Atunes. Río Cachón" by Jose Luis Filpo Cabana (CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons; "Zahara de los Atunes y Retín" by El Pantera (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

- **Sports:** Kitesurf, Windsurf
- **Difficulty:** Intermediate
- **Location:** Zahara de los Atunes, Spain (36.13614, -5.85063)
- **Favourable wind directions (where the wind blows from):** WSW (250°), W (270°)
- **Wind range (knots):** 12–40
- **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 | 15 | 59 | 22 | 3 | 1 |
| February | 23 | 56 | 13 | 7 | 1 |
| March | 13 | 44 | 30 | 12 | 1 |
| April | 10 | 54 | 22 | 13 | 1 |
| May | 5 | 69 | 16 | 10 | 0 |
| June | 10 | 74 | 12 | 3 | 1 |
| July | 7 | 72 | 13 | 8 | 0 |
| August | 12 | 74 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| September | 11 | 63 | 18 | 8 | 0 |
| October | 11 | 64 | 22 | 3 | 0 |
| November | 27 | 50 | 19 | 4 | 0 |
| December | 30 | 54 | 11 | 4 | 1 |

## Local winds

- **Levante** — E (95°), 15–40 kn. Easterly wind that comes in cross-offshore to the beach, about 45 degrees off the offshore line measured on the image: it pushes towards the open sea. It is the launch wind for the beach; with strong gusts it is not for beginners.. Offshore component: if the kite falls, the drift is towards the sea. Go out with a life jacket and another rider nearby, and do not move more than about 25 knots away from the shore. The mouth of the Cachón is not a launch or landing zone.
- **Poniente** — W (265°), 12–35 kn. Westerly wind that comes in from the Atlantic, about 35 degrees off the onshore line: it is the kite wind for the beach. It arrives with shorebreak and western swell.. Shorebreak at the water's edge: be careful when launching and landing. No current on the beach except at the mouth of the Cachón.

## Zones

- **Launch** — Launch zone
- **Zahara** — Navigation zone
- **Mouth of the Cachón** — Restricted zone

## Points of interest

- **Mouth of the Cachón**: Cachón river channel: current and sandbanks at the mouth. Approximate position, according to aerial imagery; the mouth changes with flow and storms.
- **Military property of El Retín**: Property boundary of the Sierra del Retín training ground (Royal Decree 885/2014), on the coast north of the Cachón. Approximate position. Access to Retín beach is not verified on the ground.
- **Pez Limón Beach Bar**: Beach bar at the southern end of the launch area (OpenStreetMap).
- **Toilets**: Toilets next to the beach (OpenStreetMap).

## Hazards

- Mouth of the Cachón: current and sandbanks (approximate position)
- Cross-offshore Levante: pushes towards the open sea
- Poniente with shorebreak and western swell
- Safety zone of the Retín training ground (Order DEF/1038/2011), about 2.5 km offshore: the text does not set navigation or bathing restrictions
- Almadraba in front of Cabo de Plata: nets in the sea in spring, no published position
- Military property of Retín north of the Cachón: access to Retín beach not verified

## Obstacles

- Channel and mouth of the Cachón to the north
- Bathers and parasols in summer, especially in the southern section of the launch

## Facilities

- Toilets
- Parking
- Restaurant

[See it on Ventus Surf (3D map, zones and live forecast)](https://ventus.surf/spots/zahara-de-los-atunes-playa-de-zahara-eNZZD7ELxG97SqZYjzA9?lang=en)