Kitesurfing
Kite Trips Colombia
Private kite trips in Colombia by Kitesphynx
At Kitesphynx, we pride ourselves in offering meticulously organized private kite trips to Colombia’s premier kitesurfing spots. Backed by Guanabana Tours’ ten years+ experience in adventure tourism, we have the know-how to ensure that every aspect of your kite trip is professionally managed and properly executed. Furthermore, highly skilled instructors are there to assist at all spots, and we take care of all the details, from transportation, accommodation, & kite gear.
Additionally, we have decades of traveling all over Colombia from north to south and east to west, our team is master at planning and executing adventure itineraries. Over 10 years doing tours in the high Guajira desert gives us the experience to handle the desert trails, ties with the local Wayuu, and knowledge of all the spots & downwinders.
On this page we give you itineraries and costs of our kite trips. For detailed information on the spots please visit here.
All prices are in single accommodations, one person per room. If you are traveling as a couple please let us know and we will give you an adjusted price. The rooms are with beds, as opposed to open air hammocks which is the custom in the native Wayuu culture and was the only way to go in the not too distant past.
If you don’t want to travel with your own gear, no problem! We can rent everything you need for a great kite trip!
Our Kite Trips in Colombia:
The Guajira Desert
Northernmost tip of South America
Kite Trips Colombia Guajira Desert are for the true adventure seekers
The Guajira desert is a vast territory on the northernmost part of Colombia that is totally barren with dry forest and temperatures that can reach 38ºC/100ºF. Furthermore, it is undeveloped, without roads, stores, supermarkets or shopping malls. It’s inhabited by the native Wayuu indigenous people and has some of the most amazing kitesurfing on the planet.
It’s wildly remote landscapes offer beautiful and constantly varying views of the desert. There are many different terrains. At times it will be seemingly endless open spaces and at others it will be thick cacti forests or red colored silty sand dunes. The night sky is breathtaking and every stargazer’s dream. The Wayuu people have been the custodians of this territory for thousands of years. Morever, the Wayuu hostels where we stay have all the basics such as running water and electricity, but creature comforts are low. The beauty and mystique of this exotic land together with the incredible kitesurfing make it a great kitesurfing adventure!
The Guajira Desert will make you realize how much you’re not in Kansas anymore
Guajira Kite Trips in Colombia: Expeditions Not for the Faint of Heart
Kite trips into the Guajira desert must be understood to be of expeditionary nature. These are trips into surreal and beautiful, yet harsh outback and undeveloped territory.
If you’re looking for luxury and predictability, this kite trip is not for you.
You don’t have to be an advanced kiter (except for The Mother downwinder kite trips) but what you do need to be is honest with yourself and know if you are the type of person that is into –or better yet, has experience– enduring outback outdoor expeditions. Each and every trip into the Guajira Desert is unique, no two are ever the same. The only thing they will always have in common is that your patience, resilience, grit, and good humor are sure to be put to the test.
What to Expect:
- Heat and Discomfort: You will have to endure ambient heat, and long bumpy drives in 4×4 vehicles through the desert (with AC).
- Connectivity: Electricity may go out, phone signal may be lost, wifi at the hostels may go down or be super slow.
- Basic installations: Tourism to the Guajira Desert, both national and international, has grown exponentially in the past few years, and the Wayuu’s have been quick and industrious to embrace it. The lodgings in their rancherias have greatly improved over time. Now you will find private rooms with beds, running water, electricity, in all of them. Notwithstanding, things are still very basic out in the desert, think camping, so patience and flexibility are a must.
- Different People Have Different World Views: You must understand that the locals in the desert, besides being super friendly, have an extremely different culture, sense of time, and way of doing things that you may find shocking, frustrating, and sometimes annoying.
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Expect The Unexpected: Mechanical issues, delays, and other hiccups are part of the journey. Complaining won’t change anything—it will only drain the energy of the group. Flexibility and a positive attitude are essential.
What We Do to Make It Better:
We work hard to balance the raw nature of the Guajira with thoughtful touches to make your experience as comfortable as possible:
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We limit 3 kiters per 4×4 vehicle for more space and comfort.
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We pre-order all meals ahead of time so as to minimize wait time.
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We pre-book beds (instead of hammocks) for more comfort. The hostels in the High Guajira Desert have traditionally offered big colorful hand woven hammocks called chinchorros that are part of the Wayuu culture (they are quite comfortable once you get a hang of it) but now all have built beds to cater to tourists.
- We carry a portable Starlink antenna that we set up during stops and in the evenings for connectivity to the internet.
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A team of experienced and friendly guides always ready to assist.
Who This Trip Is For, Are You The Type That …
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Has experience with rugged, outdoor expeditions?
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Can adapt to challenging conditions with patience and good humor?
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Is excited to immerse yourself in a culture vastly different from your own?
If this sounds like you, then you’re exactly the type of kiter we want to share this adventure with. The Guajira Desert offers some of the best, most incredible kitesurfing in the world, set against breathtaking landscapes and among the friendly Wayuu people. This isn’t just a trip—it’s an incredible adventure!
So, are you ready to step out of your comfort zone and into the adventure of a lifetime? Sign up now and let’s make it happen!
KITE TRIP GUAJIRA DESERT 5 DAY/4 NIGHT (From January to August). 20-30 kts
Program:
Day 1 –Riohacha pickup then transfer to Mayapo Beach, 30 minutes drive: Kite Mayapo
Day 2 –Drive from Mayapo to Punta Gallina, 5.5 hours: Kite Punta Gallinas
Day 3 –Punta Gallinas: Kite Punta Gallinas
Day 4 –Drive Punta Gallinas to Cabo de La Vela, 3.5 hours: Kite Cabo
Day 5 –Transfer from Cabo de La Vela to Riohacha: If departure arrangements in Riohacha don’t call for an arrival time of before 5 pm, kite Cabo before departure
Description of the kite trip:
Day 1 –Riohacha arrival, airport pickup and transfer to lodgings in Mayapo, 30 mins. Day 1 kite Mayapo.
- Night Mayapo
Mayapo has become a very popular beach for tourism and kitesurfing. In addition, there are a number of kite schools and hostels, plus also non-kitesurf related beach businesses popping up every day. Our kite hotel is 6 kms south of main Mayapo beach. It is in a secluded area, with the beach all to ourselves, but still close enough to go hang out in Mayapo’s more concurred area.
The hotel in Mayapo is right on the beach and has a pool!
Rooms in Mayapo have AC
Restaurant and beach bar in Mayapo
The hotel we stay at in Mayapo during our kite trips is high end and very comfortable with amenities, such as air conditioning, pool and bar. In addition, it is practically a private beach since there are no immediate neighbors.
PUNTA GALLINAS, NORTHERNMOST TIP OF SOUTH AMERICA, WHERE THE VAST DESERT MEETS THE SEA
Day 2 –Drive Mayapo to Punta Gallinas through the desert, 225 kms (158 mi)/6 hours. ETA 12 noon. Visit dunes of Taroa, then kite in the Bahia Hondita bay in front of the hostel in Punta Gallinas.
- Night 2: Punta Gallinas.
Day 3 –Punta Gallinas. Downwind La Boquita to Punta Aguja.
The Guajira Kite Trip We Downwind To La Boquita From Punta Gallinas, Super Fun!
This is an exciting short (8.7 km/5.4 mi) local downwind that starts in a huge inner bay right outside our lodging hostel –the bay’s called Bahía Hondita. Not only is kiting downwind all over the huge bay a delight, but also at the bottom of the bay we then kite through a narrow canal called la Boquita (the little mouth) with cliffs on one side and marshes on the other, out into the open sea to a beach called Punta Aguja, quite thrilling! Here you’ll be served lunch and can rest in hammocks before the return to the hostel in the support boat. The views and spectacles and the passage through the narrow canal out into the open sea is a kiting experience that will forever remain etched in your mind!
- Night 3: Punta Gallinas.
Day 4 –Drive from Punta Gallinas to Cabo de La Vela. 130 kms(80 mi)/4-hour drive. Visit Pilon de Azucar in Cabo, kite Cabo all day.
This is the kiter’s hostel in Cabo de La Vela. It is right on the water’s edge
Individual cabanas in Cabo with running water, bathroom and shower
Beds in Cabo
- Night 4: Cabo de La Vela.
Day 5 –Cabo to Riohacha airport, 160 km (100 mi)/2.5 hours. End of 5 day/4 night Guajira kite trip (If arrival time does not have to be before 5 pm in Riohacha, there’s time to kite some more in Cabo in the morning!).
Price per person per vehicle 5 day kite trip:
Amount of people, price per person in one vehicle:
1 person …….. $1,900 USD
2 persons ….. $1,140 USD
3 persons ….. $975 USD
PRICING FOR OUR GUAJIRA KITE TRIPS ARE BASED PER VEHICLE
Pricing is set per person, per vehicle, with a maximum of 3 kiters per vehicle, adjusted to the amount of people in the vehicle. If a 4th person signs up, a new vehicle starts and the price #4 pays will be depending on if a 5th and 6th person sign up.
Kite trips in the Guajira desert involve long drives –from 3 to 6 hours– over territory that has no roads. These drives through such amazing landscapes are thrilling and fun and make part of the kite trip experience itself. But they are bumpy rides over rock, sand, and broken terrain. To make it more comfortable we limit a maximum of 3 kiters with their gear and belongings plus driver per 4×4. We don’t believe in cramming people like sardines for these long, bumpy rides.
Included throughout all our kite trips in Colombia:
- Airport transfers
- Hydration
- Sleeping arrangements with 1 person per room. If you are a couple let us know and we will adjust the price for you
- Ground transportation
- Pro kiters to assist
- Medical card
Not included in our kite trips:
- Food and drinks are not included, so you can order what you want at all hotels, hostels, restaurants and stops along the way. We have their numbers and their menus, so we take all orders and send them ahead via WhatsApp
KITE TRIP GUAJIRA DESERT 8 DAY/7 NIGHT (From January to August). 20-30 kts
Program:
Day 1 –Riohacha pickup then transfer to Mayapo Beach, 30 minutes drive: Kite Mayapo
Day 2 –Drive from Mayapo to Punta Gallina, 5.5 hours: Kite Punta Gallinas
Day 3 –Punta Gallinas: Short downwind
Day 4 –Drive Punta Gallinas to Cabo de La Vela, 3.5 hours: Kite Cabo
DAY 5 –Cabo de La Vela
DAY 6 –Cabo de La Vela
DAY 7 –Cabo drive to Mayapo, 2.5 hours. ETA 10 am. Kite Mayapo
DAY 8 –Mayapo – Riohacha airport, 40 minutes
Description of the kite trip:
Days 1 – 4 follow the same itinerary as the 5-day kite trip shown above.
Day 5 – Cabo de La Vela is a kitesurfing microcosmos with a large part of the community involved. Year round there are kitesurfers from all different walks of life living or passing through Cabo. Time in Cabo for a kitesurfer is spent by endless hours of kiting and socializing with local and non-local kiters, having some drinks, and enjoying good food. Morever, some of the local Wayuu instructors are incredibly talented, and this is a great opportunity to learn new tricks from them, or just practice for hours and hours kitesurfing until the sun literally sets
Day 6 –Another full day of kiting magical Cabo de La Vela’s mirror flat water, exploring the town, meeting new people, enjoying good food, swinging in a hammock perhaps, and maybe learning new tricks
Day 7 –Drive from Cabo to Mayapo, 2.5 hour drive. Back to a nice hotel in Mayapo with plush beds, air conditioning, pool and pool bar. A great day of unwinding, rest, enjoy some international cuisine, drinks by the pool, organizing all your gear and baggage in preparation for the next day’s departure, and of course, some great Mayapo kiting!
Day 8 –Transfer from Mayapo to Riohacha airport, end of the Guajira 8-day kite trip
Price per person, per vehicle, 8-day kite trip:
Amount of people, price per person in one vehicle:
1 person …….. $3,470 USD
2 persons ….. $1,940 USD
3 persons ….. $1,695 USD
PRICING FOR OUR GUAJIRA KITE TRIPS ARE BASED PER VEHICLE
Pricing is set per person, per vehicle, with a maximum of 3 kiters per vehicle, adjusted to the amount of people in the vehicle. If a 4th person signs up, a new vehicle starts and the price #4 pays will be depending on if a 5th and 6th person sign up.
The Drives in the Guajira Desert
… are long and bumpy. This map shows the trip from Riohacha, the capital of the state of Guajira (where the airport is) to Punta Gallinas, 255 km. Punta Gallinas is the northernmost tip of Colombia and South America. This map says 7 hours 17 minutes but that drive time is now actually down to ~6 hours because they’ve recently paved long stretches of the road north of Uribia. But after a certain point there ceases to be road and it’s off-roading like the Paris-Dakar. It is rugged and bumpy, with stops to stretch the legs and enjoy the amazing views of the desert.
Caribbean Kitesurfing Spots Farther South in Salinas del Rey Can Be Added to a Guajira Kite Trip Itinerary From January to April for the Mother of All Kite Trips!
THE MOTHER OF ALL KITE TRIPS COLOMBIA
GUAJIRA – SALINAS DEL REY 11-DAY/10 NIGHT
The Mother involves kiting and downwinding all the Caribbean spots, from the outback territory of the northern Guajira desert to the modern region between Barranquilla and Cartagena, around Salinas del Rey
-Day 1: Riohacha airport 30 minute drive to Mayapo Beach, kite Mayapo
-DAY 2: Kite Mayapo and the lagoons
Fun downwinder in and out of lagoons!
Mayapo Beach is one of the stops in our Guajira itineraries. It has beautiful white sandy beaches and great wind conditions, and also a super fun downwinder!
We drive 20 minutes north to another kite spot called El Pájaro, and from there we begin downwinding back towards Mayapo but with ins-and-outs in a set of lagoons. Some parts we kite directly in or out from the sea, others we walk over sand with the kites in the air!
-DAY 3: Drive from Mayapo to Punta Gallinas, 6 hour drive. Arrive in time to visit the Dunes of Taroa and kitesurf.
-DAY 4: Punta Gallinas, short local downwinder through the narrow passage to the sea called La Boquita, lunch at Punta Aguja
-DAY 5: Drive from Punta Gallinas to Cabo de La Vela, 3.5 hour drive, ETA Cabo 11 am. Kite Cabo.
-DAY 6: Visit the sights in Cabo in the morning, the natural pyramid El Pilón de Azucar and Playa Arcoiris (Rainbow Beach), kite Cabo.
-DAY 7: Cabo kitesurfing in the morning, leave for Riohacha after lunch. Spend the afternoon sightseeing Riohacha.
-DAY 8: Drive from Riohacha to Salinas del Rey. ~6-7 hour drive with stops. Departure 7 am after breakfast, stop for lunch on the way, ETA Salinas 2 pm, kite the afternoon in Salinas.
- Night 8 in Salinas.
Rooms at the hostel in Salinas del Rey
The hostel is right on the beach!
-DAY 10: Salinas, kite.
-Day 11: Airport transfers to Cartagena for departure, end of the kite trip
What kitesurfing level is appropriate for kite trips in Colombia?
You would best enjoy these kite trips at intermediate to advanced level. You should be able to go up wind, recover your board, water relaunch your kite, and know how to do self rescue. These skills are important to have for these adventures. Furthermore, you will always be accompanied by pro local kiters. For the long downwinders in the Guajira we do require advanced kiters.
And We Can See Flamingos! (Well, Maybe)
In Punta Gallinas, from the end of April up to the end of August, we can see flamingos during our kite trips in Colombia!
When we know the flamingos are in Punta Gallinas, we start a downwinder at another spot called El Mirador, a few kms south of Luz Mila’s hotel and bay. Starting from this spot we kite surf this bay and there’s an area where the flamingos hang out. It’s a totally unforgettable experience to kite close to the marshes edge and see them up close. One thing that will for sure surprise you is how they are bigger than you imagined!
Lake Calima In The Department of Valle del Cauca
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing Lake Calima
Nestled between the green Andes Mountains is one of Colombia’s best kept secrets when it comes to kitesurfing, paragliding, mountain biking, ATV, paddle board, bird watching, and sheer natural beauty!
In Lake Calima you can kitesurf every day from early afternoon onward, be it beginner lessons, progression coaching, or just plain fun.
In the mornings you can do any of many leisure, sports or outdoor activities that the lake area offers.
Come and discover the magic of kitesurfing Lake Calima!
