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Spots / La Libertad

Huanchaco

La Libertad, Trujillo - Huanchaco · Beginner Good
1.6m
6/10
11s 6 km/h
Today's Forecast
Huanchaco - surf spot in La Libertad
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About Huanchaco

Huanchaco, next to the city of Trujillo (La Libertad), is a historic fishing village and World Surfing Reserve. Its wave is a long, irregular left that runs from the point into the bay over a sand bottom, with gentle sections that make it ideal for beginners and for longboarding. It is the birthplace of the caballito de totora, the reed craft that local fishermen have ridden across these waves for centuries and that many consider the oldest surfboard in the world. It works almost all year, with more consistency thanks to south swells, and usually offers small to medium waves that are easy to read. The water is cold, so a wetsuit is recommended most of the year. Around town there are surf schools, board rentals and a strong seafaring and culinary tradition, which makes it a great place to learn in a setting full of culture.

Characteristics

Level
Gentle waves, ideal for learning. Low risk.
· 📅 Year round ·
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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-8.0774°, -79.1203° La Libertad
Maps Waze

Huanchaco — La Libertad

Current Conditions

Updated 19/10/2026 03:03

Good
6/10

Waves

1.6m

11.8s period

Primary Swell

1.4m

10.9s SW

Wind

6 km/h

Gusts 14 km/h ESE

Secondary Swell

0.6m

5.8s S

Temp.

24.5°C

🩳 Boardshorts

UV

0.0

Low

Visibility

10+ km

Good

Sun & Moon

☀️
↑ 05:52
↓ 18:10
🌙
↑ 12:56
↓ 00:58
🌗 First Quarter

Neap tides

Tide

Falling

Low Tide 06:30 - 0.82m

Best Time to Surf Today

06:00 - 09:00

🌊 1.5m 💨 3 km/h
Epic 7.7/10 avg.

Today's Tides

Low Tide

06:30

0.82m

High Tide

10:00

0.87m

Low Tide

16:15

0.66m

High Tide

23:50

1.14m

Weekly Summary

Today

1.5m-1.6m

11s

SW SW SSW
10 km/h
🌗

Tomorrow

1.6m-1.7m

10s

SW SW SW
13 km/h
🌗

Wed

1.7m-1.9m

12s

SSW SSW SSW
15 km/h
🌖

Thu

2.0m-2.1m

11s

SSW SSW SSW
16 km/h
🌖

Fri

1.9m-2.1m

11s

SSW SSW SSW
17 km/h
🌖

Sat

1.7m-1.9m

9s

SSW SSW SSW
16 km/h
🌖

Sun

1.5m-1.8m

7s

S S S
10 km/h
🌕

Mon

1.4m-1.5m

7s

S S S
12 km/h
🌕

Tue

1.4m-1.4m

7s

S S S
15 km/h
🌕

Wed

1.4m-1.4m

7s

S
16 km/h
🌔

Thu

0.0m-0.0m

14 km/h
🌔

Day Block Forecast

Tides: 06:30 (0.82m) 10:00 (0.87m) 16:15 (0.66m) 23:50 (1.14m)
Morning Epic

1.5m - 1.6m

213° SSW
Period: 11s
7 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.8m 7s
⚡ 134 kJ
Midday Good

1.5m - 1.5m

215° SW
Period: 11s
14 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.7m 6s
⚡ 134 kJ
Afternoon Epic

1.5m - 1.5m

215° SW
Period: 11s
11 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.9m 8s
⚡ 134 kJ
At night Good

1.6m - 1.6m

216° SW
Period: 11s
9 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.6m 6s
⚡ 152 kJ
Tides: 07:30 (0.74m) 12:00 (0.89m) 17:45 (0.64m)
Morning Epic

1.6m - 1.6m

215° SW
Period: 10s
12 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.9m 15s
⚡ 126 kJ
Midday Good

1.6m - 1.6m

212° SSW
Period: 10s
18 km/h
Secondary Swell: 1.0m 14s
⚡ 126 kJ
Afternoon Good

1.7m - 1.7m

211° SSW
Period: 10s
14 km/h
Secondary Swell: 1.1m 13s
⚡ 142 kJ
At night Epic

1.6m - 1.7m

216° SW
Period: 10s
13 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.9m 15s
⚡ 126 kJ
Tides: 00:42 (1.18m) 07:30 (0.63m) 13:00 (0.97m) 18:47 (0.60m)
Morning Good

1.7m - 1.7m

210° SSW
Period: 13s
13 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.9m 8s
⚡ 240 kJ
Midday Good

1.7m - 1.7m

209° SSW
Period: 12s
17 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.7m 7s
⚡ 204 kJ
Afternoon Good

1.8m - 1.8m

209° SSW
Period: 12s
17 km/h
Secondary Swell: 1.0m 8s
⚡ 229 kJ
At night Good

1.8m - 1.9m

209° SSW
Period: 12s
14 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.9m 8s
⚡ 229 kJ
Tides: 01:17 (1.26m) 08:00 (0.53m) 13:50 (1.06m) 19:30 (0.54m)
Morning Fair

2.0m - 2.1m

207° SSW
Period: 12s
15 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.7m 4s
⚡ 283 kJ
Midday Fair

2.1m - 2.1m

207° SSW
Period: 11s
17 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.6m 4s
⚡ 262 kJ
Afternoon Fair

2.1m - 2.1m

206° SSW
Period: 11s
17 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 4s
⚡ 262 kJ
At night Good

2.0m - 2.1m

208° SSW
Period: 11s
15 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.8m 8s
⚡ 238 kJ
Tides: 01:50 (1.30m) 08:14 (0.44m) 14:24 (1.22m) 20:08 (0.57m)
Morning Fair

2.0m - 2.1m

206° SSW
Period: 11s
18 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.9m 5s
⚡ 238 kJ
Midday Fair

2.0m - 2.0m

206° SSW
Period: 11s
19 km/h
Secondary Swell: 1.0m 6s
⚡ 238 kJ
Afternoon Fair

2.0m - 2.0m

205° SSW
Period: 11s
18 km/h
Secondary Swell: 1.0m 6s
⚡ 238 kJ
At night Fair

2.0m - 2.1m

204° SSW
Period: 10s
16 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.8m 5s
⚡ 196 kJ
Tides: 02:20 (1.43m) 08:45 (0.42m) 15:00 (1.38m) 20:58 (0.55m)
Morning Fair

1.9m - 1.9m

204° SSW
Period: 10s
17 km/h
Secondary Swell: 1.1m 5s
⚡ 177 kJ
Midday Fair

1.8m - 1.9m

203° SSW
Period: 10s
19 km/h
Secondary Swell: 1.1m 6s
⚡ 159 kJ
Afternoon Fair

1.8m - 1.9m

203° SSW
Period: 8s
17 km/h
Secondary Swell: 1.1m 9s
⚡ 102 kJ
At night Fair

1.8m - 1.9m

204° SSW
Period: 8s
15 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.8m 7s
⚡ 102 kJ
Tides: 02:53 (1.43m) 09:14 (0.30m) 15:35 (1.43m) 21:35 (0.46m)
Morning Fair

1.7m - 1.7m

189° S
Period: 6s
11 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.7m 11s
⚡ 51 kJ
Midday Fair

1.6m - 1.7m

189° S
Period: 6s
13 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.6m 12s
⚡ 45 kJ
Afternoon Fair

1.6m - 1.6m

189° S
Period: 7s
10 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.3m 17s
⚡ 62 kJ
At night Good

1.6m - 1.8m

192° SSW
Period: 7s
9 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.6m 14s
⚡ 62 kJ
Morning Fair

1.5m - 1.5m

190° S
Period: 7s
11 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 16s
⚡ 54 kJ
Midday Poor

1.4m - 1.5m

190° S
Period: 7s
17 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 16s
⚡ 47 kJ
Afternoon Poor

1.4m - 1.4m

190° S
Period: 7s
15 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 14s
⚡ 47 kJ
At night Fair

1.5m - 1.5m

191° S
Period: 7s
10 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 14s
⚡ 54 kJ
Morning Fair

1.4m - 1.4m

189° S
Period: 7s
16 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.7m 14s
⚡ 47 kJ
Midday Fair

1.4m - 1.4m

188° S
Period: 7s
17 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.8m 14s
⚡ 47 kJ
Afternoon Fair

1.4m - 1.4m

188° S
Period: 7s
16 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.8m 14s
⚡ 47 kJ
At night Fair

1.4m - 1.4m

189° S
Period: 7s
14 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.7m 14s
⚡ 47 kJ
Morning Flat

0.0m - 0.0m

Period: 0s
14 km/h
Midday Flat

0.0m - 0.0m

Period: 0s
19 km/h
Afternoon Flat

0.0m - 0.0m

Period: 0s
18 km/h
At night Fair

1.4m - 1.4m

191° S
Period: 7s
16 km/h
⚡ 47 kJ
Morning
Midday
Afternoon
At night Flat

0.0m - 0.0m

Period: 0s
14 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 04:00 1.6m 12s 1.4m / 11s SW 7 km/h 0.7m / 5s S - - 0.0 10+ km 0.85m
6
Mon 19 Oct 05:00 1.6m 12s 1.4m / 11s SW 6 km/h 0.6m / 6s S - - 0.0 10+ km 0.83m
6
Mon 19 Oct 06:00 1.6m 12s 1.4m / 11s SSW 4 km/h 1.5m / 11s SSW - 0.09 m/s 0.0 10+ km 0.82m
8
Mon 19 Oct 07:00 1.5m 12s 1.4m / 11s SSW 2 km/h 0.5m / 7s S - - 0.6 10+ km 0.82m
7
Mon 19 Oct 08:00 1.5m 12s 1.4m / 11s SW 4 km/h 0.5m / 6s S - - 2.4 10+ km 0.83m
8
Mon 19 Oct 09:00 1.5m 12s 1.4m / 11s SW 9 km/h 1.4m / 11s SSW - - 4.7 10+ km 0.86m
8

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Photos of Huanchaco

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Surf information for Huanchaco

Huanchaco is a Beginner level surf spot located in Trujillo, La Libertad, Perú. The bottom surface is arena. The best season to surf is Year round.

Today's conditions at Huanchaco

Right now, Huanchaco has waves of about 1.6m with a swell period of 11 seconds and ESE (6 km/h) wind. These conditions are updated every 3 hours with the latest forecast.

At Huanchaco you can practice surf, bodyboard, longboard, stand up paddle and sea kayak. The area offers parking, showers, restrooms, board rentals, surf lessons, restaurants, nearby lodging and lifeguards. You can get there by car, public transport or walking.

Water temperature and wetsuit

The water at Huanchaco is around 25 °C, so boardshorts or a rash guard is recommended.

Frequently asked questions about surfing at Huanchaco

Is the wave at Huanchaco a left or a right?
The wave at Huanchaco breaks mainly to the left.
What level do you need to surf at Huanchaco?
Huanchaco is a spot recommended for beginner surfers.
What is the best season to surf at Huanchaco?
The best season to surf at Huanchaco is Year round.
Where is Huanchaco located?
Huanchaco is located in Huanchaco, Trujillo, La Libertad, Peru.
How do you get to Huanchaco?
You can reach Huanchaco by car, public transport or walking.
What is the water temperature at Huanchaco?
The water is around 25 °C, so boardshorts or a rash guard is recommended.

Sports, services & how to get there

Sports

surf bodyboard longboard stand_up_paddle kayak

Services

estacionamiento duchas banos alquiler_tablas clases_surf restaurantes hospedaje salvavidas

Access

auto transporte_publico caminata

Other surf spots in La Libertad

Cherrepe 1.2m Pacasmayo 1.3m Puemape 1.5m Chicama 1.4m El Brujo 1.6m Puerto Morin 1.5m
Surf Spots in La Libertad

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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