About Surf Travel in Chile
Chile, the goofyfooter’s paradise, despite a very short surfing history (the first local surfer dates from the beginning of the ’70s), has been increasingly in the international spotlight these last few years for its consistency, infinity of spots, huge, perfect waves (nearly all lefts), and crowds that some have compared to California in the ’50s. Led by three of the best Chilean surfers, Ramon Navarro and Cristian Merello (local big-wave chargers from Pichilemu) and Diego Medina (winner of the 2005 Billabong XXL Paddle Award for a monster caught at Punta de Lobos), a solid Chilean scene is starting to emerge and progress at a quick pace. The country can be separated roughly into three big regions. The north has the driest desert in the world, and its rocky bottoms produce some of Chile’s most powerful and hollow waves, which easily break a lot of boards, so be sure to bring a good quiver. The central region, which is the most accessible for its proximity to Santiago, offers many spots that are for the most part friendly, but beware: 15-foot-plus days are not uncommon, and 25-foot-plus happens on a regular basis. Then there’s the south region, a pristine, green environment overlooking an infinity of left tubing pointbreaks waiting to be explored. With a national average of 300 days a year of surf, it is very unlikely to fall on a long flat spell. Swells hit the 4,000-mile coast of Chile year-round, and they can hit hard. In 2017, Punta de Lobos was officially named a World Surfing Reserve, protecting the break and the surrounding area from development. Respect the locals and the environment, be careful of Pisco intoxication, be curious, explore, and you’ll spend probably one of the best surf trips of your life here.