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The Original Los Barriles Kiteboarding School Since 1998

Los Barriles, located in Baja California Sur, Mexico, on the shores of the Sea of Cortez is kitesurfers and windsurfers paradise. No wonder, the peninsula is affected by several regular wind patterns. The La Paz region, Los Barriles is situated in, experiences a wind which drops the effective temperature and can raise heavy seas in the surrounding waters. The northern half of the peninsula has its rainy season in the winter - storms come from the North Pacific and are generally moderate in strength when they reach Baja so the best time to come here is November through April; that's when “El Norte” wind arrives in Los Barriles drawing wind seekers from all over the world. The warm winds blow almost every day over those 5 months at a consistent range of 18-22 knots. In addition to the consistent wind, you will find wide open, sandy, beaches here, lining the turquoise waters of the Bay of Palms offering safe and beautiful launching and landing areas. And right here, ExotiKite Kiteboarding, one of the pioneer kiteboarding schools in Baja California Sur has its home.

4. 3. 2015

Founded in 1998 by Ian Sanders, ExotiKite Kiteboarding offers kiteboarding, kitesurfing, foilboarding and standup paddleboarding lessons for all levels. Ian had initially spent his time in Baja teaching windsurfing. One day, his boss told him to learn kiteboarding because it was the new up and coming sport. Ian taught himself how to kite and then got certified to teach by both the BKSA (British Kitesurfing Association) and IKO (International Kiteboarding organization). He is now a level 2 senior instructors with thousands of lessons taught.

a beach near Cabo San Lucas, an area ExotiKite has been teaching for over 15 years, with over 3,500 lessons taught; photo: © Lori Makabe

"We hold ourselves to the highest of standards and because of our teaching methods and safety record, ExotiKite Kiteboarding was accepted as the first school in Los Barriles to be a fully licensed and insured IKO Kiteboarding center. Our instructors are all experienced, professional and certified, most of whom have been teaching with us for many seasons. We only use the best equipment with the latest in control and safety technology. We provide the same rental and retail gear the student will use during their lesson so the transition from guided lessons to independent practice is un-intimidating and seamless", says ExotiKite Kiteboarding's manager Megan O'Leary.

ExotiKite Kiteboarding has many different lesson options. The most popular is a 8hr “Independent Kiteboarder” package. This lesson package is conducted over 2-4 days and takes you from learning safety and control on the beach to getting your first rides on the board. The goal is to get the student safely and comfortably to the point where they can practice safely and confidently on their own. The ExotiKite crew conducts classes using progressive teaching methods, a non-competitive and encouraging atmosphere, and a beautiful, un-crowded location.

If you want to learn to kite or windsurf, there are tons of good reasons to head up south. Los Barriles is located a short, 45 minutes from the Cabo San Lucas Airport and what was once an old Mexican fishing village, Los Barriles has become a vacationers dream. While still maintaining its small town ambiance, Los Barriles has a wide variety of restaurants, bars, banks, markets and hotels to accommodate all budgets. ExotiKite also offers on-site accommodation, store, bar and restaurant.