Lake Silvaplana

Why Visit?

Lake Silvaplana is located at the high altitude of 1800m, in the beautiful Engadin Valley. The landscape is stunning, and there are just a handful of places in the world where you can kite among incredible scenery like this! It’s a perfect spot for sporty, active people coming here (but not only) for kiting, but the mountains will also surely tempt you to go for a hike or bike trip as well.

Life here is super laid back, especially for kiters, because of the famous “Maloja" thermal wind will usually only start blowing in the afternoons between 11 am and 2 pm, depending on the time of year.

Here on Lake Silvaplana, you can start your morning with a delicious breakfast in front of your camper van on the campsite located directly at the lake and kite spot and take your time to pump your kite; there is no rush!

Tip for the winter season: The lake freezes during the winter, making Lake Silvaplana a snowkite paradise!

Wind and Weather

Switzerland is not known as one of the windiest countries in the world, but Lake Silvaplana can be considered one of the windiest places in Switzerland! During the summertime (June to September) it's windy about 80% of the time and from October to May, about 50% of the time.

The lake is located in a narrow valley, so thermal winds and an additional venturi create the “Maloja wind". The wind usually starts to be kite-able (Twintip) at around 1 pm. From July and August, the wind kicks in around 11 pm, giving us some more time on the water! Generally, the wind starts slowly and pick up during the day, peaking from 3-5pm with about 20-25 knots before it drops around 6-7pm. The foilers can get in much longer days on the water, starting half an hour earlier and staying on much longer in the evening with 5-8 knots till late.

Yannick enjoying a session!

Keep in mind that we are at high altitude, so the air is thinner than at sea level, so even if it's 20 knots, it still means you will need 9-12m, depending on your weight and this also means you should bring your wetsuit! The water is 18°C at its peak around the beginning of August. Wind temperature will rarely be above 27-28°C during the day and drops at night, so a hoodie for the evening is recommended.

Getting Around

Getting around on public transport is always a little unreliable, even though on the weekends you get pretty good connections (depending on the season) until about 3 am. During the off-season, their timing is a little off for some reason!

If you have a car or a van here, getting around is pretty easy. Getting a bicycle is also highly recommend as the bike-ways are excellent.

Lake Silvaplana

Food and Drink

There are loads of Italian and local restaurants around Lake Silvaplana; you will also come across some Asian cuisine. You will not find any fast food chains around Silvaplana, that's for sure!

There are also some restaurants and a small bar directly at the kite spot, so you don’t have to worry about food, drinks, and snacks for between your kite sessions. You should check out the pizza in Camping Maloja; it is a tiny restaurant with about 20 seats, so make sure you make a reservation beforehand.

Nightlife

There isn't much 'Nightlife' around Silvaplana as it doesn't fit into the lifestyle, it’s more about sports and cosy evenings with bonfires and barbecues, but if you want to go for clubbing, you will find some bars and parties nearby in St. Moritz (5km).

Memorable moments

No Wind?

There is rarely wind in the morning, but that’s no problem. The glassy lake will encourage you to go for a SUP session in the morning and this scenery, you will enjoy peaceful and magical moments in the middle of the lake!

Besides being at the lake, there is a lot more to do! You can go biking, hiking and check out the beautiful climbing walls and go cliff jumping, all within a 10km range of the kite spot. Plaun da Lej is one of our favourite spots to be for those activities.

Internet

Internet connection in the Engadin valley is not the fastest among Switzerland, but still really good compared to the rest of Europe. But trust us, you won’t be desperately searching for wifi while you are here - you'll be too busy enjoying yourself too much!

Fresh morning by the lake!

Accommodation

There is a beautiful camping site just next to the kite spot, directly at the lake. At the camping site, there loads of kitesurfers and windsurfer, making it relaxed and chilled vibes!

There are youth hostels in St. Moritz (5km away) and Pontresina (10km away). Besides the youth hostels you can find a lot of hotels, but keep in mind; they are not the cheapest!

Swiss Kitesurf GmbH

Foil session on the lake

Winter sessions like these...

What a view!

Everyone gets to enjoy the lake