Help wanted: Surf jong in Peru

[shamrockpow]

OK, so for the next 6 months or so I´m gonna be working in the south coastal desert of Peru. That said, I am only about 2 hours from the coast and looking for some decent spots to move past the beginner stage and start to catch more waves/have more fun (maybe 4 days on a longboard in my entire life).

So has anyone surfed the South Coast or Lima areas of Peru? Are there decent places that are safe and not completely limited to baby waves? Anybody been to Cerro Azul/Cañete or Lomitas? Those are the beaches I´m closest to that seem to have a surf scene.

And yes, Supu, I already know how to find the white lady...

[Superstar Punani]

Ahhhh - Peru, land of hot chicks, long lefts, and the ever-present white lady.

First up- you'll need some heavy duty rubber. The waters feel like it took the express current straight from Antarctica. It's very similar to Northern CA temps- you'll need at least a hooded 4/3 and booties (Bring two wetties so you can alternate- there's no worse feeling than putting on a wet wettie and I would rank that experience second only to using a used condom). Booties are mandatory due to the rocky coastline.

March-November has a consistent barrage of South swells from the southern hemi winter.


I haven't been as far south as Cerro Azul and surroundings. I stayed over at Pico Alto Surf Camp in Punta Hermosa, about 30 min North of Cerro. $35/day gets you a room, 3 meals, local surf bros and a stylin 1970s Suburban to cruise around the Mad-Max desert wasteland. I highly recommend it Check it out at http://www.picoalto.com.pe/camp.html Your hosts Oscar Morante and his son Oscar jr (ex Peruvian surf champs) will totally hook you up.




There's a shit ton of spots in this area, and from what I've seen the spots in Peru are very similar: long reeling predominantly-left points, and some random reefs that go both ways. Generally the waves are user frendly given the deep water and lack of flesh-hungry coral that you'd normally find in more tropical locales.

My picks for you to hit up are:

1) La Isla - Spanish for "The Isla", it takes it's name from an island that juts out of a large cove. It offers an unbelievably long fun and mellow right, perfect for learning or longboarding. It tends to get a little crowded on weekends, but a smile and a hello goes a long way with the friendly locals.



The jump-off/paddle-out spot is on the isthmus separating the island and shore.

La Isla handles from 2 foot to about 10-12 foot, at which point the entire cove becomes a washing machine not for the inexperienced.

La Isla doing its Lavada de Machina impression:


Given your self-proclaimed JONG status in surfing, I'd recommend you hit this spot as often as you can for it's long rides and relatively mellow feel. This also happens to be Sofia Mulanovich's local spot and you can check her and her hot surf chick friends tearing it up.

2) Punta Roca / Rocky Point is the first break south of La Isla (~5 min drive). This is a fun-ass peak that gets hollow on the low tide. The right is long and mushy, and the left is more top-to-bottom and hollow. Very uncrowded. Very eerie shary feel, despite locals' assurance that Senior Tiburon is nowhere to be found.

5-6' Punta Roca:



3) The first cove north of La Isla (also a 5min drive) has two breaks on either end. Caballeros is the left on the south end, and Senoritas is the right on the north end.

Here's a shot of Senoritas on a small day, not to be confused with Senorita's the strip club in Lima:


It's more of an intermediate ride due to the stronger currents and longer paddle.


4) If you've had a dance with the white lady and found your new-found feeling of invincibility, feel free to test out your big-wave riding steeze at Pico Alto about a mile offshore, also known as the Peruvian Maverick's. Oscar will gladly lend you one of his 10 foot guns as soon as you sign a waiver. In return I recommend the courtesy of leaving a will bequeathing all your surf equipment at the camp in the event of your untimely demise.

A small 15-18 foot Pico Alto (note the shot was taken from a clifftop a mile from the break)


20 foot plus Pico Altan peak beckoning. Bring your gun. testicles, and a waterproof stash of blow in case your fears get the better of you.



5) A note on other spots:
We checked out other spots around the area further south. In general it was desolate and rocky. Some looked rideable, some didn't.

Closer to Lima proper the spots were more crowded, the crowds more aggro, and water more polluted, such as La Herradurra. I'd stay away from these unless it's cranking perfect 12-15 foot quarter to half mile long lefts.

Even the sewage outfall around the corner from La Herradiarrhea and bite-sized pieces of shit in the lineup will not stop you from going out and sampling her long magical lefts. It is here where I caught one of the longest rides of my life





Unfortunately I never did make it up to Chicama, the fabled longest left in the world, but I suggest you hit it if there's a swell. It's a mellow wave that's more for longboarding than shortboarding. Just watch the banditos. It was a rough, dusty 8 hour drive north and we couldn't bear to leave the good surf we already had in front of us.

Do a side trip or two to Cuzco and Machu Picchu. Insane Mountain Bike riding and rafting once you handle the altitude.

That's about all I can think of. If something else comes up I'll post, or just ask a question here.

Have fun man!

[mountainbored]

Who needs the Surf Report? Just ask Pu!
Was it always overcast like I've heard?

[shamrockpow]

Who needs the Surf Report? Just ask Pu!
Was it always overcast like I've heard?

In Lima every evening and morning is completely fogged over. It usually burns off by mid-morning.

Where I am, we get no fog. Only direct sunlight and 95 degree days. Trash sitting in vacant lots will spontaneous combust under these conditions!

PS: thanks Supu

[fool]

Welp, I'm going to set my own bump record and bump this 17-year-old thread back up since I'm looking on surfing Peru. Any suggestions?

I'm a longboarder, beginner-intermediate looking at going to Peru for ~10 days at end of August/early September. Considering Mancora and Chicama primarily. I would love a hostel/chill hotel-like vibe that includes food (at least bfast), board rentals, and is close/provides access to nearby breaks. Also interested in yoga and kite surfing but not required (my thought is if the waves are bad and the wind is good, I can learn to kite surf).

Waterways - Chicama Surf Resorts
Eco House Boutique in Mancora - has options for kite and longboarding
Naif Rustic & Eco Lodge (though I can't find a website...)
Waves Surf Camp in Punta Hermosa - seems good but closer to Lima means more crowds, from what I've been reading

Anything else I should be looking at? I will also likely do a few days trekking and exploring the cities. Open to suggestions on that front too. Thanks.

[rideit]

IME, everything south of Lima tends to break really fast, so not ideal Long board territory.
My Peruvian friends generally go to Mancora as well.

[Atrain505]

Chicama. Mechanical perfection. Needs a big swell to be scary for a beginner longboarder. Otherwise perfect longboarding. Your mind will be blown if you line up a good one. Minute long rides at a consistent pace. You might have to paddle a bunch and wait a long time to be in the spot vs all the locals. But one ride is like 25 rides anywhere else. One of the surfing wonders of the world for sure. My wife and I had a blast there about ten years ago. It’s one of the few surf spots out of many we’ve been that is definitely on the hit list for going back to. Quiet fishing town which I like. If you want more energy in town probably not the place. Enjoy!


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[Spencer123]

I second Chicama. It is the best mellow surfing I have ever done. I spent four months between there and Huanchaco and would love to go back. Chicama was way better than Huanchaco, although the town there has more going on.

Mancora is beautiful and a nice change of pace from wetsuit life. But it is busy and seemed a little inconsistent comparatively. With Kiting as a back-up it is definetly worth a visit.

[rolla_ranch]

Another +1 for chicama from another surf jong