Northern Peru is home of some of the most amazing surf spots in both South America and even the world. Amongst these many breaks is Puerto Chicama. Some of you may have heard of Chicama before and to others it may be a new word. Either way, from this point on when you hear the word Chicama just think of the longest, most perfect left hand point break you could possibly imagine, because that’s exactly what it is.
People travel from all over South America and from all over just to see the world’s longest wave for themselves. Getting there is one task, but as I soon found out, figuring out where you paddle out and surf at is another task all in itself. So here’s a few tips to keep you from looking like a kook on your next surf trip to Puerto Chicama.
There are two main breaks that make up the best spots to surf in Chicama. The first is the closest and is known as “The Point.” This is about a 20 min walk along the shoreline from southern end of the town. On a good swell this wave will start off the point and will give you about a mile ride all the way back to where you came from.
To paddle out, the best way is probably to walk another five minutes past the point. Here, you can walk out on a sandy bottom, then paddle out right to the break. One thing to be aware of is the strong current. When you get out to the point you will most likely find yourself paddling hard just to stay in place. Fortunately, it will all be worth it once you get on one of these amazing waves.
The second main Chicama break is known as “The Cape.” This is about a 15 min walk past the first point. The great thing about Chicama is that when the first point isn’t breaking that well, the cape is usually still pumping out some fun waves. Once you walk up to the cape you can walk almost all the way out to where the wave is breaking. The bottom is sandy which is very nice, especially if you don’t have booties, and if the swell is right you can take waves just about all the way to the first point which will get you back to the town.
These are the two main breaks where the majority of surfers will spend their time and where you will go if you are more of an advanced surfer. For those of you who are beginners, there are other smaller beach breaks right in front of the town that occasionally have some pretty fun and somewhat long rides.
Chicama is a great place for a surf trip. Now that you know where to surf in Chicama, look for future posts that will help make your next surf trip there simple and amazing.
