A mix of surfing, wakeboarding and windsurfing, kitesurfing - more broadly known as kiteboarding - is a flourishing sport whose colourful parachutes you’ll see in the skies of the west coast of Ireland. Using a kite and board, surfers move across the water using the power of the wind, to go a chosen direction and to go a certain speed. Unlike surfing, you do not need waves to learn to kiteboard, but strong sweeps of wind from the Atlantic Ocean are very welcome.

The Dingle Peninsula boasts many wide, flat beaches, marking it out as one of the very best places worldwide for beginners. If you’re new to kitesurfing, lessons with a qualified instructor are absolutely essential for safety, you will need to learn how to control a power kite, how to read the wind and how to launch and relaunch.  There are some fantastic schools with experienced and friendly staff dotted to help you get started. After that, it's simply a matter of seeking out the best kiteboarding locations for your tastes and growing skill level.