Are you looking for a good and affordable kitesurfing course on Rhodes at a really good spot? I’ve been kitesurfing for ten years and have looked at almost 20 spots and kitesurfing schools on Rhodes in the last two weeks. The best is definitely the kitesurfing school in front of the Delfini Hotel in Fanes, north coast of Rhodes.
In Fanes, the wind blows well side-onshore onto the sandy beach, which is up to 40 metres wide and around 300 metres long. I met the kitesurfing instructor Sotos two years ago in Fiji. He teaches patiently, safely and persistently in small groups of a maximum of two students. Kites and boards are completely new from F1. A 10-hour kitesurfing course costs 250 euros including equipment. Best price on Rhodes.
Wind on Rhodes On the eastern north coast of Rhodes, the wind blows perfectly for kitesurfing courses, from June to September very reliably side-onshore to sideshore from west to north-west. We were on Rhodes from the end of May to the beginning of June. Unfortunately, we only had wind for five days out of 14. One day with 25-30 knots was too strong for me to kite. But that’s not a problem. Rhodes is colourful and there is always more to do than just kitesurfing. The wind is usually strongest in the very south of Rhodes in Prasonisi. But especially in summer, the wind down there can blow at 30 knots and more. Only idiots take a kitesurfing course above 25 knots. On the north coast of Rhodes, the wind is usually a little weaker and very steady.
Kitesurfing schools on Rhodes Almost all kitesurfing schools on Rhodes are concentrated on the eastern north coast between the villages of Ixia, right next to Rhodes Town, via Ialyssos down to Fanes. The kitesurfing schools on Rhodes are characterised above all by large differences in quality and price. Some kitesurfing schools use old, unsafe equipment. In others, you can pay 350 euros for a kitesurfing course in a group of four. Firstly, you learn very little with four students, as you are usually only really on the kite for half of this time. Secondly, this can be particularly dangerous for beginners on kitesurfing courses. A good kitesurfing course always offers direct personal control by the kitesurfing instructor.
Kitesurfing courses in Prasonisi?kitesurfing courses are also offered in the very south in Prasonisi on Rhodes. I do not recommend it. The spot is really unique: a sandy headland to the neighbouring island and two steep spots. But the few accommodations are chronically fully booked and far too expensive at 40-80 euros per day in a double room excluding meals. The area around the three restaurants and the supermarket in Prasonisi is absolutely deserted – Rhodes town is about a two-hour drive away and the nearest village is 11 kilometres away.
Kitesurfing on the south coast of Rhodes Some kitesurfing schools on the south coast also offer kitesurfing courses on Rhodes. I would also advise against this. We spent 14 days on Rhodes, one week of which was spent travelling by car. I only spent one day kitesurfing on the south coast. Many good spots are also completely overcrowded and packed with deckchairs and parasols.
Kitesurfing course and the beaches on Rhodes There are many pebble beaches on Rhodes, and not all of them have really round stones. Surf gaiters are particularly worthwhile if you go on trips to the south coast, e.g. near Gennadi – the stones there are as sharp as nails. If you already know how to kitesurf, this usually doesn’t bother you. But for the sake of comfort and, above all, safety, a kitesurfing course for beginners should definitely be taken on a thick sandy beach with a good standing area in the water. Both are the case at the kitesurfing school in Fanes / Rhodes.
Accommodation for kitesurfing courses on Rhodes The Hotel Delfini is located directly behind the Meltemi Kitesurfing School Rhodes. A wonderfully green garden with palm trees and hibiscus bushes surrounds the restaurant. It’s exactly 3.5 metres to the beach. You can set up and take down your kites on the lawn. There are also washing facilities for your equipment and a lifeboat. Hammocks dangle in the wind and a small bar offers cheap drinks in the sunset. The boss Wasili is a real original, the food is excellent and the rooms are clean. Half board in a double room is available from 30 euros per person. The transfer from the airport takes just 15 minutes.
Kitesurfing course on Rhodes – I recommend Fanes! Everything has been cancelled, the old instructor was a fraud and has gone…
Frank Woelky, born in 1973. Kitesurfer since 1998. Since 2006, I have been combining kitesurfing and web design on trips lasting several months off the beaten track.