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Caleta Portales, Chile

Stay in Valparaíso: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Valparaíso

All 15 on Valparaíso's map

Watch this spot We email you when Caleta Portales is worth the trip.

Caleta Portales
Caleta Portales. Photo: Gonzalo Pineda Zuniga, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Caleta Portales

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces NW (332°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (152°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 11). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 13°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 17°C in January, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Valparaíso, 3 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 1 dive site.

Water about 13°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 20 h 25 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL), changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).

    See flights MDW → SCL · Skyscanner from about £505 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 45 from the airport to Caleta Portales.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in ValparaísoAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Valparaíso · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Valparaíso · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Caleta Portales on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Caleta Portales does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreExpertSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct234 ft10 shollow297kJ22°C
Mon 19Oct264 ft13 shollow564kJ23°C
Tue 20Oct125 ft12 smushy542kJ17°C
Wed 21Oct316 ft6 shollow230kJ19°C
Thu 22Oct174 ft10 shollow352kJ18°C
Fri 23Oct174 ft9 shollow220kJ16°C
Sat 24Oct153 ft10 shollow193kJ17°C
Sun 25Oct123 ft10 shollow125kJ22°C
Mon 26Oct144 ft5 shollow64kJ21°C
Tue 27Oct203 ft11 shollow256kJ19°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to SCL, changing at ATL, then 1h 45 by road. About 20h 25 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 5 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Las Salinas

    Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 3 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to SCL, changing at ATL, then 1h 45 by road. About 20h 25 door to door

The plan picks the best of 5 spots near Valparaíso each day: Caleta Portales, Cap Ducal, Las Salinas, Los Marineros, Salinas Spa.

The trip from Valparaíso, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £915–£1,765 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to SCL, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£505–£1,045
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£60–£100
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£130–£215
Food7 days eating out£130–£245
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£55–£95
Total£915–£1,765

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Valparaíso

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.