Las Machas
Surf spot · Chile
Is it worth the trip?
45Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 5 ft swell at 13 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 56 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft16 smushy
- Energy
- 379kJ
- Wind
- W 6 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Wed 4 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft13 ssoft
- Energy
- 239kJ
- Wind
- W 2 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Thu 5 · 51 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 510kJ
- Wind
- WNW 1 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Fri 6 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 356kJ
- Wind
- WNW 3 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 59 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft13 ssoft
- Energy
- 607kJ
- Wind
- NNW 1 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 592kJ
- Wind
- SW 1 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Mon 9 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 205kJ
- Wind
- WNW 1 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 20, too big
- Tue 356, fair
- Wed 417, too small
- Thu 551, fair
- Fri 643, poor
- Sat 759, fair
- Sun 80, too big
- Mon 934, too small
- Tue 1059, fair
The spot in five facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 3–12 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
Full forecast
every day, every number
Las Machas 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 | 0, too big | 6 ft11 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 833kJ | wind from the north-west, 1 knot | 25°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 56, fair | 3 ft16 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 379kJ | wind from the west, 6 knots | 25°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 17, too small | 3 ft13 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 239kJ | wind from the west, 2 knots | 24°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 51, fair | 5 ft10 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 510kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 1 knot | 24°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 43, poor | 5 ft9 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 356kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 3 knots | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 59, fair | 5 ft13 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 607kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 1 knot | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft10 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 592kJ | wind from the south-west, 1 knot | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 34, too small | 3 ft12 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 205kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 1 knot | 26°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 59, fair | 4 ft9 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 291kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 2 knots | 26°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 03:35 +0.5 mLow 10:51 −0.4 mHigh 16:54 +0.1 mLow 22:01 −0.2 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 04:45 +0.5 mLow 11:49 −0.5 mHigh 18:03 +0.2 mLow 23:28 −0.3 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 05:52 +0.5 mLow 12:38 −0.5 mHigh 18:58 +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.
Map
the spot and its town
Las Machas 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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More surf near here
5 places
- El Tubo 2.5 km away
- El Brazo 5.7 km away
- El Gringo 5.9 km away
- El Toro viejo 5.9 km away
- El Gringo 6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Las Machas
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (276°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (96°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.4 km out (1 in 141). 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). The town to stay in is Arica, 5.3 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
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$998–US$1,900 each
about US$998–US$1,900 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, 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 TCQ, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL and LIM, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$476–US$992 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$80–US$134 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$194–US$322 |
| 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$998–US$1,900 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Arica
about 10 min by car · 75 places to stay
about US$74/nightcountry average
About Arica its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$74 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 21h 05m
About 21h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → TCQ, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM), then 1h 10m by road
Flights MDW → TCQ on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.