Beach Treasures and Treasure Beaches

Lima is the capitol city of Peru. Located on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Lima is a popular beach destination for visitors and locals alike. An exciting surprise is that surfing is great year-round in Lima! With a variety beaches and waves that appeal to beginning and advanced surfers, everyone can hit the surf and soak up the beautiful sea breezes. With so many beaches to choose from, it may be a challenge to know where to begin. Thanks to Peru’s official tourism website, we’re only a few clicks away from learning about the fabulous surfing beaches of Lima.

La Costa Verde, Lima, Peru (Jorge Mori/Wikimedia Commons)

Costa Verde – is described as a “Lima beach circuit visited by swimmers and surfers.” These rocky beaches are perhaps less popular with bathers on the whole than the sandier beaches in the south of Lima, but the Miraflores District is a popular tourist destination known for its shopping, dining, and the like.

A beachy locale for the experienced surfer, La Herradura is famous for its massive, 13 ft waves. Located in the district of Chorrillos,  the waves come from a “strong, large left hand point break in three sections. El Point, La Segunda, and La Tercera.”

Map of Lima highlighting the Punta Hermosa district in southern Lima. (AgainErick/Wikimedia Commons)

Punta Hermosa is a district best known for its beaches. These sandy beaches are poplar with both swimmers and surfers. These are the ones the tourism site recommends:

Señoritas – Great for beginning and advanced surfers, the “strong, long left hand reef break” offers tubes and wave heights up to 10 feet.

Caballeros –  Also enjoys a “well formed right hand reef break with tube sections and heights up to 3 meters (10 feet).” Beginning and advanced surfers will have a great time.

Pico Alto – Best reserved for advanced surfers, waves reach great heights (26-32ft) at this fabulous surfing destination.

Other great Punta Hermosa beaches are Playa Norte, El Paso, La Isla, and Kontiki.

Punta Rocas – In the Punta Negra District, this is the location of an international surfing championship. This beach sports a “long, big, and strong left hand and right hand reef break with tube section and heights up to 4 or 5 meters (13 – 16 feet).” Don’t be turned off to the competition quality of these waves – they’re great for beginning and advanced surfers.

Peñascal – Located in the San Bartola District, this beach is a hit with advanced surfers. Waves between 6.5 and 13 feet high break over a rocky bottom.

Cerro Azul – If the strong ocean currents take you to the Province of Cañete, hopefully you’ll wash up at this beach resort. According to the tourism website, the waves are described as, “Left hand wave with tube section. Breaks in front of the beach resort. Also, right hand waves that break on the other side of the pier (fast, strong, and with tube).” Hopefully, if you surf, you have a better idea of what this means than I do.

So, even though Hawaii is best associated with the birth of modern surfing, it isn’t the only place to catch a wave. With a surf season that lasts the whole year long, your next vacation destination might just be Lima, Peru!