Windsurf and kitesurf intro in Alaçatı

Alaçatı bay is shallow for hundreds of metres and the northerly wind blows steadily most summer afternoons, which makes it one of the easiest places in Europe to learn windsurfing. We book a certified surf school on the beach and keep the ratio at one instructor to five beginners.

The session starts on a land simulator: how to stand, lift the sail and turn. Then everyone goes out on wide beginner boards in waist-deep water, with instructors wading alongside and a rescue boat on the water. Most people sail a few metres on their own within the first hour.

For those curious about kitesurfing, an instructor runs a parallel session on the beach with a small trainer kite, teaching how wind power works and how to control the kite safely. We finish at the beach club with cold drinks and a look at the photos of everyone's first attempts.