Destination guide
Kitesurfing in La Ventana & El Sargento
A desert bay on the Sea of Cortez where the winter El Norte funnels down the coast and the whale sharks arrive with it.
About La Ventana & El Sargento
La Ventana sits on the Sea of Cortez an hour south of La Paz, between desert mountains and a bay that faces the wind head on. Together with El Sargento next door it has become the winter capital of North American kitesurfing, and it fills every year from mid-October to mid-April.
The everyday wind is a dependable 15 to 18 knots that arrives around noon and holds until five or six, with thermal effect adding five to fifteen knots to the forecast. Every few weeks a high-pressure system off California sends down an El Norte — gusty, north to north-westerly, 20 to 35 knots. November through March are the windiest months. The bay is relatively deep and always slightly choppy, with small kickers forming as the wind builds and waves rarely over a metre or two.
Los Barriles, further south around the cape, works on the same systems: side-shore wind from the left at 18 to 23 knots on an average day, over a wide, uncrowded sandy beach that runs for miles with no tide, no current and nothing submerged to hit.
Between sessions there is the desert, La Paz, and the sea itself — whale sharks in winter, and the Espíritu Santo island a short boat ride away.
When to go
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, October, November, December.
Plan your kitesurfing holiday
Use the local kite area guides to check riding conditions and access, then match your travel month and accommodation to your experience and travel companions.
Explore the region
Kite areas
1 distinct riding area documented within this destination.
- La Ventana Bay
Best months: October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May.