Velmonda

Mykonos

Spot guide

About riding Mykonos

Korfos is a U-shaped bay on the north side of Mykonos with a sandy beach of almost 400 metres, and it faces straight into the Meltemi, which is the whole point. The bay funnels the northerly, the wind arrives onshore to side-onshore, and the water is shallow and smooth for the first stretch out: that combination is why Korfos is the island's teaching beach as well as its riding one.

The winds, by name

Meltemi. The one wind that matters here: synoptic flow down the Aegean, arriving at Korfos mostly from the NNW. It does not switch off at night (the beach's own anemometer puts the day-night swing at only about five knots), and it peaks mid-afternoon, around 15:00–17:00. Above 30 knots it turns distinctly gusty as it compresses over the hills.

When to come

May to September is the Meltemi season, and the beach's own measurements say June and August are the strongest months; May is the softest of the five. Water is Aegean-warm; the suit is rarely the deciding factor here.

What to watch

Marker buoys bound the riding area at both ends of the bay. Stay inside them: behind both ends there are rocks, the road and cables. The first metres off the beach are crowded with lessons and launches, and boats run deep-water teaching in the bay. When the Meltemi passes 30 knots, expect real gusts and size down.

Getting there

Korfos bay sits about 2.5 km from Mykonos Town and under ten minutes from the airport; the centre on the beach handles lessons, rental and storage.

Questions riders ask

  1. When does the Meltemi blow at Mykonos?

    May to September, peaking mid-afternoon around 15:00–17:00. On the beach's own two years of measurements, June and August are the strongest months of the season.

  2. Does the Meltemi stop at night?

    No. It is a synoptic wind with a thermal push on top, not a sea breeze: measured on the beach, the difference between night and afternoon is only about five knots, and in a sustained outbreak it runs for days.

  3. Is Korfos good for beginners?

    Yes, that is its reputation. The bay faces north, so the Meltemi comes in onshore to side-onshore and pushes you back to the sand; the bottom is shallow and smooth close to shore, and the schools teach from boats in deeper water.

  4. Where is the flat water at Korfos?

    Closest to shore and towards the eastern half of the bay; the western half picks up small waves and the chop builds the further out you go.

  5. Is there a second wind at Korfos?

    Not really: Korfos is a one-wind spot. Southerlies reach the island but almost never at riding strength in this bay; when the Meltemi is off, locals change beach, not wind.