CULTURE

Surfing in Chile, Part 3: Chile’s “Top 10” Surf Spots

If we don’t know a subject, a Top 10 list can be a useful cheat sheet. On the other hand, if we do know it (or think we know it), the list can be a chest-beating affirmation or something to rip apart and condemn. It’s therefore with some trepidation that Chile Today paddles out into … Chile’s “Top 10” Surf Spots, for part three of its three-part series.

#1 Punta de Lobos (O’Higgins)

Punta de Lobos, in the O’Higgins region, has been proclaimed the “best left pointbreak in Chile by local big-wave maestro Ramón Navarro and few could argue when witnessing a monster SW swell detonating way outside the iconic rocks that guard the entrance,” notes Magicseaweed.com.

Indeed, just about any of the many videos available online will take your breath away. Documental La Ola del Año 2015 (Documentary of the Wave of the Year 2015) is but one example.

What is also special about this spot is that it includes a “ripable, sand-bottomed section known as Diamante on the inside for the groms and the pilots.”

In addition, just up the road in and near Pichilemu are tamer spots.

As for Ramón Navarro, you might remember him from part two of our series. As Greg Thomas reported in Surfer, Navarro is the one who put Punta de Lobos on the map, and now Navarro is determined to protect it and the rest of the coast as a Save the Waves Ambassador.

Navarro’s list of accomplishments are legion, and he continues to add to them. Just last year he caught the biggest wave of his life at Cloudbreak in Fiji. It was also one of the biggest waves ever surfed there, according to Ashtyn Douglas of Surfer.

It is therefore no surprise that Navarro pioneered the next spot on our list.

Read Part II of our series:

Surfing in Chile, Part 2: Why Chile is a Powerhouse

#2 Santa Marta (Coquimbo)

This next one is reportedly “the biggest wave in Chile,” located somewhere between Tongoy and Los Vilos in the Coquimbo region.

It was here that Navarro and friends discovered Chile’s new “biggest wave” in 2017, Santa Marta, named after his grandmother who passed away the day they found the wave.

As Jake Howard reported for Surfline’s Swell Stories, this was no accident. Navarro and friend Kohl Christensen had been scouring Chile for waves for 10 years, and Navarro had “kept a watchful eye on this remote patch of Chilean reef … just waiting for the day when the elements would align and opportunity arise.

How good is it? “Ramon and Kohl both reckon they’ve uncovered what has the potential to be the best big-wave spot in South America. That’s not a statement that’s made lightly. They surfed Santa Marta at 20-foot Hawaiian. Kohl reckons it could hold 50 percent bigger—and still be able to be paddled into,” reported Howard.

#3 Isla de Pascua/Rapa Nui

In many ways, the Chilean territory Isla de Pascua (Easter Island), or Rapa Nui as it’s known by its inhabitants, stands apart.

It “is the most remote, inhabited place on earth. The nearest large land-masses are Chile 3,850km (2406mi) away and Tahiti 3,610km (2256mi) although Gambier and Pitcairn, about 1500km (938mi) away are actually the closest inhabited islands. …. Most spots are along the west and south coasts, plus two average quality beach breaks with remarkable scenery on the north coast,” explains Stormrider Surf.

It makes the list at #3 because of its epic potential, as demonstrated by Navarro in a video from 2014.

#4 El Gringo (Arica & Parinacota)

The city of Arica, in the Arica y Parinacota region, is home to a number of surf spots. The first of the two that makes CT’s list is El Gringo, also known as the Chilean Pipeline, because of its resemblance to Oahu’s famous break. Like Punta de Lobos, it is for accomplished surfers only.

Video of a big swell during a 2015 Maui & Sons event reveals El Gringo’s possibilities.

#5 El Buey (Arica & Parinacota)

The second of the two Arica spots that makes the list is El Buey. It breaks left and right. Philip Muller, writing for Surfline, summarizes it best: “El Buey is a huge oceanic wave that breaks in the deep waters in the middle of the bay in front of [El] Gringo, about half a mile from the coast, and can deliver rides of more than 600 feet.”

It can “deliver huge, steep drops and, if you’re lucky, barreling tubes on a wave that is described as a cross between huge Sunset and Waimea. You won’t need a helmet here, but you will need a lot of breath to survive the long, deep hold-down and the cojones to throw yourself over the ledge.”

The video above of El Gringo also captures El Buey. For more recent uploads of El Buey, check out Surfing Arica’s upload for May 18, 2017 and others.

#5 El Colegio/Las Urracas (Tarapacá)

The city of Iquique in the Tarapacá region is another place that has many surf spots, and, here again, two make our list, but we’re cheating and collapsing them into one for the sake of this list because they’re right next to each other.

First up is El Colegio, a right-hand break that makes the list for its smooth beauty. Videos capture it better than words.

Next up is Las Urracas, El Colegio’s equally stunning, but mellower neighbor, a left. But don’t be fooled: it’s still shreddable.

#6 Playa Villa Alegre (Atacama)

Playa Villa Alegre, in the Atacama region, is about 25km south of Chañaral. Writing for Outdoors, Andy Díaz noted that Villa Alegre was a “special wave,” an “exciting perfect wall,” and that if you spent a week there it would be like spending a month at a typical break, because you would increase your skill level significantly.

A lyrical POV video might be all you need to convince yourself to go there (warning: wagging dog not included; bring your own).

#7 Grandes Ligas (Atacama)

This next one, Grandes Ligas, also in the Atacama region, is usually a treasure hunt for most, so we won’t say too much, except that it’s reportedly in the middle of nowhere, shortly before Caldera, and worth the search.

#8 La Vedette (Atacama)

Coming in at #8 is La Vedette, a classic—some say “mythical”—left near Huasco, in the Atacama region.

#9 La Cúpula (Antofagasta)

La Cúpula just outside the city of Antofagasta, in Antofagasta region, is another enjoyable left. It makes the list for its consistency, approachability, and surroundings. It has also hosted bodyboard competitions over the years.

SurferToday’s upload from the 2018 Antofagasta Bodyboard Festival shows what it’s like on a day with three-to-four foot waves.

#10 ______________?

If one of the best surfers in the world, Ramón Navarro, only recently just discovered what he thinks is the best big-wave spot in South America, it would be unfair to do anything else but put “Top 10” in quotes and leave the #10 spot open for all the spots we missed.

Do you have a favorite surf spot? Let us know. Even better: include photos and video.

Read back Part I here:

Surfing in Chile: Origins

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