Lake Santa Croce is located in the southern part of Alpago and is surrounded by the Alpago mountains to the north, the Cansiglio plateau to the east and south-east, and the Lapisina valley to the south.
Every afternoon, between spring and autumn, the lake is affected by a thermal wind that blows from south to north with an intensity that varies between 20 km/h and 40 km/h. This phenomenon is caused by the difference in temperature that is created between the Alpago mountains and the Venetian plain, which is further propelled by the forced passage of wind (generating Venturi Effect) through the narrow “Lapisina Valley” to the north, not too far from the village of Santa Croce.
This phenomenon makes Alpago and Lake Santa Croce an earthly paradise for water sports such as boat sailing, kite surfing, windsurfing and other sailing sports.
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Wind at Lake Santa Croce: what are the ideal conditions?
The best wind conditions at Lake Santa Croce occur when there are beautiful sunny mornings in Alpago along with humidity and cold or fog in the Venice plains: these conditions are usually a guarantee of excellent wind in the afternoon.
Wind forecast for Lake Santa Croce
Below you can use our windfinder widget for Santa Croce lake, consulting the table to stay updated on the wind conditions on Santa Croce lake:
Let’s assess all water sports options available in Alpago and on Lake Santa Croce below.
1) Lake Santa Croce Kitesurf:
Kitesurfing is a water sport that requires wind. The principle is very simple: using a board and a flyable kite, the traction of the wind is used to propel, float and surf easily on the water surface.
Kitesurfing is considered an extreme sport because it involves some risks. Before practicing kitesurfing at Lake Santa Croce, it is advisable to take a few lessons to learn the safety rules and the basics to be able to manage the winds on the lake on your own.
Kitesurfing courses on Lake Santa Croce
As for the kite schools in Alpago, there is a wide variety of options: from the Lega Navale Belluno (Boat Sailing Club) in Santa Croce, passing through Dimensione Kite ASD on the east shore of the lake by Poiatte town, ending up on Farra beach with the following kite schools: VKC school, SX Kite school, ASD Otto Kite School and Ride with Us. Below, all you need to know for contacts, courses and reservations.
Note – surfing and kitesurfing activities are to be carried out in designated areas signed as shown in the picture below:
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Reservations and courses at the Kitesurfing school on Lake Santa Croce:
As we have seen, the options are plenty. To book kite courses, contact the kitesurf schools or request any additional information, please visit this page, within the water sports section.
2) Windsurfing Lake Santa Croce:
Windsurfing is a hybrid water sport between sailing and surfing. where the wind is used as a propeller to move on the surface of the water. Sometimes, the propulsive action is simply generated by the waves, where the sail has only an ancillary propulsion function, as the waves can provide sufficient thrust.
At Lake Santa Croce, usually, the afternoon winds are so predictable and constant that top speeds can be considerable.
Windsurfing schools on Lake Santa Croce:
As mentioned above for kitesurfing, Lake Santa Croce also offers many alternatives and schools for windsurfing. To compare all windsurfing courses, prices and rates for equipment rental and contact details to learn windsurfing in Alpago, please refer to this page, in the water sports section.
3) Lake Santa Croce boat rental:
What better way to spend a sunny morning than being on a boat? Peace, tranquility and unspoiled nature. All this is possible in Alpago. To rent a boat at Lake Santa Croce, to rent a rowing boat, the best place to go is Poiatte, near the “Fortunato bar” and cafe. It is recommended showing up early in the morning, when local fishermen can help retrieving the boats from their location slightly off the coast.
For renting a boat on Lake Santa Croce you can call the following number: +39 0437 4244, or visit their contact page by clicking here.
Note: In Poiatte it is also possible to rent parking spaces for your boat at Lake Santa Croce.
4) Sailboats: Lake Santa Croce sailing school
There are only a few sensations like the freedom one feels offshore on a sailboat. In Alpago you can also experience this; the sailing school is located in Santa Croce and is managed by qualified instructors from the Italian Naval League.
Sailing courses in Alpago:
- Sailing course for young people
- Basic Sailing Course
- Advanced Sailing Course
- Personalised Sailing Courses
The boats are provided by the school and are the following: Optimist (for young people), the Laser (sailing as a single), the Trident 16 and Laser Vago (sailing in double). The courses are generally for more than one person, but personal courses can also be booked.
Book sailing courses on Lake Santa Croce:
To book a sailing course or any question or information, you can send an email to the following address: [email protected], or by visiting this page for telephone numbers and other contacts.
5) Kayaking at Lake Santa Croce and Canoe Rental:
Paddling at Lake Santa Croce is an incredible experience, as you can easily reach the “Sbarai Oasis” near the beach of Farra. The Oasis is undoubtedly an interesting place from a flora and fauna point of view.
In particular, by canoe and kayak it is possible to cross the Oasis and reach one of the most scenic points of Lake Santa Croce: the willow wood (photo here) and paddle along the old bend of the Torrente Tesa (river Tesa), the only natural tributary of Lake Santa Croce. At times, the path is so fascinating that it almost seems to be in a tropical forest elsewhere.
6) Wakeboard and Wing-foil at Lake Santa Croce:
Wakeboarding is a hybrid water sport between water skiing and snowboarding. Typically, wakeboarding is practiced with traction by a boat, but motor boats are not allowed at Lake Santa Croce for environmental protection reasons.
In any case, it is still possible to practice wakeboarding, where instead of using boats, the traction takes place via a metal cable supported by a steel structure anchored to the ground. The wakeboard facility of Lake Santa Croce is located halfway between the towns of Farra and Poiatte, reachable on foot from the Farra beach.
To book a wakeboard session on Lake Santa Croce, we recommend sending an email to the following address: [email protected], or use the other contact details in the appropriate section of the site by clicking here.
Wing foil is a new way to sail in all conditions. Generally speaking, it is easier to learn than windsurfing and kiting, and can be practiced in light or strong winds. Wing surf foil is increasing in popularity in many seaside and lake areas both in Europe and around the world, with constantly evolving techniques and materials.
Book a Wing-foil lesson at Lake Santa Croce:
To familiarise yourself with wingfoil in Alpago, you can contact the Boat Sailing Club at this link.
The wingfoil school offers assistance with materials and equipment from wing foils, helmets, radio headsets and direct technical assistance. The wing-foil courses on Lake Santa Croce take place in three phases:
- Phase 1: theory and learning of the basics of wing-foil
- Phase 2: navigation training in all directions and return to base
- Phase 3: technical improvement and knowledge improvement on safe navigation techniques
In conclusion, whether you are experts, beginners, groups of families or friends, sports people or not, it is impossible to get bored at Lake Santa Croce. For any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact us by clicking here.