WaveSearch

Mollendo

Arequipa, Islay - Mollendo · Beginner Good
1.2m
6/10
7s 10 km/h
Mollendo - surf spot in Arequipa

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

O
Missing info? Log in to help
-17.0363°, -72.0103° Arequipa

Mollendo — Arequipa

Current Conditions

Updated 23/08/2026 18:00

Good
6/10

Waves

1.2m

10.5s period

Primary Swell

1.0m

7.3s SSW

Wind

10 km/h

Gusts 23 km/h SE

Secondary Swell

0.3m

10.7s SW

Temp.

19.6°C

🦺 Shorty 2mm

UV

0.0

Low

Visibility

10+ km

Good

Sun & Moon

☀️
06:00
17:39
🌙
13:53
02:42
🌖 Waxing Gibbous

Tide

Falling

Low Tide 22:15 - 0.31m

Today's Tides

High Tide

04:40

0.93m

Low Tide

11:54

0.34m

High Tide

16:30

0.57m

Low Tide

22:15

0.31m

Weekly Summary

Today

1.2m-1.2m

7s

SSW SSW SSW
7 km/h
🌖

Tomorrow

1.1m-1.1m

8s

SSW SSW SSW
8 km/h
🌖

Tue

1.1m-1.2m

8s

SSW SSW SSW
10 km/h
🌖

Wed

1.1m-1.2m

8s

SSW SSW SSW
8 km/h
🌖

Thu

1.0m-1.2m

11s

SSW SSW SSW
7 km/h
🌕

Fri

1.2m-2.3m

12s

SW SW SW
8 km/h
🌕

Sat

1.9m-2.3m

11s

SW SW SW
10 km/h
🌕

Sun

1.5m-1.9m

10s

SW SW SW
10 km/h
🌕

Mon

1.5m-1.7m

10s

SW SW SW
10 km/h
🌔

Tue

1.5m-1.7m

9s

SW SW SW
8 km/h
🌔

Wed

0.0m-0.0m

9 km/h
🌔

Day Block Forecast

Tides: 04:40 (0.93m) 11:54 (0.34m) 16:30 (0.57m) 22:15 (0.31m)
Morning Already passed
Midday Already passed
Afternoon Fair

1.2m - 1.2m

198° SSW
Period: 7s
12 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.3m 11s
⚡ 35 kJ
At night Good

1.2m - 1.2m

197° SSW
Period: 7s
6 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 10s
⚡ 35 kJ
Tides: 05:21 (1.01m) 12:21 (0.31m) 17:30 (0.60m) 23:04 (0.27m)
Morning Good

1.1m - 1.1m

200° SSW
Period: 7s
9 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.6m 12s
⚡ 29 kJ
Midday Good

1.1m - 1.1m

200° SSW
Period: 8s
8 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.7m 10s
⚡ 38 kJ
Afternoon Fair

1.1m - 1.1m

204° SSW
Period: 11s
10 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.6m 7s
⚡ 72 kJ
At night Good

1.1m - 1.1m

197° SSW
Period: 8s
6 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 12s
⚡ 38 kJ
Tides: 06:00 (1.09m) 13:00 (0.28m) 18:13 (0.66m) 23:48 (0.26m)
Morning Good

1.2m - 1.2m

200° SSW
Period: 8s
11 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 14s
⚡ 45 kJ
Midday Fair

1.2m - 1.2m

199° SSW
Period: 8s
13 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 14s
⚡ 45 kJ
Afternoon Good

1.2m - 1.2m

199° SSW
Period: 8s
12 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 15s
⚡ 45 kJ
At night Good

1.2m - 1.2m

200° SSW
Period: 9s
8 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 15s
⚡ 57 kJ
Tides: 06:42 (1.16m) 13:30 (0.28m) 18:53 (0.73m)
Morning Good

1.2m - 1.2m

200° SSW
Period: 8s
9 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.7m 14s
⚡ 45 kJ
Midday Good

1.2m - 1.2m

198° SSW
Period: 8s
10 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.7m 14s
⚡ 45 kJ
Afternoon Good

1.1m - 1.1m

199° SSW
Period: 7s
7 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.7m 13s
⚡ 29 kJ
At night Good

1.1m - 1.2m

200° SSW
Period: 8s
7 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.7m 14s
⚡ 38 kJ
Tides: 00:23 (0.25m) 07:08 (1.18m) 13:54 (0.23m) 19:30 (0.76m)
Morning Good

1.1m - 1.1m

226° SW
Period: 12s
7 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 13s
⚡ 86 kJ
Midday Good

1.0m - 1.0m

226° SW
Period: 12s
8 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.3m 17s
⚡ 71 kJ
Afternoon Good

1.0m - 1.1m

225° SW
Period: 12s
8 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 16s
⚡ 71 kJ
At night Good

1.1m - 1.2m

197° SSW
Period: 11s
6 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.6m 11s
⚡ 72 kJ
Tides: 01:03 (0.23m) 07:45 (1.16m) 14:19 (0.17m) 20:10 (0.80m)
Morning Good

1.8m - 1.9m

224° SW
Period: 12s
8 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 5s
⚡ 229 kJ
Midday Epic

2.1m - 2.1m

229° SW
Period: 13s
9 km/h
Secondary Swell: 1.1m 10s
⚡ 366 kJ
Afternoon Good

2.2m - 2.3m

225° SW
Period: 12s
7 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.4m 5s
⚡ 342 kJ
At night Good

1.8m - 2.3m

226° SW
Period: 12s
7 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.3m 6s
⚡ 229 kJ
Tides: 01:42 (0.21m) 08:15 (1.14m) 14:48 (0.17m) 20:42 (0.87m)
Morning Good

2.2m - 2.2m

227° SW
Period: 11s
9 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.1m 2s
⚡ 288 kJ
Midday Fair

2.1m - 2.1m

228° SW
Period: 11s
13 km/h
⚡ 262 kJ
Afternoon Fair

2.0m - 2.1m

228° SW
Period: 11s
13 km/h
⚡ 238 kJ
At night Epic

2.1m - 2.3m

228° SW
Period: 11s
7 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.1m 3s
⚡ 262 kJ
Morning Good

1.7m - 1.8m

229° SW
Period: 10s
11 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.1m 2s
⚡ 142 kJ
Midday Fair

1.6m - 1.7m

229° SW
Period: 10s
16 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.1m 2s
⚡ 126 kJ
Afternoon Good

1.6m - 1.6m

229° SW
Period: 10s
12 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.2m 2s
⚡ 126 kJ
At night Epic

1.7m - 1.9m

229° SW
Period: 10s
7 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.1m 2s
⚡ 142 kJ
Morning Good

1.6m - 1.6m

229° SW
Period: 10s
12 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 4s
⚡ 126 kJ
Midday Fair

1.6m - 1.6m

229° SW
Period: 10s
16 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 5s
⚡ 126 kJ
Afternoon Good

1.7m - 1.7m

228° SW
Period: 10s
12 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 6s
⚡ 142 kJ
At night Good

1.6m - 1.7m

230° SW
Period: 10s
7 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 4s
⚡ 126 kJ
Morning Good

1.6m - 1.7m

226° SW
Period: 10s
7 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.8m 7s
⚡ 126 kJ
Midday Fair

1.6m - 1.6m

225° SW
Period: 9s
13 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 14s
⚡ 102 kJ
Afternoon Good

1.5m - 1.6m

225° SW
Period: 9s
11 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.5m 16s
⚡ 89 kJ
At night Good

1.7m - 1.7m

226° SW
Period: 10s
7 km/h
Secondary Swell: 0.9m 5s
⚡ 142 kJ
Morning Poor

0.0m - 0.0m

Period: 0s
8 km/h
Midday Flat

0.0m - 0.0m

Period: 0s
10 km/h
Afternoon Poor

0.0m - 0.0m

Period: 0s
10 km/h
At night Poor

0.0m - 0.0m

Period: 0s
8 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
Sun 23 Aug 18:00 1.2m 10s 1.0m / 7s SSW 12 km/h 0.3m / 11s SW - 0.21 m/s 0.1 10+ km 0.53m
4
Sun 23 Aug 19:00 1.2m 10s 1.0m / 7s SSW 10 km/h 0.3m / 11s SW - - 0.0 10+ km 0.47m
6
Sun 23 Aug 20:00 1.2m 10s 1.0m / 7s SSW 5 km/h 0.4m / 10s SW - - 0.0 10+ km 0.41m
6
Sun 23 Aug 21:00 1.2m 10s 1.0m / 7s SSW 5 km/h 0.4m / 10s SW - - 0.0 7.4 km 0.34m
6
Sun 23 Aug 22:00 1.2m 11s 1.0m / 7s SSW 5 km/h 0.4m / 10s SW - - 0.0 7.7 km 0.31m
6
Sun 23 Aug 23:00 1.2m 11s 0.9m / 7s SSW 4 km/h 0.4m / 11s SW - - 0.0 10+ km 0.32m
7

Get more benefits

Create your free account to set up email alerts when conditions are ideal, save your favorite spots and more.

Email alerts Favorite spots Personalized dashboard
Create free account

100% free — no credit card, no hidden fees.

Photos of Mollendo

No photos of this beach yet.

Log in to upload the first photo.

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 1.2m with a swell period of 7 seconds and SE (10 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 19 °C, so a 3/2 mm wetsuit 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 19 °C, so a 3/2 mm wetsuit is recommended.

Sports, services & how to get there

Sports

surf bodyboard natacion

Services

estacionamiento duchas banos restaurantes hospedaje salvavidas

Access

auto transporte_publico

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
We use essential cookies for site functionality (session, preferences, and security). We do not use tracking or advertising cookies. Learn more