Knowing the direction of the wind, especially when you are on holiday in an unfamiliar or unknown area, can be really very useful. Let's see why and how to do it.
Knowing where the wind comes from can help us choose the best beach to spend a windy day and also to assess which excursion/activity is most suitable to do: photography, birdwatching, trekking, and land excursions, watersports or simply beach and relaxation. You can also rent a car and take advantage of the day to explore the inland.
On particularly windy days, you can always find a quiet spot to swim and relax. If you feel like taking spectacular photographs, it can be very interesting to consider visiting lighthouses or viewpoints to admire the sea and the waves from above and get shots from privileged observation areas.
Feel the Wind
The first thing to do is to “feel the air” with all your senses. Look at the water and the waves, look for flags, turn your face towards the wind, smell it, wet your finger to feel its direction.
Finding the direction from which the breeze comes can also be a fun game to play on the beach with kids, just like building sandcastles.
All winds have a name and peculiarities. First of all, remember that the wind is named from the direction it comes from, not from the direction it blows towards.
Once you understand the direction from which the air is blowing, it becomes fun to associate the wind’s proper name with its direction and maybe learn about its characteristics and curiosities.
Find the Wind's Direction
To know the name of the wind blowing today, you can use a very simple trick:
- draw a circle in the sand (the bigger it is, the easier it is)
- make a mark on the circumference in correspondence with the north (use a compass, a mobile phone, a needle on a leaf in the water)
- starting from the north mark and going clockwise, divide the circle as if it were a cake into 8 equal slices
- make a mark on the circumference corresponding to the direction from which the air is coming (look at the flags, wet your finger, turn your face towards the wind)
- going clockwise, count the cake slices that separate the north mark from the mark of the wind direction
- find the correspondence below and you're done:
- slice 1 = Tramontana
- slice 2 = Grecale
- slice 3 = Levante
- slice 4 = Scirocco
- slice 5 = Ostro or Mezzogiorno
- slice 6 = Libeccio
- slice 7 = Ponente
- slice 8 = Maestrale
The Winds Blowing in Sardinia
In Sardinia, it's easy to encounter a windy day; however, know that wherever you are, you can find a beach or a cove sheltered from the wind blowing on that day. Therefore, the first thing to do is to understand which wind is blowing today.
Being on a beach with wind coming directly from the sea can be annoying because during swimming and snorkeling, you might find waves that make activities difficult.
The sound of the sea can quickly change from a sweet background melody to a dominant sound that prevents relaxation and reading a book.
Open the map, then choose a beach where the wind comes from the land and preferably has a natural barrier—like a dune—for protection from the air.
Remember that a beach can also have more sheltered areas than others, so carefully choose the best spot to place the umbrella.
Consider that the windiest seasons in Sardinia are generally autumn, winter, and spring. Usually, in summer, unless it's particularly windy years, the prevailing winds are the Maestrale (which blows from the Northwest) and Scirocco (which blows from the Southeast).
If possible, to shield yourself from the Maestrale, choose beaches facing south and east. To shield yourself from the Scirocco, choose beaches or portions of beaches facing north and west.
The 8-Point Wind Rose
Origin of the Winds’ Names
Note that the winds have names in Italy and in some regions of southern Europe overlooking the Mediterranean.
For example, in Great Britain, the names of the cardinal points are predominantly and preferably used to identify the winds. For instance, the Maestrale in England is called northwest wind.
Here is the origin and reasoning behind the names of the winds:
- Tramontana – wind that comes from trans montes, transmontane, beyond the mountains
- Grecale – wind that comes from Greece
- Levante – wind that comes from where the sun rises
- Scirocco – wind that comes from Syria
- Ostro or Mezzogiorno – wind that comes from midday or southern
- Libeccio – wind that comes from Libya
- Ponente – wind that comes from where the sun sets
- Maestrale – wind that comes from Rome, the master city, or Mistral from France and the Gulf of Lyon, or master because it is the prevailing wind in the Mediterranean
Characteristics of the Winds
Each wind, in addition to its proper name, has its peculiar characteristics that distinguish it.
Let's start with the winds coming from the 4 cardinal points and their 4 subdivisions.
Wind from the NORTH Tramontana ⬇️
The Tramontana is a wind that comes from the north – indicating north – so to lose the tramontana means to lose one’s bearings, orientation, control, and to be disoriented. It is a dry wind, cool in summer and very cold in winter. This wind causes sudden and significant drops in temperature.
Wind from the NORTH-EAST Grecale ↙️
The Grecale is a wind that comes from the north-east. It can change its characteristics depending on the season in which it occurs; in summer it can be warm, in winter it is a dry and cold wind. In Sardinia, it is predominantly a winter wind that can reach considerable intensity, with strong gusts, the famous grecalate.
Wind from the EAST Levante ⬅️
The Levante is a wind that comes from the east. Generally cool and humid, it is often accompanied by haze/fog and rain. It can blow at any time of the year, but in the winter season, the levante often brings intense rainfall.
Wind from the SOUTHEAST Scirocco ↖️
The Scirocco is a wind that comes from the southeast. A person “sciroccato” is generally a confused and somewhat eccentric person, just like this wind and, when it is intense, like the sensations it induces in people. It is warm and humid, with sciroccate often bringing red sand. When it originates, it is warm and dry, but to reach Italy, it must cross the sea and thus becomes enriched with humidity. It is the quintessential warm wind that leads to an increase in temperatures and the perceived heat due to its intense and high humidity.
Wind from the SOUTH Ostro or Mezzogiorno ⬆️
The Ostro or Mezzogiorno is a wind that comes from the south. It is a southern wind, certainly warm. It can be a very hot and dry wind if it originates from the north African anticyclone. However, it manifests as a humid wind when it brings precipitation and thus precedes rain.
Wind from the SOUTHWEST Libeccio ↗️
The Libeccio is a wind that comes from the south-west. In Sardinia, it often manifests with strong gusts and can create intense storms, the libecciate. The libeccio is often a humid wind that sometimes brings sand and can bring rain.
Wind from the WEST Ponente ➡️
The Ponente is a wind that comes from the west. Especially in summer, it helps to moderate temperatures in Sardinia. In winter it can blow significantly but is almost always a harbinger of good weather.
Wind from the NORTHWEST Maestrale ↘️
The Mestrale is a wind that comes from the northwest. Certainly, one of the most famous and well-known winds in Italy, it is a cool and often dry wind that can reach really high intensities, the maestralate, with strong gusts in Sardinia and Corsica.
One of the characteristics of the Maestrale wind is to make colors very vivid: the Mediterranean scrub displays its most intense green, the blue of the sea takes on incredible shades.
On Maestrale days, the contrast between the color of the sky and the color of the sea is truly astonishing.
Nursery Rhyme About the Winds
An old nursery rhyme from fishermen describes the characteristics of the winds in relation to the catch. Like all sayings and proverbs, it contains some truths and some poetic licenses used to compose the rhyme.
“Tramontana fish in the den
Grecale local fish don’t go there
Levante abundant fish
Scirocco little fish
Mezzogiorno fish in the oven
Libeccio homemade fish
Ponente no fish
Maestrale fish in the channel”
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the most common wind in Sardinia during summer?
- During summer, the prevailing winds in Sardinia are the Maestrale, which blows from the Northwest, and the Scirocco, which comes from the Southeast. However, there can be rare particularly windy days.
- How can I understand the direction of the wind on the beach?
- You can feel the wind on your skin, observe how the waves and flags move, or moisten a finger to sense its direction. A fun method is to draw a circle in the sand and mark the point from which the wind is coming.
- Which beaches are more sheltered from the wind in Sardinia?
- The beaches sheltered from the wind are often those with natural barriers, such as dunes or rocks. Choose beaches exposed to the south and east to shield yourself from the Maestrale and beaches exposed to the north and west to avoid the Scirocco.
- What activities are recommended on a windy day in Sardinia?
- On a windy day, you can engage in activities like birdwatching, hiking to scenic viewpoints, or water sports like kitesurfing. Additionally, windy days are perfect for exploring the inland by car.
- When is the best time to visit Sardinia to avoid the wind?
- The windiest seasons in Sardinia are autumn, winter, and spring. If you want to avoid the wind, the best time to visit is in the summer when the winds are more moderate.
- What are the characteristics of the various winds in Sardinia?
- In Sardinia, each wind has specific characteristics: the Tramontana is a cold and dry wind, the Scirocco brings warm, humid air and ozone, while the Maestrale is a cool wind that blows from the Northwest. Knowing these details can help you plan your day.
- How can I take spectacular photographs on a windy day?
- Windy days offer unique opportunities for photography, especially from scenic viewpoints or near lighthouses. The play of light and movement of the waves can create spectacular images, so look for elevated places or enchanting coastal landscapes.