Rio Grande-Tierra del Fuego
Surf spot · Argentina
Is it worth the trip?
15Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: too small (2 ft swell at 6 s), 4 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Wed 4 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 20kJ
- Wind
- WNW 14 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Thu 5 · 38 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 31kJ
- Wind
- WSW 14 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Fri 6 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 7kJ
- Wind
- W 21 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Sat 7 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 21kJ
- Wind
- W 24 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Sun 8 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 7kJ
- Wind
- WNW 24 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Mon 9 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 24kJ
- Wind
- W 20 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Tue 10 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 4kJ
- Wind
- NW 16 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Tue 38, too small
- Wed 417, too small
- Thu 534, too small
- Fri 67, too small
- Sat 713, too small
- Sun 83, too small
- Mon 98, too small
- Tue 104, too small
- Wed 1110, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces NEtakes swell from the NE
- Offshore: SWwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–13 ftof swell
- Water 7 °C5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves
- Best May–Aug1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
Rio Grande-Tierra del Fuego does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 8, too small | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 14kJ | wind from the north-west, 20 knots | 11°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 17, too small | 2 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 20kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 14 knots | 11°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 34, too small | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 31kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 14 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 7, too small | 1 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | offshorewind from the west, 21 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 13, too small | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 21kJ | offshorewind from the west, 24 knots, offshore | 13°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 3, too small | 1 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 24 knots | 14°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 8, too small | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 24kJ | wind from the west, 20 knots | 13°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft5 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 4kJ | wind from the north-west, 16 knots | 14°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 10, too small | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 13kJ | offshorewind from the west, 24 knots, offshore | 12°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
- Tue 3 NovHigh 03:22 +2.5 mLow 09:23 −2.4 mHigh 15:40 +2.4 mLow 21:56 −3.1 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 04:38 +2.5 mLow 10:33 −2.5 mHigh 16:59 +2.5 mLow 23:04 −3.1 m
- Thu 5 NovHigh 05:43 +2.7 mLow 11:36 −2.8 mHigh 18:07 +2.7 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 May–Aug
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Wed 4 Nov
- Dec0of 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
Rio Grande-Tierra del Fuego 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.
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.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Rio Grande-Tierra del Fuego
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NE (44°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (224°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 2.8 km out (1 in 278). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 4°C in July, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 11°C in February, its warmest (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May, June, July and August, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Río Grande, 1.3 km away (about 5 min by car).
Water about 7°C: 5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves. 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$1,190–US$2,290 each
about US$1,190–US$2,290 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to USH, estimated from distance and season, changing at GRU, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$705–US$1,460 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$67–US$114 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$174–US$289 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$161–US$295 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$1,190–US$2,290 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Río Grande
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 5 min by car · 28 places to stay
about US$67/nightcountry average
About Río Grande its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$67 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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 26h 15m
About 26h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → USH, changing at São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU), then 2h 30m by road
Flights ORD → USH on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.