Surf guide
Surfing in Pacasmayo: El Faro and the other peaks
El Faro is the long left off the point, the one that brings people from half the world between April and October. It is not the only one: a wave breaks 130 metres from the hostel door in front of the seafront, Puémape is half an hour south and Chicama a little over an hour away.
El Faro
The left that runs from the point to the pier
2.22 kmFrom the El Faro peak to the pier, measured on the map on 13/09/2026.
A left point break under the chequered lighthouse, with south and southwest swell, offshore wind from the northeast and a low tide starting to rise. Those 2.22 km are the length of the point, not a promise that every wave runs the whole way: the one that links the peak to the pier is rare and asks for a very particular direction and size.
Surfertoday reports local rides of up to 2.5 km and four minutes on a single wave, with a swell of about 3.6 metres, and credits Chicama with up to 4 km.
The break in detail
What makes it work
| Type | Left point break |
|---|---|
| Bottom | Sand with sections of rock |
| Swell | South and south-southwest, ground swell |
| Wind | Offshore from the northeast |
| Tide | Low, starting to rise |
| Size | Works from 3 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 m) and holds 12 feet (3.7 m) or more |
| Season | April to October |
| Ride | 300 to 500 m usually, up to 2.5 km on exceptional days |
| Level | Intermediate with a solid paddle; with size, advanced |
Size does not ruin the wave, and that is the difference surfers point to against Chicama: Pacasmayo picks up more swell and holds big storms without losing shape. When Chicama is small, there is usually something here.
surf-forecast.com points to March as the month with the most clean days. Those are two different things: swell consistency rules in the southern winter, while clean wind can be better at the edge of the season.
Sources: surf-forecast.com, Surfertoday, surf guides and local reports.
From the centre to the peak
How to get to El Faro
From the hostel it is 2.8 km by road, 12 minutes by mototaxi, or 2.4 km walking along the new seafront, a little over half an hour with the board under your arm. Measured on the map in September 2026.
You can walk it, and plenty of people do at dawn. With a big board, in a hurry, or with the session already in your body, the mototaxi is the better answer.
Local service
Tato Surf Trips, a local legend: he has surfed El Faro since he was 12, back in the seventies. He drops you at the peak, waits with the boards through the three hours of the session and brings you back, from S/ 30 per trip. There and back only, from S/ 20. Prices of September 2026.
Book the surf trip with Tato
Point Malecón
The town beach wave, 130 metres away
In front of the town beach breaks a wave that almost no guide mentions. It is not El Faro, and that is exactly the point: you leave the hostel with your board, walk a block and a half and paddle out.
It works well late in the afternoon, and it is the obvious peak for anyone starting out or for days when El Faro is too big. It is the bonus wave: the one you surf with no plan, no mototaxi and no waiting for the swell of the week.
Half an hour south
Puémape: a left point break, a sandy beach and ceviche
A fishing cove 22 km down the Panamericana. The wave breaks over a stone bottom at the point, and next to it opens a wide sandy beach, with reed boats pulled up and a couple of ceviche places facing the sea.
You can go just for the day: swim, look at the pools among the rocks and have fish straight out of the water for lunch. You do not need to surf for the trip to be worth it.
To surf there: early, or on days with little wind, and ideally on a mid to low tide. With a lot of water the wave breaks further up, over the stones. The name is written Puémape and also Poemape, depending on the map or the guide: it is the same cove.
Local service
Tato Surf Trips makes the trip by mototaxi, with three hours of surfing and the waiting included. From S/ 60 per trip, for one to three people, price of September 2026.
Book the trip with Tato
Chicama
The longest left in the world, 55 km away
Puerto Malabrigo is 55 km up the Panamericana Norte, between an hour and an hour and a quarter by car. You go and come back in the day, and many surfers put both peaks in the same trip: El Faro here, Chicama to the south.
Surf sources tend to say «about 45 minutes». The measurement does not back that number: at 55 km from the hostel, an hour to an hour and a quarter is the realistic figure.
Services
Board rental and repair
If you arrive by bus with no gear, or come out of the water with a ding on the rail, it is sorted a block from the hostel.
Local service
Ballin Surf Shop, the workshop of Gustavo Vargas, at Jirón Junín 84. Rents and repairs boards, and has been printing t-shirts since 1990. It is the only repair workshop in the centre.
Message Ballin Surf ShopYou deal with them directly. The hostel does not rent, does not repair and is not responsible for the service.
The services
Surf trips and day trips in the area
Tato Surf Trips runs these four trips by mototaxi, there and back. Price per trip, not per person, for one to three people.
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Mototaxi to El Faro (no waiting) from S/ 20
There and back, without waiting. Price per trip, up to 3 people. More
Message Tato -
Surf Trip to El Faro (3h) from S/ 30
There, three hours of surfing with the mototaxi waiting with your things, and back. Price per trip, up to 3 people. More
Message Tato -
Surf Trip to Puémape (3h) from S/ 60
There, three hours of surfing with the mototaxi waiting with your things, and back. Price per trip, up to 3 people. More
Message Tato -
El Cañoncillo lagoons from S/ 70
Leaves at 6 in the morning and back for lunch. Price per trip, up to 3 people. More
Message Tato
Each button opens his WhatsApp with the service already written in the message, in Spanish. You deal with Tato directly: the hostel does not book, does not schedule, does not charge and is not responsible for the service. Prices of September 2026.
Where to stay
Where to sleep between sessions
Al Pacino Pacasmayo Backpackers is at Jirón Junín 36, in the centre, 130 metres from the beach and from Point Malecón. The iconic left at El Faro is 12 minutes away by mototaxi. Hot shower around the clock, home cooking in the café-bar for when you come back from a session, and a long table to end the day with friends, in the shop and art gallery.
Frequently asked questions
What almost everyone asks
When is the best time to surf Pacasmayo?
April to October, when the south swell arrives most consistently. surf-forecast.com points to March as the month with the most clean days, which is a different measure from consistency.
How far is the El Faro peak from the hostel?
Twelve minutes by mototaxi, 2.8 km by road, or a little over half an hour on foot, 2.4 km along the new seafront. The closest beach to the hostel is the one on the seafront, in the centre, 130 metres from the door: that is where Point Malecón breaks, the alternative peak for late afternoon, for beginners or for days when El Faro is too big. Measured on the map in September 2026.
Are there waves closer, without leaving the centre?
Yes, Point Malecón, in front of the town beach, 130 metres from the door.
Can you rent a board in Pacasmayo?
Yes, at Ballin Surf Shop, Jirón Junín 84, a block from the hostel. It is also the only workshop in the centre that repairs boards. You deal with them directly.
How do you get to the peak?
Walking along the new seafront, or by mototaxi. Tato Surf Trips does the trip to El Faro from S/ 30 with waiting, or from S/ 20 there and back only, for one to three people. Prices of September 2026.
What level do you need?
Intermediate with a solid paddle. With size, the wave is for advanced surfers.
What wetsuit should I bring?
In the southern winter the water is cold for anyone arriving from the tropics: a full suit, and in the coldest months a hood for long sessions.
