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Ica, Peru

Mar · 72% rideable

Paracas

What it's actually like

Paracas is on Peru’s desert coast in the Ica region, about three hours’ drive south of Lima on the Panamericana Sur. The riding is in the bay by the town, off a large sandy beach at the main kite point, with the Paracas National Reserve beside it. The good wind comes from the south, blowing from the left as you face the water.

In WindChaser’s record the wind is dependable for most of the year: from August to April more than seven days in ten clear 12 knots for three daylight hours, and November is the pick at nearly nine in ten. The mean over those rideable hours is 14 to 16 knots. Even June, the quietest month, manages about one day in two. The mornings are dead calm: in November no windy hour shows before 10am, then the share of windy days climbs to three in ten by noon and to nearly nine in ten from 3pm to 5pm. Kangaroo Kite describes the wind swinging from the north-east to the south-west around midday and holding until sunset. It is lit most afternoons of the southern summer.

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Your month

When it's good

12 kt+ for 3+ daylight hours · kite

March · 72%. 22 rideable days in 31, 4.2 hours a day over 12 kt. Come.

Where else it blows in March

Not yet checked against a weather station or an independent model, so treat these figures as a guide.

At a glance

Is it for you?

Skill levelGetting there
WaterMillpond
Wind · MarUsually turns up
Crowds · MarBusy patches
Local vibeFriendly enough
Water qualityUsually clean
NightlifeA bar or two
CostMid

Geek analysis

March in the record

72% of days clear 12 kt for three daylight hours or more.

In March the wind most often sits at 8 to 11 kt (25% of daylight hours) and is over 12 kt from 2pm to 6pm on at least half the days. See both charts in the full report

No weather station near enough to check these figures against.

March on the record

The month's own figures, not the year's average.

Rideable days22 of 31Ten Marches in the record
Wind, rideable hours15 ktMean over daylight hours at 12 kt+
Air25.0°CMaximum

Take it with you

The full Paracas report

Seven sections over six pages, built from the same record as this page. A PDF you can read on the plane.

01Hour-by-hour & month-by-month wind02The month's own records03Full stays, schools & kit04Per-launch notes05Gusts, piers & the reserve rules06Getting there, packing & best months07Sources, and their limits

When it gets busy

Crowds

Apr · Medium

Kite Insider rates the crowds in Paracas Bay medium, busiest from January to April, and a 2019 spot guide calls the bay uncrowded the rest of the year. Kangaroo Kite says there are no more than 30 kites on the water.

On the water

What March usually does

Wind directionS to SWFrom the south, blowing from the left on the main beach, per spot guides and Kangaroo Kite.
Wind strength14 to 16 ktThe mean over rideable daylight hours, August to April, in the record. A 9 km model, no station check yet.
When it blowsAfternoonCalm mornings. The share of windy days builds from noon to a peak between 3pm and 5pm.

Your playground

Launches & safety

Conditions change. Check local rules and conditions before you ride.

  • Launch
  • Hazard
  • Parking
  • School
  • Stay
  • Webcam

Local intel

Getting there & on the ground

Nearest airportLima (LIM)Jorge Chávez International. About three hours south by the Panamericana Sur.
On the groundAugust to AprilThe windiest months in the record. November is the pick.
Getting aroundBus or carBuses run from Lima in 3.5 to 4 hours, per a spot guide, or drive.

Stay, schools & kit

Who works this beach

© Franca RojoKangaroo KiteSchoolGoogle MapsKite · WingLessons, camps and reserve trips all year from about 11am, with a rescue boat during lessons.Website
© KitesurfingPeruKitesurfing PeruSchoolGoogle MapsKite · WindsurfKite and windsurf lessons at the Kite Point in Santo Domingo.

All 6 stays near Paracas on one page

Something wrong?We check before it changes.Suggest a change

Sources

Wind dataOpen-Meteo · ECMWF IFS HRES 9 km · 2017 to 2026Weather data by Open-Meteo.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0. The figures on this page are statistics we counted from that data. Model data: European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), CC BY 4.0. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026 (ERA5). Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the Copernicus information or data it contains.
Map data© OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL
PhotosHero, Kiters on Paracas Bay at sunsetThamara Salas Murillo · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0A kiter at sunset in Paracas Bay.Alexandra Bulygina · Google Maps · Google Maps Platform termsA wing foiler on the bay at Paracas.Francisco Soriano · Google Maps · Google Maps Platform termsSchool, Kangaroo KiteFranca Rojo · Google Maps · Google Maps Platform termsSchool, Kitesurfing PeruKitesurfingPeru · Google Maps · Google Maps Platform terms