Peru

Why Peru

Two very different coasts, and the difference is water temperature.

• **The far north (Máncora, Los Órganos, Lobitos)** is warm — genuinely boardshorts warm — with long, mellow points at Máncora and serious, world-class lefts at Lobitos an hour further on.The far north (Máncora, Los Órganos, Lobitos) is warm — genuinely boardshorts warm — with long, mellow points at Máncora and serious, world-class lefts at Lobitos an hour further on.
• **Chicama (Puerto Malabrigo)** is the pilgrimage. On the right swell the wave links for more than two kilometres, and the ride is so long that most people take a boat or a tow back up the point rather than walk. The water here is cold — the Humboldt current — so a wetsuit is not optional.Chicama (Puerto Malabrigo) is the pilgrimage. On the right swell the wave links for more than two kilometres, and the ride is so long that most people take a boat or a tow back up the point rather than walk. The water here is cold — the Humboldt current — so a wetsuit is not optional.

Chicama is not a beginner wave, whatever the packages say. It is a long, fast, paddle-heavy left, and the honest version is that beginners learn on the inside sections.

When to go

• **Apr–Oct:** the southern-hemisphere swell season. Bigger, more consistent, and when Chicama actually links.Apr–Oct: the southern-hemisphere swell season. Bigger, more consistent, and when Chicama actually links.
• **Nov–Mar:** warmer and smaller. Better for the northern beaches, quieter everywhere.Nov–Mar: warmer and smaller. Better for the northern beaches, quieter everywhere.

Getting around

Fly into Lima. For the north coast, connect to Talara or Piura for Máncora and Lobitos. For Chicama, fly to Trujillo and drive about an hour. Peru is one of the cheapest surf destinations in the Americas once you're there.