Central & South America surf forecast
Live conditions and free 16-day forecasts for 7 breaks across Central & South America, rated Flat to Epic from NOAA data.
The Pacific side of the Americas is the beneficiary of the longest swell journeys in surfing. Southern Ocean storms thousands of miles away send swell north to Central America and Peru, and by the time it arrives it has dispersed into extremely long-period, exceptionally clean lines.
The region holds two of the sport's geographic extremes: Chicama in Peru, generally regarded as the longest rideable left in the world, and Pavones in Costa Rica, its close rival. Both exist because a headland and a river-mouth sandbar happen to align almost exactly with the prevailing swell direction.
When it works
Southern Hemisphere swell peaks April to October. The Mexican Pacific adds a summer hurricane season that produces its own, shorter-period surf.
7 breaks in Central & South America
| Break | Where | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Chicama | La Libertad | point · left |
| Montañita | Santa Elena | point · right |
| Pavones | Puntarenas | point · left |
| Praia da Joaquina | Santa Catarina | beach · both |
| Puerto Escondido (Zicatela) | Oaxaca | beach · both |
| Todos Santos Island | Baja California | reef · right |
| Witch's Rock | Guanacaste | beach · both |
Buoys covering this coast
A forecast tells you what a model expects. These stations report what the ocean is actually doing right now — the ground truth behind every rating above.
- 32413 — NORTHWEST LIMA - 1000 NM WNW of Lima, Peru
- 43413 — SOUTH ACAPULCO - 360NM South of Acapulco, MX
Part of the Eastern Pacific network — see all 430+ buoys
Other regions
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