This guide to the Peru surf paints a picture of a South American gem that’s only just being discovered. It’s a mecca for goofy riders and has an upcoming surf-travel scene that’s great for the budget conscious out there.
An introduction to Peru surf
Bridging the gap between Ecuador’s lush tropical coast and Chile’s wild desert coast, Peru is responsible for over 1,300 miles of South American shoreline. That’s surprising to some surfers, who very rarely seem to hear its name on the line-up of worthy destinations. But surf culture is on the rise in Peru; more are coming each year; the focus is slowly shifting a little away from incredible Machu Picchu to the pumping Pacific breaks.
If anything, Peru is known as the home of the long lefthander. One lefthander – Chicama – in particular has seen to that but there are loads more, each forming as W or SW summer pulses hit and bend into the arid headlands that poke and jut from the windward side of the Andes Mountains.Â
Our advice is this: Come to Peru right now. Most people are packing hiking gear and trekking poles for this quarter of South America still. Few have the EPS and wax in tow. Even big breaks like Chicama aren’t that busy still and the vibes are good, real good. You can hop from town to town all down the Pacific scoring great waves, dining on zingy ceviche each night, and glugging Pisco Sours to the sunset.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
This is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in South America (coming soon)
Peru surf at a glance
The good:
The bad:
What will I find in this guide to Peru surf
The top surf spots in Peru
It’s handy to split Peru in two halves. The northern surf zone includes everything north of Lima, the capital. This is the most famous in the country, mainly because it’s got the peelers and beach breaks of everyone’s favorite vacation town, Máncora, plus Chicama’s endless lefts.
Down south, many spots are still totally unknown and even the ones that are named can be a trek to get to. That said, the region does encompass places nearer Lima, like the starter surf town of San Bartolo (great for beginners and neatly near Lima) plus fun surf towns like Cerro Azul (great for intermediates and surf-camp goers).
North of Lima
Máncora
Máncora isn’t really like any of the other surf towns in Peru. Less than 80 miles from the Ecuadorian border, it’s basically the sole tropical break in the country. That ups the temperature of the H2O and – inevitably – draws the crowds. Hey, it’s more fun in a rashie than a 3/2 any day of the week. There are a series of point breaks and punchy beach breaks that tend to plump up best at high tide here. They feed one of the finest arrays of surf camps in the country. It’s a great spot for beginners up to expert, so long as you don’t mind busy waves.
Lobitos
Just look at Lobitos on Google Maps. It’s like someone drew a wonky W on the Peruvian coast and then shoved the Pacific S and N swells right into it. The outcome is two fantastically peeling point breaks that offer long, bowly left handers. They’re like mini Chicamas that section depending on how big it but usually come up as trimmable longboard or midlength dreams. There’s also El Hueco here, barreling A-frame with a much better left that shines in the winter season.
Pacasmayo
We get visions of Uluwatu whenever we watch vids of Pacasmayo. It’s very similar to Bali’s beefy left only much, much longer. The lip is deceptively crumbly. It looks steep but it’s real forgivable on most swells, which means this is a wave that offers a lot – like 120-second rides kinda’ a lot – but doesn’t demand too much. It’s certainly for upper intermediate and advanced surfers, though, since you need good strength to maintain the ride and good turn discipline to chase the pocket. Very fun but sadly not the prettiest place to surf in Peru by any stretch.
Chicama
Chicama is the poster boy of Peruvian surf. It forms on a cape that pokes out about two miles into the Pacific at just about the perfect angle to harness strong S and SW swells into the longest lefts on planet Earth. They’re not gnarly slabs either, and, unlike Skeleton Bay, this one’s not plonked in the middle of absolutely nowhere. A growing group of local surf hotels now offers trips to the point. This is a MUST ride for goofies serious about hitting the best waves in the world. The only debate is whether you’ll make use of the boats that ferry you back and forth to the take off point, like it’s some surfing ski resort. Pah!
Check our complete guide to Chicama surf right here
Huanchaco
It’s funny – Huanchaco has nowhere near the best waves in Peru’s northern zone, but it’s a town we absolutely love. There’s no denying that surf heritage goes back very far here. The locals and their reed-woven fishing boats can lay claim to being the earliest surfers in the world (though the Polynesians and French Atlantic lumberjacks might have something to say about it). The region is now a World Surfing Reserve. It’s packed with peaky beach breaks but also boasts a good left-hander point on Playa Huancarute that works pretty consistently.
South of Lima
Lima
The northern zone ends and the southern zone begins at Lima. The city has surf, mainly in the chic and hip Miraflores district. They’ve named the main spot there after Oahu’s Waikiki. We can’t think why. Compared to Honolulu’s famous stretch, this is largely polluted, generally poor quality in terms of waves, and, basically, not that good. That said, it’s okay for learners thanks to the shallow shelf that extends far from the base of the cliff, tempering most waves so that they’re very beginner friendly.
Punta Hermosa
A much better alternative for surfers who want an hour or two on the waves near Lima is the beach town of Punta Hermosa. It’s where the pollution from the big city leaves off. Plus, the town fronts a series of small horseshoe bays that each have their own waves. They’re too small to have refracting breaks on the inside. Instead, the best spots form on the reefs that divide the various inlets. The best are the lefts that come off the bottom of Playa Señoritas and the rights (yep, a right!) on Caballeros Beach in the heart of the town.
San Bartolo
San Bartolo is a small fishing town come tourist resort to the south fo Lima. It’s really easy to access out of the capital and draws big crowds of city slickers when the weather is warm. To us, it feels a little like something on the Spanish Costa del Sol, what with whitewashed villas and hotels fronting the conch-shaped main beach. Talking of the main beach…that two-sided bay has got a couple of really reliable peaks that work with any SW-NW swell. They’re crumbly left and rights over sand, lending themselves nicely to the steady stream of beginners that come down from Lima for the weekend, most weekends. San Bartolo Norte tends to have the punchiest breaks, with things mellowing out as you head south from that.
Surf camps in Peru
Peru is just about to boom as a surf-camp destination. It’s already started. Spots like Mancora and the northern beaches have some great options already – think 5-14 day packages that include everything that you’d expect of a surf camp in Europe or Asia (lessons every day, nightly entertainments).
Here are some of the best on offer in the country right now…
- La Maison Eco House-Boutique 7-Day Surf And Yoga – La Maison Eco House-Boutique would be our top pick for a surf camp in Peru right now. Period. They’ve got a gorge tropical shack up in Mancora that makes you feel like your in Sri Lanka, not on the cusp of the Peruvian desert. The action packed week-long itinerary includes 5x yoga and 5x surf lessons, plus good vibes from start to finish.
- Bravo Surf Camp Exciting Beginner Surf Camp in Punta Hermosa – A week-long package that’s aimed squarely at beginners and is real close to Lima for easy access. Run by Bravo Surf Camp, you’ll stay in a traditional Peruvian beach villa with a rooftop that overlooks the local beaches. There’s 5 lessons per week and you also get videos of you on the waves.
A note on why we partner with BookSurfCamps.com: Book Surf Camps are probably the biggest online aggregator of surf camps and surf-yoga packages in the world. We sounded out a quite a few potential partners before we affiliated with them. But, in the end, the abundance of choice for beginners, intermediates, and female-only surfing sealed it. We also love the simplicity of their booking system and the trusted brand name, along with the focus on connecting with homegrown local businesses on the ground.
Want more [yoast_kw] camp options? Search the whole shebang below right now and book in a few clicks.
Step-by-step guide to planning your [yoast_kw] trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the [yoast_kw]…Lately, we like Omio for searching flights. It’s a nice interface and has lots of airline options. We also use Skyscanner because that sometimes offers deals that even beat going direct to the carrier!
Step two: Book your surf camp Book Surf Camps is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages on the internet right now. Then there’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check EXACTLY how close your hotel is to a surf break.
Step three: Get insuranceThis is kinda’ important. Not just for surf trips but for any trips. SafetyWing is great for nomad travelers. They offer rolling contracts that cover amateur surfing.
Step four (optional): Rent a car If you’re surf camping then you might not need wheels. If you’re not then we’ll just say this: We’ve never been on a surf trip that wasn’t improved by having our own car. Use RentalCars – they’re the best.
Step four: Enjoy!
When to surf in Peru?
The summer is generally seen as the best time to surf in Peru. There’s an unpredictable mix of W and NW swells then, but the addition of less-potent winds means that those westerly onshores dip to allow for glassier conditions all round. The size is also smaller, with swells rarely reading overhead. It’s usually in the 3-9 foot range, which is ample for keeping the long left points working to their optimum.
Thing is, things rarely shutdown completely in Peru. The winter months see the Southern Hemisphere fire up and send big S pulses up the coast, which works at most of the key points – Chicama, Huanchaco – just as well, if not better, than a north swell. Water temps dip a lot, so bring the rubber. Also, expect more size overall – it’s better for intermediates really.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!