Northern Peru

Trip Highlights:

• Warm water year-round
• Choice of 3 Beachfront hotels: Deluxe, Moderate or Budget option available
• Break variety and density (over 25 different waves within 15-90min drive)
• Uncrowded surfbreak options
• Legendary Peruvian surf guide Marco Ravizza a.k.a. Pulpo/Octopus
• Surf for all ability levels
• Surf school, surfboard rentals, and SUP available
• Mancora beaches, restaurants and nightlife
• Amazing Peruvian cultural, eco and adventure tour options

Intro

Wavehunters Northern Peru tour is based in Mancora, Northern Peru, where the water is warm year-round (in the low 70s/high 60s) due to the influence of the Panamanian current which only affects the extreme northern coast of Peru. (Just 100km to the south the water is about 5-10 degrees colder.) Sunny, hot dry weather prevails here most of the time (except in El Nino years when there are heavier rains) and the beaches are stunning with generally excellent blue-green water quality. Mancora itself has 2 left pointbreaks, and Northern Peru offers incredible break variety with multiple surfing zones each with numerous waves within a 15-75min drive of town.

Northern Peru breaks epic year-round! There are 2 distinct seasons. The North swell season from November to March, and the South swell season which is very consistent from March to November. Each of the 3 major surfing zones we focus on has spots that work on both North and South swells. Because of this there are always uncrowded and empty waves somewhere. In general waves in these zone are both heavily tide sensitive, direction sensitive, and size sensitive, so local knowledge is crucial.

Guided Trip

Wavehunters Northern Peru is managed by Marco Antonio Ravizza a.k.a. "Pulpo" (Octopus), who has over 20 years of experience surfing and guiding surfing tours throughout Peru. Why do you need a surf guide for this area? Here's 5 good reasons:

1) To find and access the surf spots at all. Most roads and surfbreaks are unmarked, and many spots are on property controlled by the military or oil companies.

2) To go to the right surf spots, at the right time, during the correct swell direction, tide, and wind conditions. Most spots are far off the highway, and time is priceless when you're dealing with small windows for optimal surf conditions at any given break

3) All transportation included, straight from the airport to the surf. No rental car nightmares, hustles or police shakedowns. He watches the car and all your personal items in it while you are surfing. Octopus is also a mechanic by trade and should a vehicle get a flat or break down he has it covered.

4) Surf photography (Octopus shoots photos of you surfing with high quality equipment. Most of the photos on this website are his.)

5) Full concierge service including local knowledge of all area restaurants, bars, attractions, tours, and people.

CROWDS?

In general, the Mancora area is not crowded except at major holidays (Christmas, New Years, Carnival, Easter and Peruvian Independence day). If you're looking for uncrowded waves it may be best to avoid these periods and come during the other 45 weeks per year that are uncrowded when most Peruvian surfers are at work and school 1000km away in Lima. If you're looking for beaches packed with beautiful South Americans and want to party in the bars until sunrise, then by all means come during the holiday periods because this is when it is going off and many surfers are too hungover to surf much anyway so you can still catch some uncrowded waves if you're on it, or willing to travel to the most remote breaks which are still uncrowded then.

The Surf - North

Some of the more well-known breaks in the area

Punta Mero

• Characteristics: The class act of several lesser known spots in this zone an hour north of Mancora with long barreling left tubes on N swells.
• Swell Direction: NW
• Experience required: Intermediate to Advanced.

Peña Redonda (Round Rock)

• Characteristics : Barreling beachbreak with short lefts and rights. It can be tricky to catch this place with good conditions. It is ideal to arrive very early before the wind picks up. When there are no waves at any other break you will find a little rideable wave here.
• Swell Direction : Mainly surfed with north or northeast but can be surprisingly good with strong south swells. Works all year round.
• Experience Required : Intermediate - Advanced.

Mancora

• Characteristics : Left-hand pointbreak with reef bottom. Occasional tubes. Breaks especially well with north swells and some south. Usually a short wait between sets.
• Swell Direction : All.
• Experience Required : Novice - Intermediate.

Punta Ballenas (Whale Point)

• Characteristics : Left-hand pointbreak with reef bottom. Shorter than Mancora but always bigger and more aggressive. Occasional tubes. Breaks especially well with north swells and some south. The wave is intense. There may be a longer wait between sets than in Mancora, but it's worth the wait. We recommend surfing it at higher tides and special care is to be taken on the inside section where jagged rocks wait for any mistake
• Swell Direction : Best with south swells (April- December).
• Experience Required : Intermediate- Advanced.

Organos, La Punta (The Point)

• Characteristics : Ideal for beginners. The wave is a lefts and not very dangerous. When the waves are big during summer, Casablanca, a wave that breaks slightly north, can be a fun, good sized, long wave.
• Swell Direction : The Point works with all swells but it has to have the right sand conditions (October-April). Casablanca works best with north swells (October- April).
• Experience Required : Novice - Intermediate.

Organos, La Vuelta (Around the Corner)

• Characteristics : Powerful tubing left reefbreak. One of the best waves in Peru. It holds up to two and a half meters (8ft.) with various tube sections. It is definitely a memorable wave when the conditions are correct.
• Swell Direction : North (October- April).
• Experience Required : Intermediate - Advanced.

El Ñuro

• Characteristics : Left tubular point break.
• Swell Direction : North or northwest (October- April).
• Experience Required : Intermediate - Advanced.

Cabo Blanco (White Cape)

• Characteristics : Left reefbreak that is strong, magical and tubular. Cabo Blanco is world famous for its long, perfect tubes. In a few words, it's a perfect wave with heights up to 3 meters (10 ft.). The best wave in all Peru.
• Swell Direction : North (October- April).
• Experience Required : Expert

Panic Point

• Characteristics : Lefthand reefbreak that is very strong and has excellent tube sections. A very long wave with sets up to 4 meters (Approx 13 ft.), just a little bit further south than Cabo Blanco. One of the waves most preferred by the best surfers from Lima.
• Swell Direction : South (April- October).
• Experience Required : Advanced.

The Surf - South

Piscinas (Pools)

• Characteristics : Left breaking wave with sand and reef bottom. A fun little wave with tubes that form best in the second section. It is a good option when Lobitos is too small to surf. You will need a good form of identification to get onto the beach because it is part of a military facility.
• Swell Direction : South. Works all year round.
• Experience Required : Novice - Advanced.

Lobitos, El Muelle (The Pier)

• Characteristics : Tubular beachbreak.
• Swell Direction : South. Works all year round.
• Experience Required : Intermediate - Advanced.

Lobitos, La Punta (Sea Lions, The Point) Location : Km. 1104 Panamerican North (Lobitos).

• Characteristics : Long powerful left that regularly forms tubes as it breaks over a bottom of sand and rock. An increasable wave that was discovered only a few years ago. Almost the whole bottom is composed of sand. You will encounter strong winds every afternoon that can either make the wave better or worse. The wind here is strong, especially in the afternoons.
• Swell Direction : South. Works all year round.
• Experience Required : Novice - Advanced.

Lobitos, La Frontera (The Frontier)

• Characteristics : When the conditions are right it's a beginning to end barrel, with the final section connecting with its neighbor wave (Lobitos). It is one of the best waves in the area with surf practically all winter. The bottom is sand and rock with some dangerous sections of pointy rocks. It is definitely a great left with a big tube.
• Swell Direction : South (April- October).
• Experience Required : Intermediate - Advanced.

Lobitos, El Hueco (The Hole)

• Characteristics : When the conditions are right it is a beginning to end barrel, with the final section connecting with its neighbor wave (La Frontera). It is one of the best waves in the area with surf practically all winter. The bottom is sand and rock with some dangerous sections of pointy rocks. It is definitely a great left with a big tube.
• Swell Direction : South (April- October).
• Experience Required : Intermediate - Advanced.

Baterias (Batteries)

• Characteristics : Left reefbreak. A good wave to surf when Lobitos and El Hueco are not working.
• Swell Direction : South and north. Works all year round.
• Experience Required : Intermediate - Advanced.

El Golf (The Golf)

• Characteristics : A sick beachbreak with big sets and magnificent A-frame tubes. There is almost never a crowd because the conditions are rarely perfect. The current here is strong.
• Swell Direction : South (April- December).
• Experience Required : Intermediate - Advanced.

Accommodation : Mancora Deluxe Hotel

This upmarket hotel is located on the beach only ½ km to the south from Mancora point, and designed by architect Jordi Puig and Claudia Uccelli, with geometric features, very spacious rooms, clean lines and sophisticated details, all in white and khaki. The location of the hotel is very close to the town center (just 3 minutes), but has a unique tranquility.

The hotel has twelve ocean view rooms each with an area of ??approx. 50 m2 each. We have six double rooms with king, and six double rooms with twin beds. King and double rooms are paired with optional connecting doors for families. Our beds are dressed with 500 thread count sheets made from the finest cotton pyma, and the best down pillows, and down comforters. All our rooms are equipped with air conditioning, Direct TV and Wi-Fi.

Accommodation : Mancora Budget-Moderate Surf-Front Hotel

This property is located directly in front of the left pointbreak at Mancora, and just steps to town and numerous restaurants, and is a good choice for surfers on a budget who's top priority is proximity to the surf. Rooms are naturally fan cooled. There is no AC at this property. The hotel has single, twin, matrimonial, triple, and quad rooms available. The balcony ocean view rooms with matrimonial bed are the best ones. Some of the rooms have safes and Cable TV. There is a palapa lobby on the ground floor with TV room with DirecTV.

There's not a lot of other amenities at this property, however you are just steps from Mancora town, which has plenty of restaurants, bars, stores, and internet cafes to avail yourself of during your stay. Many "Mancora" hotels advertise themselves as being in Mancora but are actually miles away in Las Pocitas or Vichayito which is a 20min drive from a surf break. We think this one is the best option for the budget minded surfer mainly because the location is directly on the point and in the middle of town so you are always at the wave to maximize your surf time, and never have to worry about rides or taxis to town.

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