Best time to kitesurf Vilanculos
The best time to kitesurf at Vilanculos is January, August–December, the season of the local thermal wind, with water around 27°C.
Vilankulo, Inhambane, Mozambique
Sports: Kitesurfing, Wingfoiling
Best time to go: January, August–December
Vilanculos (Vilankulo) is a small town on the coast of Inhambane province in southern Mozambique, looking out over the islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago: Magaruque, Benguerra and Bazaruto. The town has its own small airport, a few kilometres from the beach, and lodges and kite schools along the shore.
The best wind comes from about August to January, when the trade wind blows from the south-east to east, and at times from the north-east, usually at around 15 to 22 knots. The tidal range is big at spring tides: at low tide, wide sandbanks with knee- to waist-deep flat water appear between the mainland and the islands, crystal-clear and ideal for learning, freestyle and foiling, while at high tide the town beach gets narrow. Boats take riders out to the sandbanks and the islands for longer sessions and downwinders. Never ride into the deep channels between the sandbanks when the tide turns: the current there is strong and can carry you out to sea. Some banks have sharp shells and razor clams, so booties help. The water is warm, from about 23 °C in August to 29 °C in December and January, so a lycra or a shorty is enough. From February the wet season brings lighter, less reliable wind and storms.
Month by month at Vilanculos
- January: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 1.2 m, water 29°C, air 30°C (nights 25°C), 28 sunny days, 16 rainy days
- February: outside the windy season, waves 1.3 m, water 29°C, air 30°C (nights 25°C), 26 sunny days, 15 rainy days
- March: outside the windy season, waves 1.3 m, water 29°C, air 29°C (nights 24°C), 29 sunny days, 16 rainy days
- April: outside the windy season, waves 1.1 m, water 28°C, air 28°C (nights 22°C), 29 sunny days, 10 rainy days
- May: outside the windy season, waves 1 m, water 26°C, air 27°C (nights 20°C), 30 sunny days, 7 rainy days
- June: outside the windy season, waves 1.1 m, water 24°C, air 26°C (nights 19°C), 30 sunny days, 7 rainy days
- July: outside the windy season, waves 1 m, water 23°C, air 25°C (nights 18°C), 31 sunny days, 3 rainy days
- August: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 1.2 m, water 23°C, air 26°C (nights 19°C), 31 sunny days, 6 rainy days
- September: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 1.1 m, water 25°C, air 27°C (nights 21°C), 29 sunny days, 4 rainy days
- October: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 1.2 m, water 26°C, air 28°C (nights 22°C), 29 sunny days, 6 rainy days
- November: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 1.1 m, water 27°C, air 29°C (nights 23°C), 28 sunny days, 10 rainy days
- December: windy season (local thermal wind), waves 1 m, water 29°C, air 30°C (nights 25°C), 28 sunny days, 13 rainy days
When is the best time to go kitesurfing & wingfoiling at Vilanculos?
January, August–December, when it is windy most often.
How warm is the water at Vilanculos?
23°C to 29°C over the year: boardshorts, no wetsuit needed in the warmest month, a shorty or lycra in the coolest.
Figures from 5 years of weather data (Open-Meteo).
Spots near Vilanculos
- Tofo (207 km)
More: All spots in Mozambique · Kitesurfing in Mozambique · Wingfoiling in Mozambique