Punta de Lobos

Name: punta-de-lobos
Address: Pichilemu, Chile

Pichilemu, Chile

Chile's iconic 800m left-hand point with barrels and big waves

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Punta de Lobos is the crown jewel of Chilean surfing — a world-class left-hand point break that peels for up to 800 meters past dramatic sea stacks and rock formations at the western tip of a rugged coastal headland. When conditions align, the wave walls and tubes through the entire middle section of the point, delivering 200-meter rides with multiple bowl sections. Best swell direction is southwest, with southeast winds holding the face clean — and it is glassy an astonishing 90 percent of the time. The wave handles everything from fun head-high walls to terrifying 20-foot-plus big wave days during deep winter (June-August), when it draws big wave surfers from around the globe. March through October is the prime season, as long-period southwest groundswells generated by Southern Ocean storms deliver consistent, powerful surf. The break sits 6 km south of the laid-back surf town of Pichilemu, designated a World Surfing Reserve. Water temperatures range from about 12-17 degrees C depending on season, requiring at least a 3/2mm wetsuit year-round and a 4/3mm or thicker in winter.