Cavancha, Chile
Also within 20 km of Iquique
- Intendencia Surf spot · 0.6 km from Iquique
- La Cosa Surf spot · 0.7 km from Iquique
- Punta 2 Surf spot · 0.8 km from Iquique
- Las Urracas Surf spot · 1.1 km from Iquique
- Colegio Surf spot · 1.3 km from Iquique
- Mauro Surf spot · 1.4 km from Iquique
- Punta 1 Surf spot · 1.5 km from Iquique
- La Bestia Surf spot · 2.3 km from Iquique
Watch this spot We email you when Cavancha is worth the trip.
About Cavancha
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces W (285°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (105°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 38). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 17°C in July, its coldest month (3/2 wetsuit), and 20°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Iquique, 2.1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 8 surf spots.
Water about 17°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 24 h 40 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to IQQ, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL).
See flights MDW → IQQ · Skyscanner from about £435 returnAdGetting there. 55 min from the airport to Cavancha.
Accommodation.
Stay in IquiqueAd
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 Iquique (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Iquique 4 min by car · rooms from £50 a night · 160 places to stay · where Cavancha stays
Places to stay in Iquique · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Iquique · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Iquique · GetYourGuideAd
Budget 
Mid-range 
Luxury 
Where it is
Cavancha on Google Maps · Directions
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
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
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 62, good | 4 ft11 scrumbling | 363kJ | wind from the north, 2 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 64, good | 4 ft12 scrumbling | 410kJ | wind from the south, 2 knots | 23°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 62, good | 4 ft9 scrumbling | 261kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 1 knot, offshore | 23°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 14, poor | 5 ft12 scrumbling | 734kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 23°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 40, fair | 5 ft9 ssoft | 373kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 23°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 37, fair | 6 ft10 ssoft | 533kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 3 knots | 22°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 42, fair | 5 ft8 ssoft | 320kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 3 knots | 22°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 44, fair | 5 ft6 smushy | 157kJ | wind from the west, 1 knot | 21°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 52, good | 4 ft7 smushy | 124kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 2 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 46, fair | 3 ft13 scrumbling | 272kJ | wind from the west, 5 knots | 22°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 OctTravel out
Fly MDW to IQQ, changing at ATL and SCL, then 55 min by road. About 24h 40 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Colegio
Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, wind 1 kn (2 km/h).
- Wed 21 OctSurf Intendencia
Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 5 ft at 12 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).
- Thu 22 OctSurf Colegio
Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 5 ft at 9 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).
- Fri 23 OctSurf Intendencia
Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 6 ft at 10 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).
- Sat 24 OctSurf Baul
Best 12:00 to 15:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly MDW to IQQ, changing at ATL and SCL, then 55 min by road. About 24h 40 door to door
The plan picks the best of 11 spots near Iquique each day: Baul, Cavancha, Colegio, Intendencia, La Bestia, La Cosa, Las Urracas, Marinero desconocido, Mauro, Punta 1, Punta 2.
Rough cost
About £845–£1,625 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to IQQ, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL and SCL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £435–£905 |
| 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 | £130–£215 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £130–£245 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £55–£95 |
| Total | £845–£1,625 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Iquique
- Casino EspanolSpanish · 0.1 km from the centre
- Pronto CatalinaItalian · 0.3 km from the centre
- La Picá CuricanaLatin american · 0.4 km from the centre
- Sabor doradoTheme · 0.4 km from the centre
- Bhanga Plant BasedVegetarian · 0.6 km from the centre
- Punto y coma restauranteBreakfast and brunch · 0.6 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
Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.