Surfing

Iquique is internationally renowned for its surfing. Every year the city hosts the Juegos Panamericanos de Surf at the beginning of November (www.panamericansurf.com). In the interim, you can get in shape for this Pan-American surfing competition by hitting the local beaches. Beginners should aim for El Faro or Cavancha. Both of these have left and right wave action at the same time. Huaquique (which sounds eerily like Wakiki) is an everyone’s beach with five-point waves.

Location:
Iquique, Chile

Surfing Types:
Surfing summary

Getting There
To get to Playa Huaquique, take any bus signed “Huaquique” ($0.80). Micro (city bus) No. 10 leaves from Tarapacá and Martínez downtown, to go to Playas Brava, Cavancha and Huaquique ($0.80).

Travel Tips: The water is chilly in this part of Chile; a wet suit is highly recommended. To find out about surf conditions in Iquique, consult: magicseaweed.com/Iquique-Surf-Report/421 or www.surfline.com. For information on the local surfing scene, check out www.asuriquique.com. Some surfers consider the better action to be up the coast at Arica.

Some hostels, like Backpackers, rent boards and have instructors. Vertical Rent and Tour lets all surfing equipment, from wetsuits to boards, and gives lessons (Avenida Arturo Prat 580, Tel.: 37-6034, E-mail: rent@verticalst.cl, URL: www.verticalst.cl).

Relative price: Budget

Travel Skills: None

You Need to Bring: Don’t forget the board and wetsuit!

Swim or sunbathe at Cavancha and the other beaches in Iquique. Stroll down Paseo Bolognesi, visiting the historic houses and museums. Head out to the arid pampas to visit the old nitrate mining oficinas Humberstone and Santa Laura, or check out Gigante de Atacama and the other geoglyphs decorating the desert hills. Visit historic Pisagua and soak in the hot springs at Pica or Mamiña.

Currencies accepted
Chilean Peso

By Lorraine Caputo

Upon re-declaring her independence at age 29, Lorraine Caputo packed her trusty Rocinante (so her knapsack's called) and began traipsing throughout...

Created: 29 Jun 2009

Updated: 30 Jun 2009

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