Malpaso, Peru
Also within 20 km of Puerto Malabrigo
Watch this spot We email you when Malpaso is worth the trip.
About Malpaso
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces W (267°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (87°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 18). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 17°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 March, April and May, with about 3 good days in 7; in January and December, about 1. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Puerto Malabrigo, 3.6 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots.
Water about 17°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.
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From Chicago: about 17 h 05 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to CIX, changing at PTY.
See flights ORD → CIX · Skyscanner from about £350 returnAdGetting there. 2 h 15 from the airport to Malpaso.
Accommodation.
Stay in Puerto MalabrigoAd
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 Puerto Malabrigo (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Puerto Malabrigo 6 min by car · rooms from £55 a night · 18 places to stay · where Malpaso stays
Places to stay in Puerto Malabrigo · Booking.com AdPuémape 41 min by car · rooms from £55 a night · 5 places to stay
Places to stay in Puémape · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Puerto Malabrigo · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Puerto Malabrigo · GetYourGuideAd
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Malpaso on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Malpaso 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
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 41, fair | 5 ft12 shollow | 558kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 9 knots | 23°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 44, fair | 4 ft11 shollow | 434kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 4 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 44, fair | 4 ft11 shollow | 399kJ | wind from the south-east, 11 knots | 24°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 38, fair | 5 ft12 shollow | 699kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 11 knots | 24°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 9, poor | 5 ft11 shollow | 679kJ | wind from the south, 13 knots | 24°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 27, poor | 5 ft11 shollow | 537kJ | wind from the south, 14 knots | 24°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 39, fair | 4 ft10 shollow | 290kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 14 knots | 24°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 38, fair | 4 ft6 smushy | 120kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 11 knots | 24°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 39, fair | 4 ft6 smushy | 106kJ | wind from the south-east, 9 knots | 24°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 35, poor | 3 ft6 smushy | 66kJ | wind from the south-east, 9 knots | 25°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 ORD to CIX, changing at PTY, then 2h 15 by road. About 17h 05 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Malpaso
Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, wind 11 kn (20 km/h).
- Wed 21 OctSurf Malpaso
Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 5 ft at 12 s, wind 11 kn (20 km/h).
- Thu 22 OctSurf Malpaso
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 5 ft at 11 s, wind 13 kn (25 km/h).
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 32 of 80.
- Sat 24 OctSurf Malpaso
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 14 kn (26 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly ORD to CIX, changing at PTY, then 2h 15 by road. About 17h 05 door to door
The plan picks the best of 5 spots near Puerto Malabrigo each day: Chicama, El Cape, El Hombre, Keys, Malpaso.
Rough cost
About £785–£1,495 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 ORD to CIX, estimated from distance and season, changing at PTY, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £350–£730 |
| 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 | £785–£1,495 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Puerto Malabrigo
- El Mirador CevicheriaSeafood · 0.2 km from the centre
- Restaurant El Pez de OroSeafood · 0.2 km from the centre
- Cevicheria La Marea Puerto MalabrigoSeafood · 0.3 km from the centre
- Ch'arki RestobarPeruvian · 0.3 km from the centre
- Náutica RestauranteSeafood · 0.3 km from the centre
- Pollería HadassaChicken · 0.3 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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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.