Americas

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Comprising of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela, South America is the fourth largest continent in the world. It has the Caribbean Sea to the north, Atlantic Ocean on the east coast and the Pacific Ocean along the west, with the continent being joined to Central America via Panama.

South America boasts some of the world’s bests tourist attractions such as Iguazu Falls - one of the world’s largest waterfalls; the Amazon Rainforest with its intricate ecosystem; the infamous Inca Trail leading to Macchu Picchu; and the Andes – the longest mountain range in the world, just to name a few.  Then there are also the beaches, lakes and glaciers that make South America such an amazing place to visit.

Most of South America hasn’t yet been spoilt by development and it is easy to find yourself off the beaten track, immersed in the diversity of cultures - with some indigenous people even still living the same as they have for hundreds of years. With different influences from Africa, Asia and Europe, each country has its own distinct culture and way of life.

South America is home to one of the longest waves in the world - Chicama in Peru. Peru, along with Chile, Ecuador and Columbia all have coastlines on the South Pacific Ocean and have a large expanse of open water for the swells to generate and develop. Surfing along this west coast is generally pretty uncrowded most of the year. Further south in Argentina and Chile the water gets increasingly colder the further south you go and therefore typically less crowded as well. The powerful Humboldt Current generated in Antarctica brings constant surf to the Chilean coast. Waves are also generated by wind coming from low-pressure centers off central Chile.

Surfing is most popular in Brazil, with many Brazilians embracing surf culture and lifestyle.  Brazil's long Atlantic coastline offers a huge variety of consistent waves although it may not be as consistent or as big as the West Coast.

With 2 huge coastlines both open to swell from many directions, South America is a land begging to be discovered by Australian surfers. Here you can find one of the longest waves in the world.

South America has been popular in the surfing world for a long time, especially Brazil. However it’s time to also look at Peru, Ecuador, Chile and a few other places that deserve as much attention.

Brazil has a huge amount of waves, great consistency and has surf to suit all levels. There are literally thousands of surf spots, as pretty much the entire coastline can be surfed, but particular favourites are the popular beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, and the hundreds of spots located around Rio.  Further south are the beautiful beaches of Florianopolis offering the most consistent surf on the Atlantic Side. The deep south of Brazil is best, it has bigger swells and more variety than further north. The island of Santa Catarina has the best that Brazil has to offer. Conditions there vary up to 15 ft with both lefts and rights. The second best is Saquarema, a small village 1.5 hours drive from Rio de Janeiro, conditions are great year round, and nearby there are 18 miles of beaches with similar conditions. Many of the swells are generated by the deep low pressures that track past Cape Horn, sending swells northwards throughout the year, although April to October are the best. Time your trip right and get to party in Rio for the Carnival (Feb) - well worth it but must be booked well in advance.

Chile has over 4000kms of coastline and due to the constant low pressure systems produced within close proximity, and the deep water trench just off the coast, the surf size is consistent and powerful. The chilly waters of Chile can be brutal to surf, however, here you can find some of the best breaks on the continent. The north coast is best, particularly near Arica near the Peruvian border the waves are quite strong. Tubes can be found further south near Iquique, and good waves can be found all the way south to La Serena, although a wetsuit is essential.

Peru was thought to be an unlikely candidate for world class surfing however it is quickly becoming one of the most sought after surf spots in the world. Peru offers one of nature's miracles: Chicama. It is the world's longest wave stretching over 4kms and is situated north from Trujillo. The Peruvian coast is littered with similar point breaks with big lows from deep down south sending the swells northwards, and many of the surf spots receive persistent offshore winds.  Punta Hermosa gets good waves and is within an easy distance of the capital Lima. Near the border of Ecuador is Mancora which is the main spot surfers head to, enticed by the tropical weather and clear waters, few leave disappointed. Whilst your there check out nearby Cabo Blano and Pacasmayo which will require a little bit of a trek but it’s worth it. If you are after a variety of uncrowded, offshore, good quality waves then Peru is a great destination. Include in your trip a 4 day trek on the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu and enhance your experience with one of the world’s best man-made wonders.

Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands offer contrasting surfing environments. The Galapagos Islands are quiet, remote, quite fickle and rocky; whilst Ecuador offers party towns and sandy beach barrels through to long points and reefs. However they do share the same north and south swells.  Ecuador's surfing is focused around the northern reaches of the country and the famous surf town of Atacames.

South America can be travelled year round, but some of the most popular tourist destinations like Machu Picchu, Patagonia, the Amazon and the Andes have varied seasons and when heading towards these areas you need to take into account how their expected temperatures & rainfall may affect your trip, for example summer heat in the Amazon Jungle may be unbearable but this will be the best time to visit Patagonia. The peak season for tourists is usually during June through to August for the north of South America as its perfect weather around the equator, whereas December through to March is the most popular time for the southern area of South America.

Southern hemisphere storms send consistent surf to almost all coastlines on the Pacific side during the winter months.  Summer is the best time for clean surf, even though the waves are often bigger in the winter. The low-pressure systems that usually produce sizable surfare very close to the coast. The surf is sometimes out of control, therefore. Winter wave heights sometimes reach 12-15'. The waves have juice all year, so the visiting surfer should have a board that can handle a wide variety of conditions.

If you’re travelling to Chile between May & September - the northern region of Chile is where you want to head. It is renowned for its hard breaking waves and long lasting tubes. Between September & March the southern-central region of Chile offers a surfer the opportunity to surf extremely high quality left-hand points that break over sand/volcanic rock bottoms. Chile is not known for it’s tropical waters, so a thick steamer is essential for most of the country.  Depending on when you go, you can find warmer spots towards the north of the country near Peru.

Located just south of the equator, exposed to north and south Pacific ground swells, Northern Peru receives world class surf year-round. The north swell season coincides with summer and it is sunny with less wind and warmer water temperatures, unlike central and southern Peru where most days require at least a springy.  Just south of Cabo Blanco two currents collide producing extreme differences in water temperatures at breaks only a few kms apart. In general, the waves in the area are practically perfect with fast walls and magic barrels that rarely exceed 6-10 ft.The south swells are actually bigger and more consistent than the north swells, but north Peru’s headlands and points make for more perfect waves. The peak south swell season is from March through to November.

Ecuador receives plenty of small swells and has the added bonus of warmer water due to the Panama Current. It gets the tail of the Hawaiian swells and is exposed to both north and south swells. Swell is regularly in the 2 - 6ft region during the offshore November to March surf season. Ecuador really shows it’s stuff  in a big swell, but this does not happen very often.  Many of the northern surf spots only really start to get good once they are double overhead. Tradewinds blow from a southerly direction all year, but are more easterly for the Galapagos and westerly for Ecuador.

Brazil surf conditions are pretty good year round but the best time is April to October for swells. From April to October, southern Brazil catches east to south swells produced in the Antarctic. From November to March, the north of Brazil catches northern swells.