Intermediate: San Bartolo (Izquierditas) (Epic, 1.2 m, offshore around 06:00), Pulpos (Good, 1.8 m, cross-offshore around 06:00), Señoritas (Good, 1.8 m, cross-shore around 06:00)
Advanced: Punta Rocas (Epic, 1.7 m, cross-offshore around 07:00), La Pampilla (Epic, 2.0 m, cross-offshore around 06:00)
Forecast updated 20 Oct, 01:03 UTC.
The spots
Pulpos · beach break, intermediate, best on SSW swell with NE wind, all tides. Surf break at Punta Hermosa, a district south of Lima known for its cluster of surf spots.
Señoritas · point break, intermediate, best on S/SSW/SW swell with SE/E wind, all tides. A consistent left-hand point at Punta Hermosa, the main training wave for Lima surfers. It gets busy on good days.
Pico Alto · reef break, advanced, best on S/SSW/SW swell with SE/E wind, all tides. Peru's best-known big-wave spot, breaking on a reef roughly a kilometre or more off Playa Norte at Punta Hermosa. It only works on large south swells and is for…
San Bartolo (Izquierditas) · reef break, intermediate, best on S/SSW/SW swell with NE/ENE/E wind, all tides. Reef peaks right in San Bartolo town working on south-southwest groundswell with a northeast wind. Lima's winter crowd packs it in on good days, and urchins are common.
La Herradura · point break, advanced, best on SSW swell with S wind, all tides. Left-hand point at the south end of Lima's Costa Verde that needs a decent south-south-west swell and offshore wind.
Punta Rocas · reef break, advanced, best on S/SW swell with E/SE wind, all tides. A powerful reef break at the south end of Lima's surf coast that has hosted international contests. Guides disagree on whether rights or lefts dominate, so it is listed…
La Pampilla · reef break, intermediate, best on SW swell with NE wind, all tides. Reef and mixed bottom wave in Miraflores that has hosted international competitions.
Puerto Viejo · beach break, intermediate, best on SSW/SW/WSW swell with SSE/S/SSW wind, all tides. Beach with a point section south of Lima that does best on south groundswell and east-northeast wind in winter. Mid-sized crowd, and rocks along the point.
When to surf in Lima
Best months for intermediate surfers: all year. For beginners: December to February. The water goes from about 18 °C in November (3/2 mm fullsuit) to 21 °C in February (Springsuit 2 mm or vest).
Days per month at the best third of the 8 spots for each level, from three years of wave and wind model data.
Questions
What are the best surf spots in Lima?
The best-known are Señoritas, Pulpos, La Pampilla, Punta Rocas. In all, 8 spots lie within 41 km: 2 beach breaks, 4 reef breaks, 2 point breaks.
Where can beginners surf in Lima?
Lima is mostly for intermediate and advanced surfers: reefs, points or powerful beach breaks. Beginners should take a lesson and stay on the smallest days.
When is the best time to surf in Lima?
For intermediate surfers all year. For beginners December to February.
What wetsuit do I need to surf in Lima?
The sea goes from about 18 °C in November (3/2 mm fullsuit) to 21 °C in February (Springsuit 2 mm or vest).