Holbox Kitesurfing Lessons: A KukulKite Review

A review of Isla Holbox kitesurfing for newbies, by newbies.

The Isla Holbox, Mexico is known for two things. Firstly, it is regarded as a beautiful eco-tourism destination, and secondly, it is famous as a kitesurfing mecca. It lives up to one of these reputations.

Holbox is touted as an island paradise with nothing but clear blue water, infinite white sandy beaches, and gently swaying palm trees. Not even cars are allowed on this island paradise claims tourist marketing. Unfortunately, this Isla Holbox no longer exists. Overdevelopment and over-tourism are having a devastating effect on the natural environment, and the town of Holbox that we experienced late in the summer was a murky lagoon filled with trash, the beach, and muddy town was filled with countless beach bars and clubs, and a lot more construction is underway.

While we were shocked by the state of Holbox, our last-minute decision to try our hand at kitesurfing was a wonderful highlight of an otherwise disappointing trip. If you find yourself in Isla Holbox and you enjoy a challenge, then we recommend giving kite surfing a go.

Having visited nearby El Cuyo on the mainland a few years ago, we knew this part of the Yucatan Peninsula was windy. And having passed up our opportunity to learn kite surfing back then, we decided to give kitesurfing a go on Isla Holbox.

There are many different kitesurfing schools in Holbox that you can choose from. All of the Holbox kitesurf schools seem to be relatively similar, offering similar prices and similar lessons. After doing a bit of research online, we settled on one of the most popular and established kite surfing schools, KukulKite Holbox.

Kiteboarding on Isla Holbox

Isla Holbox offers great conditions for Kiteboarding. The calm, clear, shallow water is warm year-round. The island experiences 250 windy days a year. Despite the aforementioned overdevelopment, the island is an undeniably beautiful setting for kiteboarding and has a number of possible locations to take advantage of prevailing wind directions. Additionally, there is a passionate and friendly community of kiteboarders and kiteboarding instructors that create a positive environment to learn kiteboarding.

Kukulkite Holbox Kitesurfing School

We chose Kukulkite Holbox Kitesurfing School based on their online reviews and their long association with kitesurfing on the island.

The booking office is conveniently located in town, and the instructors and staff are friendly and welcoming.

My Holbox Kitesurfing Experience with Kukulkite

Arriving at Kite Beach on the eastern side of the main beach just beyond Hotel Las Nubes, I was concerned. Approximately ten individuals who appeared to be instructors huddled around one guy and seemed to be learning about various techniques of kitesurfing. Nervous about our decision to kitesurf on Holbox with KukulKite, I hesitantly asked one of the guys closest to us if they were the instructors and if they, in fact, were themselves learning how to kitesurf in Holbox.

He quickly burst into laughter at my question and assured me that the instructors knew exactly what they were doing. In fact, he was going to be the one to teach us how to kitesurf in Holbox that very morning.

What no one tells you before booking your kitesurfing lesson in Isla Holbox is that getting on the board during the first day is highly unlikely. Learning the ropes (pun intended?) of kiting is not easy to do. The first twenty minutes or so is learning the fundamentals of kitesurfing on land. Our instructor Gonzalo spent time explaining the concept of how kitesurfing works, including learning about the wind window and how to set up the kite for kitesurfing. We also suited up in perhaps the most ridiculous protective gear to make sure that we wouldn’t injure ourselves during the countless wipeouts that we endured in our kitesurfing experience.

After setting up the kite and getting a (very) rough understanding of the fundamentals of kitesurfing, we headed out to a small lagoon separated from the sea by a sandbar. Here we set about learning how to handle the kite in the wind or what is known in the kiting world as kite control. The wind during our first lesson was particularly strong blowing around 20 knots with gusts upwards of 25+ knots.

Learning how to handle the kite was not as easy as I envisioned, but nothing ever really is. One of the fundamentals of kitesurfing is that pulling the bar towards you increases the power of the wind in the kite, something that you do not really want to happen when you are just learning how to kitesurf. When the kite starts being pulled by the wind, your natural instinct is to pull on the board to regain control, but this simply makes things a bit worse. My first attempt at controlling the kite sent me and Eddie and Gonzalo (who were holding my harness) flying about 5 meters. Luckily, the worst that happens is getting thrown into the warm water and a mouthful of water.

After a couple of attempts, I finally managed to keep myself relatively grounded without launching the three of us into the air. Most of the lesson on the first day is spent practicing kite control through various techniques that involve dipping the kite from one side to the other in a controlled manner while standing and then while being pulled while in the water. While this may seem to be boring and repetitive, for me, it was quite difficult to manage, and it still felt like I was learning during the full lesson.

The second day was the most exciting day when I finally got the chance to try out my new skills on the board. After a quick refresher on the previous day’s kite controller, I set out to conquer the wind. Needless to say, it conquered me. Not only do you need to practice kite control, but you also need to learn how to harness the wind to pull yourself up onto the board without it launching you 15 feet forward and straight into the water, a task not easily mastered in one day.

With a bit of luck, I managed to stand up a few times on the board, and each time, I managed to run right over Eddie, filming the lesson. What I had not quite learned yet was how to turn or direct the kiteboard; I assume that would have been in lesson three had we had another day to spend learning this exciting new sport.

Things to Know About KiteBoarding in Holbox

Before heading off to Isla Holbox, review our list of frequently asked questions to make sure you are well prepared when trying your hand at kitesurfing in Holbox.

When Is the Holbox Kitesurfing Season?

The Holbox kitesurfing season runs from November to June each year. From November to February (the winter season), the winds blow from the north and range between 12 and 25 knots. During the winter season, kitesurfing in Holbox is usually best from the far right end of the beach near Hotel Nubes.

From March to April (the spring season), the winds blow from the northeast/east and range between 12 and 20 knots. As the spring season progresses, kitesurfing in Holbox is usually best from Punta Mosquito. May and June round out the end of the kiteboarding season in Isla Holbox.

How Much Does It Cost to Kitesurf Holbox?

It depends. To kitesurf in Holbox, you have a range of options to choose from depending on how much you want to spend and the number of hours you want to commit to learning how to kitesurf. We recommend signing up for at least three hours and ideally three hours over the course of a few days. We initially signed up for a one-day three-hour session and by the end of the first day decided to return the next day for another round of lessons. The cost of a three-hour lesson should cost approximately $250 USD for a private course which is recommended as you can make the most of your time on the water. A three-day, three-hour-a-day lesson costs approximately $490 USD per person.

How Many Days Do I Need to Learn to Kitesurf?

At least two or three but as many as you have. We initially signed up for a three-hour introductory lesson, and while it was a blast, we only had enough time to learn how to control the kite. It wasn’t until day 2 that we started actually kiteboarding,

Next time we go kiteboarding, we plan to set aside at least three days or more!

Do I Need to Have Had a Kitesurfing Experience to Kitesurf in Isla Holbox?

No. We showed up at kite beach with absolutely zero experience kitesurfing. As long as you are up for an adventure, you can handle kitesurfing in Isla Holbox.

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Hopefully, we have given you the extra push you needed to get out there and try something new with our Kukulkite Kitesurfing review.

If you have any questions about kitesurfing in Isla Holbos, or if you have any questions about the island of Isla Holbox itself, let us know in the comments below!

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