Where to surf in Peru?

Peru is, in everyone’s imagination, an ideal highlander country, with the Andes Mountains, lamas and Machu Picchu.
But, did you knew this? With its largest pacific coast, Peru is one of the best destination known for suffers of the entire world. Locally, surf is on the rise. Reserved during a long time for wealthy persons, the practice of this sport is becoming democratized and touch even more Peruvians.

What are the true origins of surf?

History of surf in Peru date from the Pre-Inca period during Mochica culture. Drawings are present on potteries from this time and show men, in the ocean, on wood planks and on boats made of reeds; the caballos de totora.
To this day, fishermen of certain area of Peru, like Huanchaco, near from Trujillo, use the same boats.
The origin of surf is not obviously from Polynesia, but maybe on the northern coast of Peru… Even more since the Norwegian exploratory Thor Heyerdahi, by crossing the ocean in reed boat from Peru to Polynesia, wanted to demonstrate the contact between this two cultures.

What are the surf conditions in Peru?

The particularity of Peru is to have a very long swell, formed by huge depressions in the Pacific, at the level of fortieth blasts.
The surf conditions are variables depending of the season. In general, from December to February, waves are between 1 and 3 meters high. From March to May, this is the season of big waves, about 2 to 6 meters.
There is almost never rain, very little wind and most of the spots are far away from cities, with landscapes still salvages.
Local surfers are for the most part with an excellent level and very sympathetic.

What are the main surf spots in Peru?

North of Peru

Spots’ name                 Direction              Type                   Difficulty
Baterias                          Left                        Beach-break   For experimented surfers
Cabo blanco                  Left                        Rock reefs        For experimented surfers
Chicama                         Left                        Point break    For experimented surfers
El Faro - Pacasmayo   Left                       Rock reefs      For experimented surfers
El golf      Right and Left    Beach-break   For experimented surfers
El Nuro      Left   Shoal                 For experimented surfers
Keys                                Left                       Point break   All levels
Lobitos                           Left      Rock reefs   For experimented surfers
Los muelles                Left                       Shoal      For experimented surfers
Organos                      Right and Left   Rock reefs          For experimented surfers
Puerrup                         Right and Left      Shoal   For experimented surfers
Punta sal                     Left                       Rock reefs   For experimented surfers
Varadero el Ñuro   Left                        Beach-break    For experimented surfers
Astillero   Right and Left   Beach-break   All levels
Balconies                     Left      Point break         All levels
El Cape                         Left   Rock reefs      All levels
Huanchaco   Left                       Point break      All levels
Mancora   Left      Rock reefs   All levels
Nonura                          Left                       Point break        For experimented surfers
Piscinas                        Left                      Point break      All levels
Puemape                    Left                      Point break      For experimented surfers
Puerto veleros Left                      Sea wall             All levels
Punta la Farola             Left                      Point break       All levels
Caleta Santa Rosa Right and Left   Point break      All levels
El hombre                      Left                      Point break       All levels
La Guerra                      Right                    Shoal                 All levels
Las delicias   Right and Left   Beach break   All levels
Pimentel   Right and Left   Beach break   Novices
Punta Ballenas   Left                       Rock reefs       For experimented surfers
Punta Faro                     Left                       Point break   All levels
Yacila                          Right and Left   Beach break    All levels
Malpaso   Left                       Point break   For experimented surfers
Panic Point                Left                       Rock reefs      For experimented surfers
El Hueco                        Left   Rock reefs        For experimented surfers
Peña Redonda             Right and Left   Rock reefs        All levels

Central coast

Spots’ name   Direction      Type   Difficulty
Bermejo           Left                      Rock reefs    All levels
Centinela         Left                       Point break   For experimented surfers
Conchitas      Right                    Point break   All levels
El Pico              Right                    Rock reefs      For experimented surfers
El Rebote   Right                   Beach break   For experimented surfers
Infiernillo      Right and Left   Shoal                For experimented surfers
Marin                 Right and Left   Beach break   For very experimented surfers
Paraiso             Left                       Rock reefs      All levels
Pasamayo      Right and Left   Rock reefs      All levels
Playa grande   Left                       Rock reefs   For experimented surfers
Puerto Morin   Left                       Point break   For experimented surfers
Roka Beach   Left                        Rock reefs   All levels
Toma y Calla   Right and Left   Rock reefs      For experimented surfers
Vésique             Right and Left   Point break   All levels

South coast

Spots’ name                        Direction      Type                  Difficulty
Boca del rio                          Right and Left   Point break       All levels
Chala                                    Right and Left    Beach break   All levels
Chocalla   Right and Left   Beach break   For experimented surfers
El Hornito                             Right      Rock reef          For very experimented surfers
El Olon de Ilo   Left                       Rock reef         For very experimented surfers
La Cruz                                  Right                   Point break      For experimented surfers
Mejia                                      Right and Left   Beach break   For experimented surfers
Piedras negras                    Left                      Point break      For experimented surfers
Playita Brava                    Right and Left   Beach break   All levels
Playuela                      Right   Rock reef          For experimented surfers
Puerto Viejo                          Left                      Point break      All levels
San Maloy                             Right and Left   Shoal                For experimented surfers
Tacna – Punta Colorada   Right                   Rock reef          All levels

Lima surroundings

Spots’ name                         Direction             Type                 Difficulty
Ala Moana                              Left   Shoal               All levels
Arica      Right and Left   Rock reef          For experimented surfers
Asia - Palmas                        Right and Left   Beach-break   All levels
Asia del Mar                           Right and Left   Beach-break   All levels
Barranquito                            Left                       Point break   All levels
Boca Leon   Right and Left   Beach-break   All levels
Bujama      Left                       Point break For experimented surfers
Caballeros                            Right                    Point break      For experimented surfers
Cabezo Norte Left                      Rock reef   For experimented surfers
Camotal    Left                       Rock reef        All levels
Caplina                                  Right and Left   Point break      For very experimented surfers
Cascadas                             Right and Left   Beach-break   All levels
Cerro Azul                              Left                      Point break        All levels
Conchan                                Right and Left   Beach-break   For experimented surfers
Donesia   Left   Rock reef       All levels
El Huayco                              Left                       Rock reef          For experimented surfers
El Paso                                  Right                    Point break      For experimented surfers
Explosivos                             Right and Left   Beach-break   For experimented surfers
Izquierditas                            Left      Rock reef          All levels
Kon Tiki                                  Right and Left   Beach-break   For experimented surfers
La Caleta                               Right and Left   Beach-break   All levels
La Ensenada                        Left                       Shoal                For experimented surfers
La Herradura      Left                       Point break      For experimented surfers
La Isla                                    Right                    Rock reef          For experimented surfers
La Pampilla                          Right      Point break   All levels
La Playita      Left                       Rock reef          For experimented surfers
La Timba                              Right and Left   Rock reef          For experimented surfers
La Tiza                                  Right and Left   Beach-break   All levels
Las Brisas                           Right and Left   Beach-break   All levels
Las Gramas                        Right and Left   Shoal                For experimented surfers
Las Orishas   Right and Left   Rock reef        All levels
Makaha                                 Right and Left   Artificial reef   All levels
Mar Azul                                Right and Left   Beach-break   All levels
Naplo                                    Right and Left   Beach-break   For experimented surfers
Orillazo                                 Right                    Beach-break   For experimented surfers
Palillos   Left                       Point break      For experimented surfers
Paraiso                                Left                       Shoal      For experimented surfers
Pena Rosa      Left                       Point break      All levels
Penascal      Right and Left   Point break      For experimented surfers
Pepinos                                Left                      Rock reef        All levels
Pico Alto                               Right and Left   Rock reef   For very experimented surfers
Playa Blanca   Right and Left   Rock reef         All levels
Playa Norte      Right                   Beach-break   For experimented surfers
Playa Sur Right                   Point break      All levels
Puerto Fiel      Right and Left   Beach-break    All levels
Puerto Nuevo   Right and Left   Beach-break   All levels
Puerto Viejo      Left                      Point break       All levels
Pulpos                                   Right and Left   Beach-break   All levels
Punta Corrientes   Right and Left   Beach-break   For experimented surfers
Punta Rocas                        Right and Left   Rock reef      All levels
Punta Roquitas   Right and Left   Beach-break   All levels
Puntillas   Right                    Rock reef       All levels
Quebrada                            Right and Left   Rock reef         All levels
Redondo   Left                       Beach-break   All levels
Regatas                              Right and Left   Beach-break   All levels
San Antonio (Regatas)   Right and Left   Beach-break   For experimented surfers
San Bartolo                        Right and Left   Beach-break   All levels
San Gallan   Right      Rock reef          For experimented surfers
San Pedro                          Right and Left   Beach-break   For experimented surfers
Santa Maria                        Right and Left   Beach-break   All levels
Santa Rosa                        Right and Left   Point break      For experimented surfers
Sarapampa                       Right and Left   Shoal                 All levels
Señoritas                           Left                       Point break   For experimented surfers
Silencios                            Right                    Rock reef      For experimented surfers
Sol y Mar                             Right and Left   Beach-break   For experimented surfers
Tercerita                              Right and Left   Beach-break   For experimented surfers
Triangulo                            Right and Left   Shoal                 All levels
Villa                                     Right and Left   Beach-break   For experimented surfers
Waikiki                               Left                       Beach-break   All levels
Wakama                            Right and Left   Beach-break   All levels

Can we practice Kitesurf in Peru?

Peru is also a very good place to practice kitesurf, moreover during the European summer season (July-August), where the swell is strong and winds from the south are more powerful. The spots still are significantly the same as for the surf.