KITESURFING IN KEROS - GREECE

On the Water

A trip to Keros, on the eastern side of Limnos island takes you back to how Greece was before mass-tourism. The people are friendly, there’s great food and the kite spot is a safe, sandy three kilometre bay with a a variety of conditions to suit all abilities. Add the famous north/ northeast Meltemi wind and picture perfect turquoise waters and you’ve found kiting paradise.

The Keros bay offers up three different spots: a butter flat section close to shore at the north end, a choppy section in the middle and a small wave spot at the south end. In a southerly wind the spots reverse, with waves to the north and flat water to the south. It’s sandy and shallow so you can stand up safely in most places up to 80 metres out from the beach and you’ll end up blown back on to the beach if you get in trouble. Keros is an awesome spot for foiling too as the Meltemi builds and the sandy seafloor that’s devoid of obstacles is ideal.

”Lush Green Waters and a safe bay to ride in. No wonder it’s a top spot”

Nearby Red Rock beach also has small surf with side-shore winds, while a strong northeaster in spring and autumn can throw up waves at Gomati. The Meltimi blows all season, most consistently in summer, but spring and autumn are also pretty regular with mixed conditions and more swell. The wind kicks in early most days, picking up between 9 and 10am and peaking somewhere between 11 and 4pm, before gradually dropping and switching slightly offshore.

Wind, Weather and Water

In June, July and August the Meltimi comes from the North/Northeast and from other directions in spring and autumn with bigger waves. Nines are the most popular kite size throughout the year. There are a fantastic 280 days of sun each year and mid-summer water temperatures are 23-24 degrees Celsius. Bring boardies in July and August, a shorty for May, June and September and a 3/2mm in April and October.

Off The Water

There’s eco-friendly accommodation at Surf� Camp Keros with luxury safari tents as well as clean but basic mini safari tents. Apartments are also available in Kalliopi village with more accommodation options within a five to ten minute drive away.

Kalliopi is 2 kilometres away. Kontopouli village is a little further away, but bigger with ATMs, supermarkets, tavernas and bars. The distance from the Surf Camp to the beach is about an 800 metre walk, but there’s a shuttle on hand if you’re too kited-out to manage the walk. Most people hire mountain bikes or scooters, but it’s worth hiring a car for a few days as there are some incredible historic sites to see, including the ruins of the oldest organised settlements in Europe, where it’s believed democracy first began.

People usually eat at the restaurant within the Surf Club camping grounds, which serves tradtional Mediterranean cuisine, buffet or a la carte. There’s also a Tiki bar. Elsewhere there are good local food options if you want to get out of camp and a decent meal with wine will cost €15-20.

Loads of activities are available at Surf Club Keros, from spas and yoga to mountain biking, kayak excursions, snorkelling and even moonlit SUP tours.

Most places do not accpet credit or debit cards, so cash is essential. Surf Club Keros can accept PayPal and online credit/debit payments.

Additional Information

Limnos International Airport is ten minutes form Keros and regularly served by direct charter flights. Otherwise fly budget airlines into A thens Thessaloniki, Rhodes or Lesvos and catch a domestic connection to Limnos, via Aegean Airlines or Sky Express.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this blog, thanks from the S2AS team!