All activities / Kitesurfing / Los Roques
Kitesurfing in Los Roques
A Caribbean archipelago of some 350 cays, islands and sandbanks around a turquoise lagoon about 130 kilometres north of Caracas, protected as a national park. Its only village sits on the island of Gran Roque; the rest is white sand, coral reef and shallow flat water. Steady trade winds and warm, waist-deep lagoons have made it one of Latin America's finest flat-water kitesurfing grounds.
Why here
Los Roques is a flat-water kiter's dream, and it stays uncrowded because you can only reach it by a light aircraft from Caracas. Inside the reef the lagoon is a huge sheet of warm, shallow turquoise water, waist to chest deep over white sand, so beginners have a soft, forgiving place to learn and improvers can ride for hours without a swell to fight. The trade winds blow most reliably from around December to July, and the classic day out is a downwind kite safari, launching near Gran Roque village and riding between the outer sandbanks and empty cays with a boat shadowing you. There is no big development here, just a scatter of family-run posadas on Gran Roque, the national park around you and the wind. Add fine snorkelling, bonefishing on the flats and diving on the reef and it becomes an easy place to build a trip around a week of kiting.
Best months
The windy season runs roughly from December to July, with the most consistent trade winds and side-shore conditions for kite safaris; August to November is lighter and quieter. The water is warm year-round and the lagoon is shallow and flat, which suits learning and freeride, while stronger riders head to the outer banks. Los Roques is a national park reached only by light aircraft from Caracas, so gear, food and fuel are limited and prices reflect the logistics. Bring sun protection and reef-safe sunscreen; the sun on the water is strong.
Getting there & around
Travel advisory · Reconsider Travel
US State Dept Level 3 Reconsider Travel for Venezuela (crime, kidnapping, terrorism, wrongful detention) as of 2026-07; the Level 4 Do Not Travel zones (Amazonas, Apure, the Colombia border area) do not include Los Roques, a Caribbean island national park. Check your own government's guidance before booking. Los Roques is reached only by light aircraft from Caracas (about 35 minutes), so book the flight and a Gran Roque posada ahead and factor a night in Caracas around the transfer. There is a national park entry fee. Card and ATM access is unreliable across Venezuela, so carry US dollars in cash. Kite lessons, safaris and gear are all arranged through the village operators.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (2)
Palafito Kiteschool
SchoolPalafito Kiteschool is an independent Los Roques kiteschool with around twenty years of teaching experience, run by the instructors Lotte, Augusto and Jose Miguel. It gives basic, intermediate and custom courses on the archipelago's flat lagoons, leads small-group kite safaris between the many islands and rents equipment with supervised sessions for less confident riders. Its long presence on the archipelago makes it one of the established kite operations on Los Roques.
Play Los Roques
SchoolPlay Los Roques is a kiteboarding centre in the heart of Gran Roque village, the only settlement in the Los Roques archipelago, operating from Casa Play on the Calle Principal. It teaches all levels on the flat, shallow turquoise water inside the atoll, leads downwind kite safaris out to the outer sandbanks and empty cays, and rents current-model gear from major brands. Being based in the village keeps lessons, accommodation and launch spots a short walk or boat ride apart.