Best time to kitesurf Bonifacio – La Tonnara

The best time to kitesurf at Bonifacio – La Tonnara is January, March, November, with about 16 windy days a month (15+ knots) and water around 16°C.

Bonifacio, Corsica, France

Sports: Kitesurfing, Wingfoiling, Windsurfing

Best time to go: January, March, November

Bonifacio – La Tonnara wind & wave forecast

La Tonnara is a small sandy beach at the head of the Gulf of Ventilègne, on the south-west coast of Corsica a few kilometres north-west of Bonifacio. Take the road from Bonifacio towards Sartène and turn off at the La Tonnara sign about 5 km out of town; Figari airport is about 10 km away. There is a car park, showers and restaurants facing the beach, and from May to October the A Casa Glisse school teaches windsurfing and rents boards here. Windsurfers usually launch left of the little harbour. Two small islands off the beach shelter it, so there is no shore break.

The gulf faces west and is one of the windiest places in southern Corsica. Westerly and north-westerly winds (the Mistral, the Libecciu and the summer thermal) blow side-on to side-off across the bay and make it choppy. When the Mistral blows hard for a few days, the sea builds into waves that break on several small reefs off the beach, and on big days you can ride them a long way in; in a moderate Mistral there is smoother water behind the islands for speed and freestyle. Easterly winds, frequent from October to December, are offshore here and stronger than east of Bonifacio, over flat water. The water gets deep quickly, which suits wing foiling. The GFS model shows 15 knots or more on about 10 to 17 days a month all year, the most from November to March and the fewest in June.

The launch is small, with rocks at both ends of the beach and rocks around an islet about 100 m out. In west winds there is little room downwind before the rocks, so kiters walk to the southern end first; it is not a place to learn to kite. Easterlies are offshore, so ride them only if you can get back on your own. In July and August the beach is busy and the swimming and windsurf zones are marked: keep to them. La Punta, across the bay, about 15 minutes' walk from the Tonnara car park, has mast-high waves on an offshore reef in a strong Mistral and a rocky shore: for experts only.

The sea is about 14 to 15 °C from January to April, 18 °C in May, 22 °C in June, 25 to 26 °C in July and August, 24 °C in September, 22 °C in October, 20 °C in November and 16 °C in December: a 5/4 or 4/3 wetsuit from December to April, a 3/2 in May, June and November, a shorty or boardshorts from July to October.

Month by month at Bonifacio – La Tonnara

January: 17 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 14 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 15°C, air 14°C (nights 9°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 23 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 12; a day can have both
February: 13 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 13 knots, waves 1.4 m, water 14°C, air 15°C (nights 9°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 24 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 8; a day can have both
March: 17 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 14 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 15°C, air 16°C (nights 10°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 27 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 12; a day can have both
April: 14 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 13 knots, waves 1.2 m, water 16°C, air 18°C (nights 12°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 29 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 7; a day can have both
May: 11 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 11 knots, waves 1 m, water 18°C, air 22°C (nights 16°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 30 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 7; a day can have both
June: 10 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 11 knots, waves 0.7 m, water 22°C, air 28°C (nights 20°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 30 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 2; a day can have both
July: 14 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 0.6 m, water 25°C, air 31°C (nights 23°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 31 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 1; a day can have both
August: 11 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 11 knots, waves 0.7 m, water 26°C, air 31°C (nights 23°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 31 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 3; a day can have both
September: 13 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 0.8 m, water 24°C, air 27°C (nights 20°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 29 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 5; a day can have both
October: 12 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 1 m, water 22°C, air 23°C (nights 17°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 28 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 8; a day can have both
November: 15 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 14 knots, waves 1.3 m, water 20°C, air 18°C (nights 13°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 25 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 10; a day can have both
December: 14 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 17°C, air 15°C (nights 10°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 25 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 10; a day can have both