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El Toro viejo, Chile

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

Also within 20 km of Arica

Watch this spot We email you when El Toro viejo is worth the trip.

About El Toro viejo

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

The spot faces W (259°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (79°). 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 gently: 10 m deep about 600 m out (1 in 59). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 17°C in July, 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 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Arica, 1.4 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 6 surf spots.

Water about 18°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 21 h 05 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

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

    See flights MDW → TCQ · Skyscanner from about £420 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 10 from the airport to El Toro viejo.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in AricaAd

    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 Arica · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Arica · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

El Toro viejo on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Mon 19Oct274 ft12 ssoft494kJ21°C
Tue 20Oct265 ft10 ssoft385kJ21°C
Wed 21Oct346 ft12 ssoft830kJ21°C
Thu 22Oct306 ft10 ssoft618kJ21°C
Fri 23Oct326 ft10 ssoft693kJ21°C
Sat 24Oct235 ft9 ssoft365kJ21°C
Sun 25Oct184 ft6 smushy110kJ21°C
Mon 26Oct265 ft8 smushy241kJ21°C
Tue 27Oct164 ft7 smushy131kJ22°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 Tue 20 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Tue 20 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to TCQ, changing at ATL and LIM, then 1h 10 by road. About 21h 05 door to door

  2. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf El Buey

    Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 6 ft at 12 s, wind 1 kn (3 km/h).

  3. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf El Buey

    Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 6 ft at 10 s, wind 1 kn (2 km/h).

  4. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf El Buey

    Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 6 ft at 10 s, wind 1 kn (3 km/h).

  5. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf El Buey

    Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 5 ft at 9 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).

  6. Sun 25 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  7. Mon 26 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to TCQ, changing at ATL and LIM, then 1h 10 by road. About 21h 05 door to door

The plan picks the best of 8 spots near Arica each day: El Brazo, El Buey, El Gringo, El Gringo, El Rancio, El Toro viejo, El Tubo, Las Machas.

The trip from Arica, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £830–£1,595 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 TCQ, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL and LIM, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£420–£875
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£830–£1,595

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

Places to eat near Arica

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.