Pico Alto, Peru

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

Also within 20 km of Punta Hermosa

Playa Norte Surf spot · 0.4 km from Punta Hermosa
Caballeros Surf spot · 0.7 km from Punta Hermosa
Tercerita Surf spot · 0.7 km from Punta Hermosa
El Paso Surf spot · 0.8 km from Punta Hermosa
La Isla Surf spot · 0.9 km from Punta Hermosa
Punta Hermosa Surf spot · 1 km from Punta Hermosa
Señoritas Surf spot · 1.3 km from Punta Hermosa
Kon Tiki Surf spot · 1.5 km from Punta Hermosa

All 25 on Punta Hermosa's map

Watch this spot We email you when Pico Alto is worth the trip.

About Pico Alto

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

The spot faces SW (232°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (52°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 23). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 16°C in August, its coldest month (3/2 wetsuit), and 22°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January and February, with about 5 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Punta Hermosa, 0.8 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 15 surf spots.

Water about 17°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 16 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM), changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).
See flights MDW → LIM · Skyscanner from about £380 returnAd
Getting there. 1 h 10 from the airport to Pico Alto.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
Stay in Punta HermosaAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Punta Hermosa (ad) on Booking.com →
Closest towns to stay in
- Punta Hermosa 1 min by car · rooms from £55 a night · 51 places to stay · where Pico Alto stays
  Places to stay in Punta Hermosa · Booking.com Ad
- Punta Negra 9 min by car · rooms from £55 a night · 19 places to stay
  Places to stay in Punta Negra · Booking.com Ad
- San Bartolo 15 min by car · rooms from £55 a night · 45 places to stay
  Places to stay in San Bartolo · Booking.com Ad
- Pucusana 30 min by car · rooms from £55 a night · 8 places to stay
  Places to stay in Pucusana · Booking.com Ad
- Chilca 40 min by car · rooms from £55 a night · 11 places to stay
  Places to stay in Chilca · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Punta Hermosa · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Punta Hermosa · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Pico Alto on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

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

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Pico Alto, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	57, good	5 ft11 shollow	520kJ	wind from the south-west, 4 knots	23°C
Mon 19Oct	49, good	5 ft12 shollow	620kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 4 knots, offshore	23°C
Tue 20Oct	37, fair	5 ft10 scrumbling	479kJ	wind from the south-east, 5 knots	24°C
Wed 21Oct	0, too big	6 ft12 scrumbling	985kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 9 knots	24°C
Thu 22Oct	0, too big	7 ft11 smushy	1,222kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 8 knots	24°C
Fri 23Oct	24, poor	5 ft11 smushy	553kJ	wind from the south, 9 knots	24°C
Sat 24Oct	38, fair	5 ft6 smushy	177kJ	wind from the south-west, 2 knots	23°C
Sun 25Oct	28, poor	6 ft6 smushy	229kJ	wind from the south-west, 4 knots	23°C
Mon 26Oct	51, good	4 ft6 smushy	110kJ	wind from the south, 3 knots	24°C
Tue 27Oct	35, poor	3 ft6 smushy	78kJ	wind from the south-east, 4 knots	24°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

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Fly MDW to LIM, changing at ATL, then 1h 10 by road. About 16h 30 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Surf Arica
Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 5 ft at 10 s, wind 2 kn (4 km/h).
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
Fri 23 Oct
Surf Arica
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 5 ft at 11 s, wind 7 kn (12 km/h).
Sat 24 Oct
Surf La Isla
Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 5 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly MDW to LIM, changing at ATL, then 1h 10 by road. About 16h 30 door to door

The plan picks the best of 14 spots near Punta Hermosa each day: Arica, Caballeros, Donesia, El Paso, Kon Tiki, La Isla, La Timba, Pico Alto, Playa Norte, Pulpos, Punta Hermosa, Señoritas, Silencios, Tercerita.

The trip from Punta Hermosa, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £815–£1,555 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

Rough cost per person for this trip
What	How we worked it out	Each
Flights	return MDW to LIM, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag	£380–£790
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Hire car	6 days, shared	£60–£100
Stay	6 nights, a mid-range double, shared	£145–£245
Food	7 days eating out	£135–£255
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£60–£100
Total		£815–£1,555

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

Places to eat near Punta Hermosa

Antica PizzeriaPizza · 0.1 km from the centre
El tio alitaPeruvian · 0.1 km from the centre
Canta Rana Punta HermosaSeafood · 0.2 km from the centre
Trattoria Don AngeloItalian · 0.3 km from the centre
Entre MaresSeafood · 0.5 km from the centre
La Sirena - Malecón Punta HermosaSeafood · 0.9 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

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Pico Alto, Peru

Also within 20 km of Punta Hermosa

About Pico Alto

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Stay in Punta HermosaAd

Closest towns to stay in

Where it is

Forecast

Your trip, day by day

Rough cost

Places to eat near Punta Hermosa

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Getting thereAd

Where to stayAd

In the waterAd