Kitesurfing the Buttery Waters of Laguna Garzón
The lagoon has several miles of sheltered, buttery water on one side of the sand bar, with more adventurous waves available on the other oceanic side.
Uruguay’s southern coastline is home to a few world class kiteboarding spots – the best of which is a sheltered lagoon called Laguna Garzon, located just a few miles outside the city of José Ignacio.
Laguna Garzon is just a short drive away from downtown Jose Ignacio. Pictured above is a snapshot of the Laguna Garzon bridge that sections off the more inland piece of the lagoon from the more oceanic. We kitesurfed on the more oceanic side because the wind wasn’t as strong on the more inland side on the day we went.
You’ll find the wind strongest on different days in different lagoons, so helps to approach the local kiters on-site and ask their opinion. They’ll whatsapp you recommendations on which days will blow the strongest.
We were in Uruguay for reasons other than Kitesurfing, so didn’t bring our gear with us. So, we tried out a few rental companies in the area. We found the one with the newest equipment, best advice, and stellar service to be the hot pink crew over at Kitesurf Uruguay.
The peak season for kitesurfing in Uruguay is October – March, and you can use your standard quiver between 9 to 12 meters. We visited in December and rode a 15 meter, due to less consistent winds.
The wind here is southernly, sometimes cross-shore, sometimes on-shore. On clear days, it picks up in the afternoon due to thermal conditions (cool ocean, warm land).
True courage is like a kite; a contrary wind raises it higher.
– John Petit-Senn
Don’t try your foil in Laguna Garzon – in most places it’s much too shallow and you can pretty much stand up in most places. The shallow nature of the lagoon makes Laguna Garzon a perfect spot for beginners and masters alike.
However, it is possible to exit the lagoon into the ocean, where of course you can foil.