Las Machas Surf Guide
Surf spot guide
Las Machas Surf Guide
Las Machas is a long beach that starts in Chile and ends in Peru. It's mostly a great training ground for less-experienced surfers, but during huge winter swells, it serves also as a decompression valve from the morning sessions in one or more of the bigger, gnarlier waves of Arica. Wind works like clockwork in Arica: no wind in the morning, then at around midday or 1pm, winds start to pick up and blow out the best waves in town (Gringo and Buey). Machas works pretty much all day, so the afternoons are dedicated to less-tense sessions on a few mushy waves in this nice and friendly beachbreak.
Local Vibe
Can be intense.
Crowd Factor
Can get pretty crowded, but it's a mellow crowd.
Spot Rating
An average beachbreak but makes up for it with the amount of waves it produces.
Shoulder Burn
Not much.
Water Quality
Not bad, can get dirty when it rains.
Hazards
Hitting the pier.
Access
Just park in front of the beach.
Bottom
Sand.
Best Season
March-September.
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