If you feel like the ocean has not stopped pumping this winter, it is not your imagination. Peru's 2026 south swell season has been chaining DHN anomalous swell advisories almost without pause since April, with a June episode that will be remembered: 106 ports and coves closed at its peak and Lima's Costa Verde shut down by ocean surges. All of it with an ingredient no Peruvian surfer of this generation had seen in the middle of winter: summer-warm water courtesy of El Niño. Here is the full picture of the season and how to make the most of it.
Where these waves come from
South swells are born from extratropical storms in the South Pacific, thousands of kilometers from Peru. Between April and October those systems send southwest groundswell trains that hit our coast head on. This year, as Peru's Navy explained, the pattern intensified due to a weakening of the South Pacific anticyclone and strengthening polar lows, which accelerate wind over the ocean and generate more energetic swell than usual.
The result shows in the advisories: since late May the DHN issued special advisories N° 21 through 27 practically back to back, with episodes closing up to 94 ports during Easter week and over one hundred in June.
The June swell: the season's big one
The June 3-16 episode was the largest of the year so far. The peak arrived overnight on June 7-8: 106 ports closed according to the national emergency center, only 20 terminals operating along the entire coast, more than 4 km of the Costa Verde closed due to ocean surges and rockfall, and local authorities describing 6 to 8 meter waves at the most exposed points (the Navy reported up to 5 meters in Chimbote). For spots built to handle size it was a contest-grade week; for the rest of the coast, days for watching the ocean from shore with respect.
The winter's three protagonists
Pico Alto: the queen, on standby
Peru's premier big wave breaks half an hour's paddle off Punta Hermosa, starts working at 12-15 feet and holds well over 30. This is where Greg Long rode the mythical 40 foot wave published by National Geographic. In 2026 the wave is doubly newsworthy: March saw the Pico Alto Pro Nacional, won by Lucca Saldívar, which qualified the 16 Peruvians for the Pico Alto Pro International: a "Peru versus the world" format with names like Kai Lenny, Billy Kemper, Grant Twiggy Baker and Nathan Florence invited, organized by Club Big Wave Peru with FENTA, IPD and the Municipality of Punta Hermosa. As of this writing the waiting window remained open, awaiting the right swell and conditions. When it activates, it will be the biggest big wave event ever held in the country.
Punta Rocas: the consistent one
Power, size and near-guaranteed performance on any south swell. In May it hosted the second stop of the Peruvian Surf Circuit with 1.8 to 2.4 meter waves and bigger sets. It is the season's perfect thermometer: if Punta Rocas is big and orderly, the entire south of Lima is working.
Pacasmayo: the endless one
The El Faro point turns every solid southwest swell into rides of more than a kilometer. In June, right after the mega swell, it hosted the third stop of the national circuit with long, clean walls that crowned Jhonny Guerrero and Sofía Artieda. If you owe yourself a trip north, this is the year: the water is warmer than ever (we just published a complete guide to the spot).
The unprecedented twist: winter with summer water
With the Coastal El Niño in a strong phase, coastal stations register sea temperature anomalies from +2 to over +5 °C. In practice: winter sessions on solid swell in a springsuit in Lima and no wetsuit up north, something not seen since the great El Niño years. Full details are in our El Niño series; for your session, check the day's water temperature on each spot's WaveSearch page.
The national circuit keeps rolling
The season is also being surfed in contest jerseys: FENTA's Peruvian Surf Circuit has completed four stops in 2026, with a historic record of 312 entries at the Copa José Duany at La Pampilla (Open champions: Manuel Robles and Sol Aguirre), Punta Rocas in May, Pacasmayo in June and Chicama in July. More stops are expected toward the end of the year, and we will cover them in our competitions section.
How to make the most of what remains
- August through October are still swell months. The southern window does not close until late spring; the best days come spaced out, so set alerts for your spot on WaveSearch.
- Respect DHN advisories. A strong intensity advisory can triple normal wave heights. If your beach is near a closed port, it is not a day for experiments.
- Pick the spot for the swell. Moderate swell: Punta Rocas, Señoritas, San Bartolo. Big swell: protected points, or guaranteed spectacle watching Pico Alto from the hill.
- Take care of your body. Back to back days of long rides take their toll, and warm water invites longer sessions than is wise.
Sources: DHN (special swell advisories N° 21-26 through 27-26), COEN and Dicapi via La República, Infobae and TVPerú, Peruvian Navy, FENTA (official 2026 Peruvian Surf Circuit releases), Caretas, elSurfero and Surfline, verified as of July 28, 2026.