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Spots / Arequipa

Mollendo

Arequipa, Islay - Mollendo · Beginner Fair
1.4m
5/10
11s 7 km/h
Today's Forecast
Mollendo - surf spot in Arequipa
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About Mollendo

Mollendo is the main beach town of the Arequipa region and a classic summer destination in southern Peru. Its waves break over a sand bottom and tend to be gentle, which makes it a good place for beginners when the sea is small, and a fun option for intermediates when a bit more size comes in. The best season runs from April to September, with south swells. Beyond surfing, Mollendo has a strong beach-town identity, with a lively promenade, its historic Forga castle, wide beaches and good tourist infrastructure of lodging and restaurants. In summer it fills with Arequipa families coming down to the coast to escape the cold of the highlands. It is an ideal spot for those who want to combine relaxed surfing with a traditional beach-resort atmosphere, in an area of the country with far less surfer pressure than the beaches of Lima or the north.

Characteristics

Level
Gentle waves, ideal for learning. Low risk.
· 📅 April - September ·
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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-17.0363°, -72.0103° Arequipa
Maps Waze

Mollendo — Arequipa

Current Conditions

Updated 16/09/2026 06:00

Fair
5/10

Waves

1.4m

11.4s period

Primary Swell

1.1m

11.3s SW

Wind

7 km/h

Gusts 18 km/h SSE

Secondary Swell

0.8m

6.2s SSW

Temp.

19.2°C

🦺 Shorty 2mm

UV

4.3

Moderate

Visibility

10+ km

Good

Sun & Moon

☀️
↑ 05:42
↓ 17:43
🌙
↑ 09:15
↓ 22:49
🌘 Waxing Crescent

Tide

Rising

High Tide 10:42 - 0.64m

Best Time to Surf Today

08:00 - 11:00

🌊 1.4m 💨 8 km/h
Fair 5/10 avg.

Today's Tides

Low Tide

05:13

0.26m

High Tide

10:42

0.64m

Low Tide

16:30

0.24m

High Tide

23:30

0.89m

Weekly Summary

Today

1.2m-1.4m

11s

SW SW SW
9 km/h
🌘

Tomorrow

1.0m-1.2m

11s

SW SW SW
7 km/h
🌗

Fri

1.1m-1.2m

11s

SW SW SW
7 km/h
🌗

Sat

1.1m-1.1m

10s

SW SW SW
6 km/h
🌗

Sun

1.0m-1.1m

8s

SW SW SW
9 km/h
🌗

Mon

1.0m-1.1m

9s

SW SW SW
12 km/h
🌖

Tue

1.1m-1.2m

8s

SW SW SW
10 km/h
🌖

Wed

1.2m-1.3m

8s

SW SW SW
6 km/h
🌖

Thu

1.2m-1.3m

7s

SSW SSW SSW
6 km/h
🌖

Fri

0.0m-0.0m

8 km/h
🌕

Sat

0.0m-0.0m

8 km/h
🌕

Day Block Forecast

Tides: 05:13 (0.26m) 10:42 (0.64m) 16:30 (0.24m) 23:30 (0.89m)
Morning Fair

1.4m - 1.4m

224° SW
Period: 11s
9 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.8m 6s
⚡ 116 kJ
Midday Fair

1.3m - 1.3m

223° SW
Period: 11s
11 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.8m 6s
⚡ 100 kJ
Afternoon Fair

1.3m - 1.3m

224° SW
Period: 11s
9 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.7m 6s
⚡ 100 kJ
At night Fair

1.3m - 1.3m

224° SW
Period: 11s
7 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.7m 6s
⚡ 100 kJ
Tides: 06:10 (0.36m) 11:45 (0.61m) 17:15 (0.34m)
Morning Good

1.1m - 1.2m

235° SW
Period: 11s
9 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 9s
⚡ 72 kJ
Midday Poor

1.1m - 1.1m

231° SW
Period: 11s
13 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.7m 7s
⚡ 72 kJ
Afternoon Good

1.1m - 1.1m

231° SW
Period: 11s
9 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.6m 8s
⚡ 72 kJ
At night Good

1.1m - 1.2m

225° SW
Period: 11s
5 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 10s
⚡ 72 kJ
Tides: 00:39 (0.90m) 07:30 (0.43m) 12:30 (0.59m) 18:00 (0.40m)
Morning Fair

1.1m - 1.1m

235° SW
Period: 11s
9 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 7s
⚡ 72 kJ
Midday Good

1.2m - 1.2m

236° SW
Period: 11s
8 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.3m 11s
⚡ 86 kJ
Afternoon Good

1.2m - 1.2m

235° SW
Period: 11s
6 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.2m 11s
⚡ 86 kJ
At night Good

1.1m - 1.2m

229° SW
Period: 10s
6 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 11s
⚡ 59 kJ
Tides: 01:30 (0.91m) 09:45 (0.42m) 14:00 (0.54m) 19:30 (0.40m)
Morning Good

1.1m - 1.1m

229° SW
Period: 10s
6 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.3m 15s
⚡ 59 kJ
Midday Good

1.1m - 1.1m

230° SW
Period: 10s
8 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 15s
⚡ 59 kJ
Afternoon Good

1.1m - 1.1m

226° SW
Period: 9s
7 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 16s
⚡ 48 kJ
At night Good

1.1m - 1.1m

231° SW
Period: 10s
4 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.3m 15s
⚡ 59 kJ
Tides: 02:54 (0.88m) 10:30 (0.37m) 15:30 (0.53m) 20:45 (0.37m)
Morning Good

1.1m - 1.1m

226° SW
Period: 9s
11 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 15s
⚡ 48 kJ
Midday Fair

1.0m - 1.0m

225° SW
Period: 9s
13 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 15s
⚡ 40 kJ
Afternoon Good

1.0m - 1.0m

226° SW
Period: 8s
9 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 14s
⚡ 31 kJ
At night Good

1.1m - 1.1m

226° SW
Period: 8s
8 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 15s
⚡ 38 kJ
Tides: 04:00 (0.91m) 11:18 (0.33m) 16:30 (0.56m) 21:45 (0.35m)
Morning Good

1.0m - 1.0m

216° SW
Period: 9s
11 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 14s
⚡ 40 kJ
Midday Poor

1.1m - 1.1m

222° SW
Period: 9s
14 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 14s
⚡ 48 kJ
Afternoon Fair

1.1m - 1.1m

221° SW
Period: 9s
11 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 14s
⚡ 48 kJ
At night Good

1.0m - 1.1m

221° SW
Period: 8s
11 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 13s
⚡ 31 kJ
Tides: 04:40 (0.95m) 11:45 (0.27m) 17:18 (0.60m)
Morning Fair

1.1m - 1.1m

220° SW
Period: 8s
11 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 13s
⚡ 38 kJ
Midday Poor

1.2m - 1.2m

220° SW
Period: 9s
11 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 14s
⚡ 57 kJ
Afternoon Fair

1.2m - 1.2m

219° SW
Period: 8s
8 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 11s
⚡ 45 kJ
At night Fair

1.1m - 1.2m

220° SW
Period: 8s
10 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 12s
⚡ 38 kJ
Morning Good

1.2m - 1.2m

225° SW
Period: 8s
5 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 12s
⚡ 45 kJ
Midday Fair

1.2m - 1.2m

224° SW
Period: 7s
9 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 10s
⚡ 35 kJ
Afternoon Fair

1.2m - 1.3m

225° SW
Period: 8s
7 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 10s
⚡ 45 kJ
At night Good

1.2m - 1.3m

221° SW
Period: 8s
6 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 11s
⚡ 45 kJ
Morning Fair

1.3m - 1.3m

193° SSW
Period: 7s
6 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 10s
⚡ 41 kJ
Midday Fair

1.2m - 1.2m

193° SSW
Period: 7s
9 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 12s
⚡ 35 kJ
Afternoon Fair

1.2m - 1.2m

193° SSW
Period: 7s
7 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 12s
⚡ 35 kJ
At night Fair

1.3m - 1.3m

193° SSW
Period: 7s
5 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.6m 8s
⚡ 41 kJ
Morning Poor

0.0m - 0.0m

Period: 0s
7 km/h
Midday Flat

0.0m - 0.0m

Period: 0s
11 km/h
Afternoon Poor

0.0m - 0.0m

Period: 0s
8 km/h
At night Poor

0.0m - 0.0m

Period: 0s
7 km/h
Morning Poor

0.0m - 0.0m

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

0.0m - 0.0m

Period: 0s
9 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
Wed 16 Sep 08:00 1.4m 11s 1.1m / 11s SW 7 km/h 0.8m / 6s SSW - - 2.4 10+ km 0.46m
5
Wed 16 Sep 09:00 1.4m 11s 1.1m / 11s SW 7 km/h 0.8m / 6s SSW - - 4.3 10+ km 0.56m
5
Wed 16 Sep 10:00 1.4m 11s 1.1m / 11s SW 9 km/h 0.8m / 6s SSW - - 6.3 10+ km 0.63m
5
Wed 16 Sep 11:00 1.4m 11s 1.1m / 11s SW 13 km/h 0.8m / 6s SSW - - 8.1 10+ km 0.64m
3
Wed 16 Sep 12:00 1.3m 11s 1.1m / 11s SW 14 km/h 0.8m / 6s SSW - 0.16 m/s 8.8 10+ km 0.60m
3
Wed 16 Sep 13:00 1.3m 11s 1.1m / 11s SW 10 km/h 0.8m / 6s SSW - - 8.6 10+ km 0.51m
5

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Surf information for Mollendo

Mollendo is a Beginner level surf spot located in Islay, Arequipa, Perú. The bottom surface is arena. The waves break both left and right. The best season to surf is April - September.

Today's conditions at Mollendo

Right now, Mollendo has waves of about 1.4m with a swell period of 11 seconds and SSE (7 km/h) wind. These conditions are updated every 3 hours with the latest forecast.

At Mollendo you can practice surf, bodyboard and ocean swimming. The area offers parking, showers, restrooms, restaurants, nearby lodging and lifeguards. You can get there by car or public transport.

Water temperature and wetsuit

The water at Mollendo is around 20 °C, so a 2/2 mm spring suit is recommended.

Frequently asked questions about surfing at Mollendo

Is the wave at Mollendo a left or a right?
Mollendo offers both left and right waves.
What level do you need to surf at Mollendo?
Mollendo is a spot recommended for beginner surfers.
What is the best season to surf at Mollendo?
The best season to surf at Mollendo is April - September.
Where is Mollendo located?
Mollendo is located in Mollendo, Islay, Arequipa, Peru.
How do you get to Mollendo?
You can reach Mollendo by car or public transport.
What is the water temperature at Mollendo?
The water is around 20 °C, so a 2/2 mm spring suit is recommended.

Sports, services & how to get there

Sports

surf bodyboard natacion

Services

estacionamiento duchas banos restaurantes hospedaje salvavidas

Access

auto transporte_publico

Other surf spots in Arequipa

Mejía 1.4m Punta Bombón 1.4m
Surf Spots in Arequipa

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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