Wide, shallow bay in front of the Wayúu fishing village with mirror-flat, waist-deep water. The trade wind is strong (often 25–35 kn) and offshore to side-offshore and gusty near the beach huts, so stay clear of the shore and only ride where a school rescue boat is on hand; the kite zone is small and gets busy.
Remote location: ride with the local school.
Remote desert village hours from the nearest hospital
A school operates here, so lessons and supervised sessions are fine. Riding on your own is not recommended unless you're experienced, because rescue and medical help are far away.
La Guajira – Cabo de la Vela, Mayapo & Riohacha (Colombia)
Difficulty rating
■ Intermediate spot Today's rating, which adds wind, gusts and swell, is in the live forecast.
Riding
flat, freestyle
Beach faces
W (about 280°)
Best wind
From the SSE to WSW or NW to NE (side-shore)
Offshore (avoid)
From the ENE to SE
Season
Windy most of the year; strongest and most reliable Dec–Jul (Cabo de la Vela often 25–35 kn). Sep–Nov is the rainy season with the lightest, least reliable wind.
Nearest airport report
Almirante Padilla (Riohacha) SKRH
Location
12.2042, -72.1506 (approximate)
Kite schools & rentals
School and rentalTAWI Kite Center and HostelCabo de la Vela (village bay)tawikitecabo.comPhone +57 310 490 45 78WhatsApp +57 310 490 45 78tawikitecenter@gmail.comInstagram @tawikite_cabodelavelaDetails found 2026-11. Confirm before booking.
School and rentalCoco Kite ColombiaMayapo (Segunda Playa, Maliwala)cocokitecolombia.comPhone +57 313 7260548WhatsApp +57 313 7260548cocokitecolombia@gmail.comInstagram @cocokitecolombiaDetails found 2026-11. Confirm before booking.
Kite schoolKiteAdventure ColombiaMayapo (Segunda Playa, Maliwala)www.kitesurfingcolombia.coPhone +57 320 765 5364WhatsApp +57 320 765 5364kiteadventurecolombiasas@gmail.comDetails found 2026-11. Confirm before booking.
Kite schoolKite Addict ColombiaMayapo (Segunda Playa, Maliwala)www.kiteboardingcolombia.comPhone +57 320 5281665WhatsApp +57 320 5281665info@kiteaddictcolombia.comDetails found 2026-11. Confirm before booking.
Other spots on La Guajira – Cabo de la Vela, Mayapo & Riohacha (Colombia)
Guide only. Forecasts, gear sizes and spot notes can be wrong or out of date. Check conditions on the beach, take lessons from a certified instructor, ride within your ability and never ride alone. See the full disclaimer.