Arica
Arica y Parinacota, Chile
Point breakAdvanced
Chile's northernmost coastal city, Arica sits in the driest desert on Earth and has a surprisingly consistent right-hand point break on south swells, with a unique desert-meets-ocean landscape found nowhere else in surfing.
Typical Conditions
The Surf Window
Swell Window
OptimalW (270°)
WindowSSW–NNW (210°–330°)
Size4-8ft
Wind
S
Offshore
Tide
Mid
LowMidHigh
Season
March–October
JFMAMJJASOND
The Wave
Type
Right
Bottom
Rock and sand
Shape
Long, walling right, consistent shape on south swells with moderate power
Length
100–250m
Skill Level
- •Who it's for: Advanced
- •Why: The wave has real power and the cold Humboldt Current makes the water surprisingly cold this far north.
Hazards
- •Rocky point entry and exit
- •Cold water despite low latitude (15–18°C due to the Humboldt Current)
- •Very remote, Arica is a border city 2,000km north of Santiago
- •Border proximity to Peru and Bolivia (routine military presence)
Local Tips
- •Arica receives south swells generated by Antarctic storms, the same systems that power Pichilemu arrive here with authority.
- •The Morro de Arica, a massive cliff rising 110m above the city, is the defining landmark with views of the entire coastline from the summit.
Location
-18.4785, -70.3211