There are plenty of amazing surfing spots around the world but did you know that the waters along Peru’s coastline are where some of the longest waves in the world can be ridden?

　　The Chicama Wave is legendary among surfers as its breaks can be ridden for minutes instead of seconds. The visuals of the waves are spectacular to look at, not least if you imagine how exhilarating it would be to ride them. The seemingly endless waves roll up to the fishing town of Puerto Malabrigo in northern Peru, beginning along the cape that juts out into the Pacific Ocean.

　　Here’s what you need to about surfing one of the world’s longest waves.

　　The Chicama Waves Of Peru

　　The Chicama waves form at four points—Malpaso, Keys, El Point and El Hombre—that trigger the crest of a swell to overturn and peel as it approaches the shallow shore. Chicama’s waves break left, which means they peel from left to right from the perspective of an observer on the shore. A large swell is most consistent from March through November, during which time some of the sections occasionally connect. The distance from Malpaso to the pier is nearly 4 km (2.5 miles), but surfers usually have to catch multiple waves to make it the entire distance.

　　El Point is considered the best and most famous part of the wave. It breaks for around one km and can reach six feet in size. The wave is well-shaped, fast, and moderately hollow, breaking over soft sand, but it isn’t very powerful unless the swell is very big (more than six feet).

　　The wave tends to speed up and slow down alternately, and it is rare to ride a single wave along the length of the point for this reason. There is also a middle section along the point that is rocky but also fast and difficult to make after about 1,000 m. However, locals claim to have achieved a single ride all the way to the pier, for a distance of about 2.2 km, in 10-foot swells.

　　Why Is This Phenomenon Happening In Peru?

　　Peru receives one of the longest waves in the world for several reasons. For starters, the swell is generated by storm systems and weather fronts hundreds to thousands of miles away in the Pacific Ocean—and occasionally the Southern Ocean. As the waves propagate across the open water, waves of similar wavelengths (and speed) become sorted and start to travel together. Since the coast of Peru is very deep, these large swells continue their journey until they are very close to shore.

　　Another fortuitous feature for surfers is that the waves arriving from the open ocean roll nearly parallel to this part of Peru’s coastline. This is not common in Peru or Chile, where the waves mostly just crash into a coast that is perpendicular to the direction of swell propagation. The arrangement means Chicama’s waves can progressively break along a long stretch of shoreline.

　　Because of its specialness, the area gained protection from the Peruvian government against development and infrastructure that would harm the waves in 2013. Since Chicama, the first wave to be listed in the country's “Protected Waves Registry,” dozens more waves across Peru have been added to the list.

　　Other countries have taken similar approaches to protecting coastal areas. Australia and the United States, for example, have both created “surfing reserves” to protect parts of their coastlines. In Mexico, the Arroyo San Miguel State Park was created in part to protect the surfing area off the coast of Baja California.

　　Best Time To Visit Puerto Malabrigo For Surfing

　　For small and pleasant waves on a longboard, the summer months are best. The largest swells tend to come during May through August, but for good shoulder-to-head-high waves, the swell that begins towards the end of March is perfect.

　　How To Reach Puerto Malabrigo

　　Take a flight to Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) via Paris or Amsterdam. From Lima, take a direct flight to Trujillo Airport (TJI). Hire a taxi to cover the 69 km to Puerto Malabrigo.