Las Cucharas Bay, Lanzarote (Canary Islands)

The sandy crescent shaped bay of Las Cucharas is a safe location surrounded by beach and shore on all sides. The bay provides what can best be described as three distinct windsurfing  areas that are created by the shape of the bay and the effect of the prevailing north-east trade wind that blows cross shore form the left. From the sandy launch spots in front of the windsurfing centres, the first 100m or so is shallow and sheltered from the strength of the wind. This provides an ideal training environment for teaching kids and entry level sailors in flat water without too much wind. There are also jetties extending from the shoreline that further shelter the water close to the beach. In the mornings the wind can also be slightly northerly and hence cross-offshore, which further enhances the sheltered conditions. From 100 m or so until 500 m, the north-east wind gains in strength and becomes much cleaner. The water state remains fairly flat with some small waves coming through. This provides an ideal bump and jump, as well as slalom and freestyle area for intermediate to advanced sailors. It is a fairly safe area, as you will be surrounded by fellow sailors, and there is a conveniently placed platform 400 m out from the shoreline which allows people to attach their boards, have a rest and enjoy the action without sailing back to the shore. At about 500 m, the Bay becomes open sea, and upwind there is a reef that provides excellent waves between 0.5 and 3 m depending on the ocean swells. The water can be a beautiful turquoise in this area. A key feature of these waves is that they are ideal for the first time wave sailor as well as the advanced. There is lots of space between the waves, and it is possible to exit the waves safely. They break cleanly, and for their size don’t have much power. They are ideal for jumping and backside wave riding. There is also plenty of depth over the reef at low tide so as not to damage fins or hurt yourself on the reef. The waves then reform on the inner reef where they become better for entry level wave sailors to practice their wave riding techniques, and due to the water’s depth, do not break until they reach the shore which will cause a small shore break. The best wave for more advanced wave sailors is to be found upwind close to the north-eastern tip of the bay at Los Charcos. Here the wind is also at its strongest. Some local sailors will launch from the shoreline up at Las Charcos but the shore is rocky at low tide. Even further upwind there is a harbour entrance. On occasions this will produce a very short wave . A lot of locals sail from this harbour. There is a car park and sand to rig on but the launch is a little tricky over a slippery reef. Best Suited To – Beginners and improvers in the mornings at all tides. – Freeriders. – Bump and jump sailors. – Slalom. – Freestyle. – First time wave sailors. – Intermediate and advanced wave sailors. – Professional level wave sailors when it is big over the reef. – Best gear to use There is a choice of water states at Cost Teguise which means that many types of equipment are suitable, depending on the requirements of the sailor, from high wind low volume wave boards to large freeride boards and wide beginner boards. It is also suitable for slalom sailing, and is a destination used by the slalom pros to train in winter, but this is less popular. Most popular board size: – 68 –135 L Most popular sail size: – 4.7 – 7.0 M. NOTE: There is no kitesurfing at Cost Teguise