Chicama
Puerto Malabrigo, La Libertad, Peru
Sports: Surfing, Surf foiling
Best time to go: April–November
Chicama is the name surfers use for the point at Puerto Malabrigo, a fishing port on the desert coast of La Libertad in northern Peru, north of Trujillo. A long, gently sloping point produces a left-hand wave that is widely described as one of the longest in the world, running for about two kilometres from the point towards the pier on the best days.
The wave needs south and south-west swell, which is most consistent from about April to October, during the southern winter. Usually the wave breaks in separate sections, and only bigger, long-period swells link them into very long rides. South and south-east winds blow almost every day and are offshore or cross-offshore, keeping the faces clean but making paddling back up the point hard work, so many surfers walk back or use a boat. The bottom is sand over rock. The Humboldt Current keeps the water cool, around 16 to 19 °C, so a 3/2 wetsuit is usual. The wave suits intermediate and advanced surfers, and long, mellow sections also suit surf foiling.
Month by month at Chicama
- January: 3 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 11 knots, waves 1 m, water 19°C, air 25°C (nights 19°C), 31 sunny days, 5 rainy days
- February: 3 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 10 knots, waves 1 m, water 23°C, air 27°C (nights 21°C), 28 sunny days, 5 rainy days
- March: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 11 knots, waves 1.1 m, water 23°C, air 27°C (nights 22°C), 30 sunny days, 4 rainy days
- April: 13 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 13 knots, waves 1.2 m, water 21°C, air 26°C (nights 20°C), 30 sunny days, 2 rainy days
- May: 11 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 13 knots, waves 1.3 m, water 20°C, air 24°C (nights 19°C), 31 sunny days, 0 rainy days
- June: 10 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 13 knots, waves 1.3 m, water 20°C, air 23°C (nights 18°C), 30 sunny days, 0 rainy days
- July: 5 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 1.3 m, water 20°C, air 22°C (nights 18°C), 31 sunny days, 0 rainy days
- August: 7 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 1.3 m, water 19°C, air 22°C (nights 17°C), 31 sunny days, 0 rainy days
- September: 9 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 1.3 m, water 19°C, air 22°C (nights 17°C), 30 sunny days, 0 rainy days
- October: 10 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 13 knots, waves 1.2 m, water 17°C, air 21°C (nights 16°C), 31 sunny days, 1 rainy day
- November: 7 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 1.2 m, water 17°C, air 22°C (nights 17°C), 30 sunny days, 1 rainy day
- December: 6 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 1 m, water 18°C, air 23°C (nights 18°C), 31 sunny days, 3 rainy days
When is the best time to go surfing & surf foiling at Chicama?
April–November, when the waves are biggest.
How warm is the water at Chicama?
17°C to 23°C over the year: a shorty or lycra in the warmest month, a 4/3 full suit in the coolest.
How windy is Chicama?
About 84 days a year with at least 2 hours of 15+ knots in the daytime, most in April.
Figures from 5 years of weather data (Open-Meteo).
More: All spots in Peru · Surfing in Peru · Surf foiling in Peru
Compare with: Chicama vs Lobitos · Chicama vs Máncora · Chicama vs Punta Hermosa