Cabo Blanco
El Alto, Piura, Peru
Sports: Surfing
Best time to go: January–March, November–December
Cabo Blanco is a small fishing village in the province of Talara, in Piura, on Peru's northern coast between Máncora and Lobitos. Below the cliffs, a left-hand wave breaks over a shallow rock reef and is one of the best-known barrels in South America.
Unlike most of Peru, the wave works on north-west and west swells from the North Pacific, which arrive mostly from November to March. On a good swell it gives short, very hollow, powerful barrels that suit expert surfers only, with a hard, shallow reef below. South and south-east winds blow almost every day and are offshore here, but strong winds can make the take-off difficult. Tide matters: low tide can make the reef too shallow. Crowds gather when it breaks, and local surfers have priority, so respect the line-up. The water in northern Peru is warmer than further south, around 20 to 24 °C in summer, so a spring suit or light wetsuit is usually enough.
Spots near Cabo Blanco
More: All spots in Peru · Surfing in Peru