Kayak and SUP on the lakes – Béznar, Rules and La Viñuela

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Why paddle on a lake?

The sea on the Costa Tropical can be as calm as a mirror in the morning and full of waves in the afternoon, when the wind from the east (levante) or west (poniente) picks up. On the lakes there are no waves to speak of and no tidal currents. That makes them a good place to try a kayak or paddleboard for the first time – or to paddle when the sea is too rough.

On the other hand, the lakes are not bathing lakes. They were built as reservoirs for drinking water, irrigation and electricity. That is why there are rules about who may go out on them, and where. It is not like the beach, where you simply walk into the water with your inflatable kayak.

The rules: is boating allowed on the lakes?

Béznar, Rules and La Viñuela come under the Junta de Andalucía. The Junta has a list (Anexo I) of the lakes and rivers where boating is allowed, and with what. The most recent version we have found applies from 20-08-2021. It says:

• Béznar and Rules: boating with oars, paddles and sails is allowed, as are boats with electric motors. Petrol engines are not allowed.
• La Viñuela: is on the list with the same rules. But in November 2020 the Junta temporarily suspended all boating on the lake because the invasive zebra mussel (mejillón cebra) had been found. The ban also covered swimming accessories such as inflatables, boards and wetsuits. We have not found a decision lifting the ban – see the section on La Viñuela.
• The Guadalfeo river: two stretches near Órgiva, from Cortijo del Granadino down to where the river flows into Lake Rules, are open for paddling and floating.

With your own kayak or SUP

If you want to go out on the lakes with your own equipment – even an inflatable kayak or a paddleboard – you must first send a declaración responsable (a formal declaration on your honour) to one of the Junta de Andalucía's provincial offices. According to the Junta's website this must be done 15 working days in advance, and you must pay a fee (canon) for using the water. If the office does not say no within that time, you may go out. New forms were published in the BOJA on 26-06-2026.

When you sign, you promise, among other things, to:

• keep at least 400 metres from the dam and its outlet,
• only go out in daylight – not from sunset to sunrise,
• keep at least 50 metres from the shore on lakes where people fish,
• carry life jackets and other safety equipment,
• clean and disinfect the boat and equipment so that you do not carry zebra mussels from one lake to another.

So it is not something you do on a whim. If you hire from a hire company, you avoid the paperwork – the company must have its own declaration for its boats (the form has a special section for hire). The easiest option is therefore to hire at Béznar.

Embalse de Béznar – here you can hire

Lake Béznar lies in the Valle de Lecrín, the valley of orange and lemon groves between the coast and Granada. The lake dams the river Ízbor and is about 4 km long as the crow flies. The dam is a curved concrete wall, 110 metres high above the riverbed, built 1977–1986. Around the lake lie the white villages of Béznar, Peloteos and Pinos del Valle.

Centro Náutico Valle de Lecrín

The company Aventura Alpujarra runs the Centro Náutico Valle de Lecrín at the picnic area by the lake (Área Recreativa del Embalse de Béznar). According to Lecrín municipality, they hold beginners' courses, hire out equipment and organise trips on the lake. The company's booking page says the season runs from 1 May to 30 September. Turismo Valle de Lecrín gives the opening hours as Monday–Friday 9–20 and Saturday–Sunday 11–20 and mentions parking, a chill-out terrace and an area for children.

Hire can be booked for 10, 12, 16 and 18 on the company's website, with no payment in advance. According to the company, a life jacket is included with the equipment. Windsurfers, dinghies and catamarans are also for hire.

Courses and family trip

• Paddleboard course: 1 hour, 20 € (≈ 149 kr.) per person, minimum 2 participants, at 10, 12 or 17. A 20 % deposit is paid when booking. Good if you have never stood on a board.
• Aventura náutica: 3 hours, 20 € (≈ 149 kr.) per person, starting at 10 or 16. Kayak, paddleboard and pedal boat are included, and you can swap along the way.
• Summer camp for children: Monday–Friday 9–14, 85 € (≈ 634 kr.) for a week.
• Groups: ask about a group discount.

The municipality mentions «travesías» – trips on the lake – but we have not found a regular guided kayak tour with a price for individuals. Ask when you ring. The booking page gives the phone/WhatsApp number +34 673 25 23 66, the municipality and the tourist website +34 638 59 77 15; email reservas@aventuraalpujarra.es.

The trip on the water

According to maps and the municipality, the picnic area and the centre are at the eastern end of the lake, about ½ km north of the dam. You must stay at least 400 metres from the dam, so paddle away from it – north and west, into the lake. The lake's long arm stretches about 3 km west below the village of Pinos del Valle on the southern slope.

• Short trip (1 hour, beginner): along the shore out into the lake and back – about 2 km in total. Suits a one-hour hire.
• Longer trip (2–3 hours, some experience): into the western arm below Pinos del Valle and back – up to about 6 km. Only for those who have paddled before.

A good tip on all lakes: start into the wind. Then you have the wind behind you on the way home, when you are tired.

Food, toilets and swimming

According to Lecrín municipality, the picnic area has plenty of trees and an area for children, and OpenStreetMap shows picnic tables and drinking water by the lake. It is a good idea to bring a packed lunch. In 2025 Lecrín municipality applied to the Junta for permission to put up a kiosk at the picnic area by the dam (BOJA 2025), but we do not know whether it has opened. The nearest village with bars is Béznar, just above the lake. Toilets: we have not been able to confirm public toilets at the picnic area. Ask at the centre when you hire.

Swimming: we have not found an official swimming area at Béznar. According to eldiario.es, signs were put up in 2016 banning swimming in the lake. Follow the signs on site.

Embalse de Rules – close by, but nothing to hire

Lake Rules is the nearest – half an hour's drive from Playa Tropical. It was opened in 2004 and dams the river Guadalfeo, which comes from the southern side of the Sierra Nevada and the Alpujarra. The lake lies in the municipalities of Vélez de Benaudalla and Órgiva and is about 5 km long as the crow flies. The A-44 motorway crosses part of the lake, and in summer you can see windsurfers on the water from the road.

According to the Junta's list, paddling and sailing are allowed on Rules. But there is no hire at the lake that we have been able to find, and no regular guided kayak tours. The tourist website Exclusive Granada says that some companies organise windsurfing, kayaking and canoeing on the lake, but not from a base at the lake. We have not found any of them.

Rules is therefore only for those who have their own kayak or paddleboard and have sent their declaración responsable in good time (see above). The exception is windsurfing: according to Club Windsurf Granada, windsurfers have not needed to apply since 2014.

Wind and weather on Rules

The valley acts like a funnel for the wind. According to the windsurf club, there is a steady, moderate wind from April to September – good for windsurfing, but it also means paddling home can be hard work. Paddle in the morning and stay close to the shore.

Where can you get down to the water?

At the dam there is the Mirador de la Presa de Rules viewpoint with free parking by the A-346 road between Vélez de Benaudalla and Órgiva. There is a lovely view from here, but you may not put your kayak in the water here – it is within the 400 metres of the dam. Along the road further east, OpenStreetMap shows a number of small, free lay-bys by the lake. We have not found an official place to launch boats.

Food and toilets: there are no facilities at the lake that we have been able to confirm. The nearest town is Vélez de Benaudalla (about 4 km south of the dam) with its castle and Moorish garden. Bring food and water.

The Guadalfeo river near Órgiva

Above the lake, two stretches of the Guadalfeo are open for paddling and floating according to the Junta's list: from Cortijo del Granadino to the bridge on the A-348 near Órgiva, and on from there to where the river flows into the lake. The river is wide and stony, and the amount of water varies a great deal. It is not a trip for beginners, and we have not found anyone who organises it.

Embalse de La Viñuela – drive there for the view

La Viñuela is the lake in Málaga province that holds the most water (170 million m³), and lies in the Axarquía below the Sierra Tejeda and the peak of La Maroma, about 63 km west of Playa Tropical. The lake is turquoise when the sun is on it and is often mentioned as a place for kayaks, paddleboards and sailing boats. But for kayaking the situation is unclear:

• On 5 November 2020 the Junta temporarily suspended boating on the lake after zebra mussels were found. The ban also covers swimming accessories. Only boats permanently based on the lake that stay there may continue to sail, and permission can be given for individual events.
• The Junta's list of navigable lakes from 20-08-2021 shows La Viñuela as navigable for oars, paddles and sails – with no mention of the ban.
• We have not found a decision lifting the 2020 ban. The booking site Yumping lists companies with kayaks and pedal boats at Viñuela, but we have not been able to confirm them on the companies' own websites.

Our advice: do not take your own kayak to La Viñuela without first asking the Junta's office in Málaga. Drive there for the view, a walk and a picnic, and ask locally whether anything is for hire.

Picnic area, food and toilets

At the southern end of the lake, by the A-402 road near the dam, there is a picnic area with barbecues, a football pitch, crazy golf, free parking and a free toilet, according to OpenStreetMap. At the Presa La Viñuela campsite on the western shore, OpenStreetMap shows a restaurant and toilets. We have not checked opening hours or prices. The water level varies greatly from year to year – in dry years the shore can be a long way from the road.

Canales and Quéntar near Granada

East of Granada, up towards the Sierra Nevada, lie the lakes of Canales (Güéjar Sierra) and Quéntar. They are beautiful, with steep slopes and turquoise water, but they are part of Granada's water supply and come under the Confederación Hidrográfica del Guadalquivir, not the Junta. They are not on the Junta's list, we have not been able to confirm that boating is allowed on them, and there is no hire. We only recommend them for the view, e.g. on the way to the Sierra Nevada – about 1¼–1½ hours from Playa Tropical.

Safety and weather

• Always wear a life jacket – even on still water. The banks are steep in many places, and help is a long way off.
• The wind: it usually picks up during the day. Paddle in the morning, start into the wind, and stay close to the shore.
• Heat: in July and August it is very hot in the valleys. Bring a hat, sun cream and plenty of water – the sun reflects off the water.
• The weather: see the AEMET forecast (aemet.es) for Vélez de Benaudalla, Lecrín or Viñuela.
• Phone: in a waterproof bag.
• The dam: always stay at least 400 m from it.
• The water level can vary a great deal from year to year. Check before you drive a long way to a particular lake.

The lakes suit beginners well because there are no waves or currents. If you cannot swim, or find it hard to get back into a kayak, choose a double kayak or a pedal boat.

How to get there

• Béznar: drive on the A-7 towards Motril and take the A-44 towards Granada. Take the exit for Béznar and follow the old N-323a road through the village down to the picnic area by the lake (Área Recreativa). About 42 km, about 45 minutes. Parking at the picnic area.
• Rules: the same way on the A-44, but take the exit for Vélez de Benaudalla/Órgiva and from there the A-346 towards Órgiva to the dam. About 33 km, about 35 minutes to the viewpoint. Free parking by the road.
• La Viñuela: drive on the A-7 towards Málaga to Vélez-Málaga and from there north on the A-356 towards Viñuela. Turn onto the A-402 to the picnic area by the lake. About 63 km, about 1 hour.

Béznar and Rules are only about 13 km (a quarter of an hour's drive) apart, so they can be combined in one trip. The buttons below the map at the bottom open the routes from Playa Tropical directly in Google Maps. We have not found a practical bus connection to the lakes – you need a car. See also car hire, parking and speed checks.

Sights along the way

• Vélez de Benaudalla: the white town near Rules has a castle and a Moorish garden. A good stop on the way to or from the lake.
• Mirador de la Presa de Rules: the view over the lake and the dam.
• Valle de Lecrín: the valley is known for its orange and lemon groves. Pinos del Valle has a view over Lake Béznar.
• On the way to La Viñuela: the Axarquía and the white villages – see the fruit valleys and excursions.

Other places to paddle

If you would rather paddle on the sea, read about kayaking and paddleboarding at Almuñécar and La Herradura, sea kayaking along the cliffs at Maro and Cerro Gordo and kayaking at Calahonda and Castell de Ferro. Further afield are the lakes by the Caminito del Rey: kayak and SUP at El Chorro. Small motorboats you can drive without a licence are covered in boat hire without a licence. More ideas under active holidays and canyoning in the Río Verde.

Maps and routes

Red star = Playa Tropical. Click on a point for the name and distance. Map data © OpenStreetMap.

Good advice

• Choose Béznar if you want to hire – it is the only one of the lakes with confirmed rentals.
• Come in season: 1 May to 30 September. Out of season there is nothing to hire.
• Call or write first and check that they are open and have availability – especially on weekdays and in May and September.
• Book the morning (10 or 12 o'clock) – less wind and less heat.
• Bring: swimwear, a towel, shoes that can get wet, sun cream, a hat, water, a packed lunch and a waterproof pouch for your phone.
• Your own kayak: send your declaración responsable to the Junta 15 working days in advance, and clean and dry the kayak between lakes.
• La Viñuela: ask the Junta's office in Málaga before you put anything in the water.
• Toilet: go before you drive – we have not been able to confirm toilets at Béznar and Rules.

The lakes supply drinking and irrigation water. Boating can be banned at short notice – for example if zebra mussels are found, or during drought or fire risk. Respect signs and buoys, and keep at least 400 metres from the dams.

Krone amounts are converted at 1 € ≈ 7.46 kr. and rounded.