Is it worth the trip?
59Fair out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 63 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 223kJ
- Wind
- SW 4 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 58 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 smushy
- Energy
- 419kJ
- Wind
- SW 6 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 340kJ
- Wind
- SSW 5 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Fri 6 · 64 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft14 smushy
- Energy
- 449kJ
- Wind
- WSW 7 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 52 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 549kJ
- Wind
- SSW 3 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sun 8 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft16 scrumbling
- Energy
- 136kJ
- Wind
- W 4 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Mon 9 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 219kJ
- Wind
- WSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 244, poor
- Tue 363, good
- Wed 458, fair
- Thu 566, good
- Fri 664, good
- Sat 752, fair
- Sun 89, too small
- Mon 966, good
- Tue 1070, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
- Best Jan–Mar6 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
El Loa does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 44, poor | 6 ft11 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 754kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 5 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 63, good | 3 ft10 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 223kJ | wind from the south-west, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 58, fair | 4 ft11 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 419kJ | wind from the south-west, 6 knots | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 66, good | 4 ft11 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 340kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 5 knots | 18°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 64, good | 4 ft14 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 449kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 7 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 52, fair | 5 ft12 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 549kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 3 knots | 18°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 9, too small | 2 ft16 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 136kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 66, good | 4 ft9 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 219kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 70, good | 4 ft13 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 411kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 6 knots | 18°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 03:40 +0.6 mLow 10:54 −0.4 mHigh 16:54 +0.1 mLow 22:14 −0.3 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 04:52 +0.5 mLow 11:54 −0.5 mHigh 18:04 +0.2 mLow 23:40 −0.3 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 06:00 +0.5 mLow 12:45 −0.5 mHigh 19:01 +0.3 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Jan–Mar
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May5of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun5of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug4of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep4of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov5of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec5of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot and its town
El Loa on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About El Loa
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (269°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (89°). 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 62). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 16°C in July, its coldest month (3/2 wetsuit), and 20°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February and March, with about 6 good days in 7; in August, September and October, about 4. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. Nearest beds: Alto Hospicio, 130 km. Nearest airport: Diego Aracena International Airport (IQQ), 101 km.
Water about 18°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$817–US$1,610 each
about US$817–US$1,610 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| 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 | about US$489–US$1,030 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$80–US$134 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$174–US$328 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$74–US$127 |
| Total | about US$817–US$1,610 |
No town nearby, so no stay is in it. For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: nearest beds 130 km away
No town nearby
Nearest beds: Alto Hospicio, 130 km. Nearest airport: Diego Aracena International Airport (IQQ), 101 km.
See places to stay near Alto Hospicio, 130 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 25h 50m
About 25h 50m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → IQQ, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL), then 2h 05m by road
Flights MDW → IQQ on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.