WaveSearch

Arica (El Gringo)

Arica y Parinacota · Expert Epic
1.5m
8/10
10s 0 km/h
Arica (El Gringo) - surf spot in Arica y Parinacota

About Arica (El Gringo)

Arica, known as El Gringo, is one of the most extreme and famous waves in Chile, located at the far north of the country. It breaks over a very shallow reef at the foot of a cliff, forming fast, hollow and powerful barrels that have made it one of the best barreling waves in South America and a host of international championships. It is not a wave for everyone: the shallow reef and the power of the tube reserve it exclusively for expert surfers with real experience in hollow waves. Despite sitting in the heart of the Atacama desert, the water is cold due to the Humboldt current, so it is surfed with a wetsuit all year. Its best season is summer, between December and March. For the advanced surfer seeking one of the most perfect and challenging barrels on the continent, El Gringo is a legendary stop in northern Chile.

Characteristics

Level
Extreme conditions. Only for very experienced surfers.
· 📅 Summer (December to March) ·
Surface
Type of seabed where the waves break.
·
Direction
Direction the wave breaks as seen from the water.

Sports, Services & Access

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-18.4810°, -70.3330° Arica y Parinacota

Arica (El Gringo) — Arica y Parinacota

Current Conditions

Updated 19/10/2026 00:03

Epic
8/10

Waves

1.5m

11.9s period

Primary Swell

1.0m

10.0s SW

Wind

0 km/h

Gusts 3 km/h W

Secondary Swell

0.8m

13.7s SW

Temp.

21.1°C

🦺 Shorty 2mm

UV

0.0

Low

Visibility

10+ km

Good

Sun & Moon

☀️
↑ 07:08
↓ 19:43
🌙
↑ 12:04
↓ 00:40
🌗 First Quarter

Neap tides

Tide

Rising

High Tide 04:10 - 0.97m

Best Time to Surf Today

06:00 - 09:00

🌊 1.5m 💨 2 km/h
Epic 8/10 avg.

Today's Tides

High Tide

04:10

0.97m

Low Tide

11:30

0.40m

High Tide

17:10

0.64m

Low Tide

22:15

0.46m

Weekly Summary

Today

1.5m-1.6m

11s

SW SW SW
7 km/h
🌗

Tomorrow

1.6m-1.6m

11s

SW SW SW
6 km/h
🌗

Wed

1.5m-2.1m

12s

SW SW SW
7 km/h
🌖

Thu

1.9m-2.1m

10s

SW SW SW
8 km/h
🌖

Fri

1.6m-1.9m

10s

SW SW SW
7 km/h
🌖

Sat

1.5m-1.6m

9s

SW SW SW
8 km/h
🌖

Sun

1.5m-1.7m

7s

SW SW SW
8 km/h
🌕

Mon

1.4m-1.6m

7s

SSW SSW SSW
7 km/h
🌕

Tue

1.3m-1.4m

7s

SSW SSW SSW
8 km/h
🌕

Wed

0.0m-0.0m

8 km/h
🌔

Thu

0.0m-0.0m

3 km/h
🌔

Day Block Forecast

Tides: 04:10 (0.97m) 11:30 (0.40m) 17:10 (0.64m) 22:15 (0.46m)
Morning Epic

1.5m - 1.5m

230° SW
Period: 12s
5 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.8m 6s
⚡ 159 kJ
Midday Good

1.5m - 1.5m

230° SW
Period: 12s
16 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.6m 11s
⚡ 159 kJ
Afternoon Good

1.6m - 1.6m

231° SW
Period: 11s
13 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.3m 19s
⚡ 152 kJ
At night Epic

1.5m - 1.6m

232° SW
Period: 11s
3 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.6m 15s
⚡ 134 kJ
Tides: 05:00 (0.95m) 12:20 (0.31m) 18:15 (0.64m) 23:18 (0.42m)
Morning Epic

1.6m - 1.6m

232° SW
Period: 10s
4 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.8m 16s
⚡ 126 kJ
Midday Good

1.6m - 1.6m

229° SW
Period: 9s
13 km/h
Secondary Swell: 1.0m 15s
⚡ 102 kJ
Afternoon Good

1.6m - 1.6m

228° SW
Period: 11s
13 km/h
Secondary Swell: 1.1m 13s
⚡ 152 kJ
At night Epic

1.6m - 1.6m

232° SW
Period: 12s
3 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.8m 13s
⚡ 181 kJ
Tides: 05:52 (0.96m) 12:50 (0.26m) 18:50 (0.73m)
Morning Epic

1.6m - 1.6m

223° SW
Period: 12s
3 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.1m 5s
⚡ 181 kJ
Midday Fair

1.7m - 1.7m

224° SW
Period: 12s
15 km/h
⚡ 204 kJ
Afternoon Fair

1.9m - 1.9m

225° SW
Period: 12s
17 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.1m 11s
⚡ 255 kJ
At night Epic

1.8m - 2.1m

227° SW
Period: 12s
4 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.3m 8s
⚡ 229 kJ
Tides: 00:20 (0.38m) 06:30 (0.95m) 13:23 (0.18m) 19:22 (0.81m)
Morning Epic

2.1m - 2.1m

229° SW
Period: 10s
3 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.9m 12s
⚡ 217 kJ
Midday Good

2.1m - 2.1m

229° SW
Period: 9s
16 km/h
Secondary Swell: 1.2m 14s
⚡ 175 kJ
Afternoon Good

2.1m - 2.1m

229° SW
Period: 10s
18 km/h
Secondary Swell: 1.2m 12s
⚡ 217 kJ
At night Epic

2.0m - 2.1m

227° SW
Period: 11s
5 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 3s
⚡ 238 kJ
Tides: 01:07 (0.33m) 07:15 (0.97m) 13:46 (0.19m) 20:00 (0.96m)
Morning Epic

1.8m - 1.8m

221° SW
Period: 10s
4 km/h
⚡ 159 kJ
Midday Good

1.7m - 1.7m

221° SW
Period: 10s
13 km/h
⚡ 142 kJ
Afternoon Fair

1.7m - 1.7m

221° SW
Period: 10s
16 km/h
⚡ 142 kJ
At night Epic

1.8m - 1.9m

222° SW
Period: 10s
4 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.1m 6s
⚡ 159 kJ
Tides: 01:57 (0.33m) 07:54 (1.02m) 14:12 (0.22m) 20:30 (1.10m)
Morning Good

1.5m - 1.5m

217° SW
Period: 9s
6 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.1m 13s
⚡ 89 kJ
Midday Fair

1.5m - 1.5m

216° SW
Period: 9s
13 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.1m 16s
⚡ 89 kJ
Afternoon Poor

1.5m - 1.5m

217° SW
Period: 9s
17 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.1m 9s
⚡ 89 kJ
At night Good

1.5m - 1.6m

218° SW
Period: 9s
5 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.1m 11s
⚡ 89 kJ
Morning Good

1.5m - 1.6m

208° SSW
Period: 6s
4 km/h
Secondary Swell: 1.0m 10s
⚡ 40 kJ
Midday Fair

1.6m - 1.6m

207° SSW
Period: 6s
13 km/h
Secondary Swell: 1.0m 11s
⚡ 45 kJ
Afternoon Fair

1.7m - 1.7m

208° SSW
Period: 6s
15 km/h
Secondary Swell: 1.0m 11s
⚡ 51 kJ
At night Good

1.5m - 1.6m

207° SSW
Period: 8s
6 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.9m 9s
⚡ 71 kJ
Morning Epic

1.5m - 1.5m

208° SSW
Period: 7s
4 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.6m 12s
⚡ 54 kJ
Midday Fair

1.4m - 1.4m

208° SSW
Period: 7s
13 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.6m 12s
⚡ 47 kJ
Afternoon Fair

1.4m - 1.4m

208° SSW
Period: 7s
14 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 14s
⚡ 47 kJ
At night Epic

1.5m - 1.6m

206° SSW
Period: 7s
5 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.8m 13s
⚡ 54 kJ
Morning Good

1.4m - 1.4m

208° SSW
Period: 7s
6 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.7m 14s
⚡ 47 kJ
Midday Fair

1.4m - 1.4m

207° SSW
Period: 7s
14 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.8m 14s
⚡ 47 kJ
Afternoon Fair

1.4m - 1.4m

207° SSW
Period: 7s
16 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.9m 13s
⚡ 47 kJ
At night Good

1.4m - 1.4m

207° SSW
Period: 8s
5 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.7m 14s
⚡ 62 kJ
Morning Poor

0.0m - 0.0m

Period: 0s
6 km/h
Midday Flat

0.0m - 0.0m

Period: 0s
16 km/h
Afternoon Flat

0.0m - 0.0m

Period: 0s
16 km/h
At night Poor

0.0m - 0.0m

Period: 0s
4 km/h
Morning
Midday
Afternoon
At night Poor

0.0m - 0.0m

Period: 0s
3 km/h

Hourly Forecast

Open-Meteo Copernicus
Showing 6 of 240 hours
Hour Waves Period Swell Dir. Wind Secondary Swell Tertiary Swell Current UV Vis. Tide Rating
Mon 19 Oct 02:00 1.5m 12s 1.0m / 10s SW 1 km/h 0.9m / 12s SW - - 0.0 10+ km 0.85m
8
Mon 19 Oct 03:00 1.5m 12s 1.0m / 10s SW 0 km/h 0.8m / 14s SW - - 0.0 10+ km 0.93m
8
Mon 19 Oct 04:00 1.5m 12s 1.1m / 10s SW 0 km/h 0.8m / 12s SW - - 0.0 10+ km 0.97m
8
Mon 19 Oct 05:00 1.5m 12s 1.2m / 11s SW 4 km/h 0.8m / 9s SSW - - 0.0 10+ km 0.95m
8
Mon 19 Oct 06:00 1.5m 12s 1.3m / 12s SW 3 km/h 0.8m / 6s SSW - 0.06 m/s 0.0 10+ km 0.88m
8
Mon 19 Oct 07:00 1.5m 12s 1.3m / 12s SW 2 km/h 0.8m / 6s SSW - - 0.0 10+ km 0.78m
8

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Surf information for Arica (El Gringo)

Arica (El Gringo) is a Expert level surf spot located in Arica y Parinacota, Chile. The bottom surface is roca. The best season to surf is Summer (December to March).

Today's conditions at Arica (El Gringo)

Right now, Arica (El Gringo) has waves of about 1.5m with a swell period of 10 seconds and W (0 km/h) wind. These conditions are updated every 3 hours with the latest forecast.

At Arica (El Gringo) you can practice surf and bodyboard.

Water temperature and wetsuit

The water at Arica (El Gringo) is around 22 °C, so a 2/2 mm spring suit is recommended.

Frequently asked questions about surfing at Arica (El Gringo)

Is the wave at Arica (El Gringo) a left or a right?
The wave at Arica (El Gringo) breaks mainly to the left.
What level do you need to surf at Arica (El Gringo)?
Arica (El Gringo) is a spot recommended for expert surfers.
What is the best season to surf at Arica (El Gringo)?
The best season to surf at Arica (El Gringo) is Summer (December to March).
Where is Arica (El Gringo) located?
Arica (El Gringo) is located in Arica y Parinacota, Peru.
What is the water temperature at Arica (El Gringo)?
The water is around 22 °C, so a 2/2 mm spring suit is recommended.

Sports, services & how to get there

Sports

surf bodyboard

Condition Scoring

Rating Algorithm 1-10

Each forecast hour receives a score from 1 to 10, calculated by adding points for different factors:

Wave Height (0-4 pts)

< 0.5m = 0 pts | 0.5-1.0m = 1 pt | 1.0-1.5m = 2 pts | 1.5-2.5m = 3 pts | > 2.5m = 4 pts

Dominant Period (-1 to 3 pts)

Uses the dominant/peak period (wave_period). < 8s = -1 pt (wind swell, messy) | 8-10s = 0 pts | 10-12s = 1 pt | 12-16s = 2 pts | > 16s = 3 pts

Wind (-2 to +2 pts)

Glassy (< 5 km/h): +2. Light wind (5-10 km/h): +1. Moderate wind (10-20 km/h): offshore +1, onshore -1. Strong wind (> 20 km/h): onshore -2, offshore -1. Wind data covers the full 15-day forecast window.

Secondary Swell (-1 to +1 pt)

If a secondary swell with height ≥ 0.3m and long period (≥ 10s) exists, +1 point is added. If the period is short (< 10s) and direction differs > 45° from the primary swell, -1 point penalty for crossed seas. If directions are similar (≤ 45°), no penalty is applied.

Rating by score:

Flat (1) Poor (2-3) Fair (4-5) Good (6-7) Epic (8-10)
View full methodology
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