Kitesurf in Kos, Greece: Spot Guide to the windiest spot of the island – Psalidi

To be honest this was one of the first times I regretted my choice of kitesurf spot for my kitesurf holiday. At first sight Kos is super touristy (since we came in the main season, August), the beaches in and around Psalidi are not super picturesque, the spot doesn’t seem too special, the rocky beach and choppy water are a bit annoying.

Once you’re grooving into island life and are getting used to the tourists (which don’t kite), Psalidi is a pretty good spot after all: steady wind which usually blows around 11am or midday, an empty spot with around 10 people (usually it’s around 3 – 4 people in the water), clear water, lots of space to practice and an epic view on the mainland of Turkey, which is pretty close and helps create a funneling effect so the wind is a bit stronger.

Kitesurfing in Kos, Psalidi, Greece – whom it is suited for

You will probably like this spot if you’re looking for a holiday kite spot with your family –  it’s a spot where you can easily combine family life with kitesurfing plus you can find pretty cheap accommodation. It’s also a good spot for learning kitesurfing or if you are barely going upwind and want to practice a bit.

I’ll mainly talk about the spot Psalidi in Kos since it has the best wind direction on Kos island and the strongest wind on the island (a few knots more than the other spots) and those were often crucial to go out on a 11/12m kite at all.

Pros & Cons at a glance

+ empty spot
+ clear water
+ ideal for non-kitesurfers as well since Kos city and other beaches/sights are close
+ wind usually comes pretty predictable around noon
+ nice promenade to bike or walk along from Kos City to Psalidi
+ nightlife, great restaurants and lots of no-wind activities

– rocky beach
– no real kite surf culture (two kite stations but it’s not really the kind of spot you hang out)
– there are boats passing by
– very touristy in August

General Infos (Wind, Water Temperature and Water Condition)

When to go/best wind:

July, August although June and September can be good as well. We had around 50 percent wind in September, from what I heard June 2017 was exceptionally windy with wind almost every day. As always, it’s nature, so you never now ?

Average wind speed/kite sizes:

Basically kite ssizes from 6 to 17 😉 If you only take a few kites, take an 11/12 and 9/8. As a girl I was mainly on my 11 around 60-70 percent of the time and my 9 the rest of the time. Men were usually riding a 12 or 14, if you have a light wind kite you might get some sessions in on the lighter days. I would have needed my 7 only 1 day out of 6 weeks, so unless you’re very light it probably doesn’t make a lot of sense to bring it.

water temperature:

Shorty in July and August, you might need a longer wetsuit in June and September.

water Condition:

Choppy. They call it the Greek potato salad ? With stronger wind you can get some nice little wind waves which is sweet for strapless kitesurfer.

beginner friendly?

Even though the beach is rocky, the water is deep and choppy I can still recommend it as a beginner spot since the wind is very constant, the teachers from both kite schools were very professional and two friends of mine learnt kitesurfing there.

How to get to Kos, Greece

There is a lot of direct flights going to Kos airport (airport code KGS) from European cities. We rented a car via billiger mietwagen which was pretty cheap and convenient. Just half an hour ride later you’re in Kos city.

There are also buses going (which take around 50 minutes up to 1.5 hours) or taxis (pretty expensive though, around 50 Euro each way).

How to get around in Kos

I’d really recommend a car since the island is not too big and there’s lots of stuff you can see – but you can get anywhere walking, by bus or bike in Kos. I book my rental cars via Rental Cars or billiger mietwagen (German Site, you can cancel up to 24 hrs before).

The kitesurf spot Psalidi is around a 15 min drive from Kos city. We stayed in Psalidi which was super convenient since you could either drive to town in around 5 minutes (or walk around 30 minutes) or drive to the spot in Psalidi in 5 minutes.

There are tons of beautiful beaches, the thermal baths, the mountain village Zia and other sights to explore around the island.

But you’ll also get around everywhere in Kos with the bus. You could easily rent a scooter (or bike if you don’t have to carry kite gear) to get around Kos. There are lots of bike and scooter rental companies in and around Kos with cheap deals.

If you’re taking kite lessons in Psalidi, free transport from and to the spot is included by the kite schools.

Spot details for Psalidi, Kos

I already mentioned it above, the spot is kind of average but still nice, with side-shore or more downwind side-offshore wind.

The pros are:

• wind is super steady
• water is beautiful and clear
• you have lots of space if you don’t kite too close to the beach. if you kite around the point you’ll get a bit more flat water to freestyle. If you go downwind you might have a bit less wind depending on the wind direction that day
• it’s a relaxed overall atmosphere
• the owners and teachers at the both kite schools are super friendly and helpful
• both schools have rescue boats if anything happens

The Cons are:

• the beach is rocky right at and in the water (I didn’t wear shoes but as a beginner you will need some) and has coarse sand on the rest of the beach
• boats and ferries are passing by (usually quite far on the outside but some sail boats are closer as well, which is no problem if you can kite but a bit annoying for the beginners)
• the spot doesn’t really have a big hangout area. The two kite schools have some chairs but no bar/cafe or showers and bathroom are there. You basically go there to kite and then drive off again
• there is a lot of beginners (the kiters in the water are mainly kite surf students) so you’ll have to stay a bit further out if you don’t want to bump in a beginner all the time
• if you’re a solo traveller looking to connect with other kiters this might not be the ideal spot. People are super friendly but it’s not really the kind of spot you hangout with other people and do stuff afterwards. Everyone’s a bit for himself so there is no big community

Kite schools and kite storage in Psalidi, Kos

Both kite schools are equally good and the owners and teacher were super friendly and helpful with any problem we had. (like our car who wouldn’t start.. twice..) The stations are like 10 meters apart so you can just go there once you arrive and check it out yourself ?

Both stations also have windsurf stations further downwind, so if you’re into windsurfing you can do that as well. Free transport to and from the kite school is included if you take lessons.

Storage is quite expensive (it was 10 Euro per Person per day in Blue Kitesurfing) since they don’t have a „fixed“ kite station and they bring the kite material back to the windsurf station every day. So the best option really is bringing your equipment every day to the spot with your car (scooter works as well).

Blue Kitesurfing
Small station which has everything you need, they teach on North Kites.

Windzone
The station is a bit bigger and has a little hangout area with music. They teach on RRD Kites and boards.

A typical windy day

Since the wind is usually lighter in the morning, it picks up around/right after lunch time thanks to thermal effects, which is perfect if you want to spend the morning with other activities. In August it was pretty good from around 10 in the morning, so it makes sense to check it early as well. Usually if the wind’s up, it stays up until around 5.30 pm and then gets lighter again.

How to interpret the wind forecast

The wind was usually 3 – 5, sometimes up to 10 knots stronger than predicted on the forecast. So sometimes even if it said it only had 10 knots I would kite with around 16 knots. Just check the ocean (if you see some white caps you can head to the spot), it’s the best wind forecast ?

Where to stay in Kos, Psalidi

There are tons of apartments in Kos and Psalidi. Staying in Psalidi is perfect since you’re only a quick drive away from the kite spot as well as Kos city. We stayed in Angelos Studios and absolutely loved it, it’s a quiet and small apartment hotel with clean rooms and a small cooking niche. Sometimes I found that there were also different hotel deals (especially in August during main season) on check24 (German website) than on booking.com for Kos.

Where to stay in Kos with family/small kids (all inclusive hotels)

If you’re with your family or young kids and non-kitesurfing family members and don’t want to rent a car, it makes sense to stay in the all-inclusive hotel Ramira Beach or Kipriotis Village Resort, which is just a 5 minute walk to the spot. This way you can quickly sneak out for your daily session and be back in no time.

Where to eat in Kos

There are a lot of good, classy as well as cheap and junk food places in Kos. In general the Greek food has SO MANY good starters that I can really recommend just trying them all the first time you go. I often just ordered some starters instead of a main dish since I really loved it. Perfect for vegetarians as well since a lot of the starters are vegetarian or vegan.

My favorites: the smoked eggplant with feta drizzled on top, greek salad, rocket salad (usually the local rocket salad which is super yummy) with sundries tomatoes, the zucchini balls (zucchini with egg and cheese), grilled veggies, oven beans with tomato sauce, tzatziki, pureed eggplant (yummy!), hummus and much more!

Just a small selection of my favorite places:

Ali
I think this was the most visited restaurant of my 6-week stay. So many good starters, loved the kebab and grill platters as well. Super tasty, big salads and prices are good. Can get super packed at night during high season.

Alla ki Alla
Besides being the most beautiful restaurant (really cool decoration outside and makes sure to check out the inside once) it has AMAZING food at good prices! Try the Alla Ki Alla Salad, the grilled mushrooms and definitely try the huge Chicken on the stick with the yummiest honey mustard sauce and some of the best home made potatoes I’ve eaten (we usually shared this dish since it’s huge) ! The Kebap is really good as well, very recommendable

Nick the Fisherman
a little bit pricier but seriously the best fish and grilled calamari (especially the grilled calamari!) I ever had!!! The starters are also incredibly good, make sure to try the rocket salad! The place is packed at night so make sure to come either earlier around 6/7 pm or risk the wait.

G Plaza Cafe
This place has a comfy atmosphere, the best Gyros in my opinion as well as delicious burgers (100% Angus beef), yummy Crepes and good coffee. I wouldn’t recommend the salads there.

The best supermarkets in and around Kos

All the fruits and veggies in Kos are insanely fresh and tasty, I couldn’t get enough of the tomatoes, cucumbers, water and honey melons, figs and all the other tasty food!

There are quite a lot of small supermarkets in Kos and Psalidi, one of the bigger ones being Kritikos supermarket. They even have vegan cheese, nut milk and all kinds of seeds and nuts for the vegans reading this ?

While I laughed at the name, Bam Bam supermarket in Psalidi has the biggest selection for a small supermarket if you don’t want to drive/walk to Kos city.

If you’re on a budget, you can stop right at Lidl (a big discounter) on your way from the airport to Kos city.

There is also an organic food store called Drogi with a small but extensive selection of everything a health addict would want and need, also a paradise for vegans. Just make sure to look at the opening times since it’s closed at lunch ?

Sometimes you’ll see farmers sell their veggies and fruits off the back of a truck, this is simply the best and most fresh groceries you’ll get! Also make sure to keep your eyes open for one of the many fig trees in Kos and Psalidi, I usually picked mine fresh for breakfast every day ?

The bakery and ice cream chain Special has regally good ice cream and all kind of bakeries and cakes. Addictive!

No-Wind-Activities in Kos city

• tons of sightseeing is possible in Kos city, watching the ancient ruins
• go shopping in Kos city center (if you’re into delicate jewelry, check out this little store Ipekce Kos Boutique by Ebru, I went there three times during my stay since I couldn’t get enough)
• treat yourself with a fish spa, a massage or manicure in Kos town
• there are quite a lot of fitness studios but during main seasons they don’t have any group classes, only their regular fitness equipment
• visit the natural Thermal Baths Empros Thermes to detox in the hot sulphur water which is around 30 – 50 degrees, right next to the ocean. Perfect before sunset for instance!

Day Trips on/around Kos

• visit the beautiful mountain village Zia, walk by the touristy part and take a right up the hill, definitely visit the restaurant Wind Mill and relax with one of their home made lemonades
• visit one of the many islands like Nissyros or Kalymnos or head over to Bodrum, Turkey, for the day
• do a snorkeling tour visiting different islands or go diving (lots of tours available, simply head to the harbor and choose one)
• drive around the island to one of the many beautiful beaches, one of the highlights being Kefalos

Digital Nomad factor in Kos city/Psalidi

Mobile Internet

I used my German Sim Card since we have Roaming in the EU, always having a decent 3G connection. If you’re coming from outside of the EU, you can get a Greek Prepaid Sim Card from Cosmote which is sold in e.g. Germanos Store.

Short term stay

Lots of cheap places available in and around Kos and Psalidi, simply check airbnb (if you’re new to airbnb, get a 30 Euro voucher for your stay with this link), check 24 or booking.

Longer term living

If you’re staying for several months I heard from the kite teachers it’s possible to get apartments for 250/300 Euro per Month. The best choice is to just rent a place for a few days and then look once you’re there, maybe get in touch with some kite teachers.

Or you could contact one of the apartment places if they have long term deals as well as check airbnb. Note that August ist high high high season so I don’t know if you’ll get great prices during that time.

Coworking Cafes and Spaces

There are no Coworking Spaces on Kos yet, since it’s a pretty touristy place and most locals also work in the tourism sector. But I quickly found those two cafes and probably would have found quite some more if I would have kept looking.

Le Cafe was my favorite Coworking Cafe, since it has lots of space, a nice view on the promenade and ocean and since a lot of local old Kos local stay here, who don’t use the internet, the internet was super fast.

G Plaza Cafe is pretty central so it gets loud in the evening but it’s a nice atmosphere to work in the bustling city center.

Greecekitesurfkospsalidispot guide