Peru and Ecuador: Good Surf Spots for Beginners in December?

[huacheetah]

Hello everyone,

My husband and I are planning a surf trip for 3 weeks in December...but we still haven't decided where.

We are both beginners. We've each maybe caught a few waves in our lives. I mostly surf the whitewater. We've surfed (or splashed and tumbled around) the most at La Puntilla in Pichilemu, Chile, and in Concón, Chile near the mouth of the Aconcagua River.

I love sandy beach breaks with minimal paddling and maybe 2-4 foot waves that have a slow, but somewhat powerful push. However I am open to a variety of beginner conditions. Also, it would be nice to go to a place where you can rent a board, because I'd rather not travel with our long boards. (We live in the States.)

Can anyone recommend a good beginner spot in Peru or Ecuador in December??

Also, I'm happy to provide info about Pichilemu, Concón, and Iquique - all surf spots I've been to in Chile.

Thanks in advance!!!

[jaffa1949]

Judging by the fact you've been in those areas before and no-one has replied, I suspect you probably know more about those areas than we do! Certainly more than I do from Australia.
Welcome and good luck

[huacheetah]

Sounds like it I guess I'll try finding a surf forum in Spanish and see what they have to say.

Cheers!

[Aqualife]

Hi,
You want to go to MANCORA in Northern Peru. It's picture perfect pretty with white sandy beaches, palm trees, hammocks, sandbottom, easy clean waves and plenty of surf schools around. You can get there by overnight bus from Lima. I would not recommend Southern Peru or even Lima, as the waves are massive, break on reefs and it is supercrowded and not particularly friendly nor safe.
Ecuador has beginner spots around Manta and Montanita but the infrastructure isn't as good and you need to travel a bit to spots, whereas in Mancora, it's a beach town with plenty of bars, music and people come there to surf and laze on the beach. Board rental on every corner and a fun place to be. Octopus is the man to know for surf tours in that region but that is more for advanced surfers. Enjoy.

[huacheetah]

Great, thanks for the info Aqualife! Mancora sounds nice. We will definitely consider going there.

[perusurf]

there are a acouple of good beginner breaks in Lima, a bit further south, 45km, there're bigger and longer waves, definitely more challenging if you feel up for it, then 8hr north huanchaco more friendly wave, more turisty, then up to mancora if you are beginner, crowded when it's season, lot's of partying, people and nice weather,it's over 20 hours by bus from lima