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Panic Point, Peru

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

Also within 20 km of El Alto

Watch this spot We email you when Panic Point is worth the trip.

About Panic Point

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

The spot faces NW (301°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (121°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 10). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 20°C in August, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 25°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually February and March, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is El Alto, 3.1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 21°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 20 h 50 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to TYL, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM).

    See flights MDW → TYL · Skyscanner from about £335 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 55 min from the airport to Panic Point.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in El AltoAd

    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 El Alto · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in El Alto · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Panic Point on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Panic Point does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

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

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct325 ft11 shollow609kJ27°C
Mon 19Oct504 ft11 shollow405kJ27°C
Tue 20Oct344 ft11 shollow375kJ28°C
Wed 21Oct494 ft14 shollow531kJ28°C
Thu 22Oct345 ft12 shollow636kJ29°C
Fri 23Oct394 ft11 shollow264kJ29°C
Sat 24Oct374 ft10 shollow272kJ27°C
Sun 25Oct323 ft9 shollow107kJ27°C
Mon 26Oct343 ft7 shollow65kJ27°C
Tue 27Oct412 ft14 shollow224kJ27°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 intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to TYL, changing at ATL and LIM, then 55 min by road. About 20h 50 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Panic Point

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, wind 12 kn (22 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Panic Point

    Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 4 ft at 14 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Panic Point

    Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 5 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Panic Point

    Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Panic Point

    Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to TYL, changing at ATL and LIM, then 55 min by road. About 20h 50 door to door

The trip from El Alto, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £770–£1,465 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 TYL, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL and LIM, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£335–£700
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£145–£245
Food7 days eating out£135–£255
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£60–£100
Total£770–£1,465

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

Places to eat near El Alto

  • Las Parrillas De MechonBarbecue · in the centre
  • Restaurante Turistico "Mundo Marino".Seafood · 0.4 km from the centre
  • Nort Chiken0.1 km from the centre
  • REST. Sabor & Tradición.0.4 km from the centre
  • Caleta 100.5 km from the centre
  • Restaurante Nelamar0.5 km from the centre

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.