Back from Peru!

Windian · Since 28 Apr 2008 901 Posts Newport, OR NEWPORT OG

Just got back from a month in Peru and wanted to share a few shots of the place. These shots are mostly just our time on the beaches in northern Peru around Mancora, Lobitos, and Trujillo. It was windy virtually every afternoon during the 3 weeks spent at the beaches. Super cool kiting and surfing scene going on down there. I was really impressed with the wave riding being done by many of the young Peruvian kiters with their strong surfing background. Really friendly vibe, warm water and wind, great food, and cool places to stay and eat. I can post more photos if you would like to see them...

bustingbladder · Since 12 Jul 2006 387 Posts Seattle Obsessed

Nice lip ripping!

broadbandito · Since 26 Apr 2005 342 Posts CSO headwaters WheatHead

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

Right on

In the land of lefts

Bettyboarder · Sat Jul 16, 11 10:18 am

Post more these are sick!

Nak · Sat Jul 16, 11 11:13 am

Very cool!

Thanks for posting these; maybe you could post a bit of a travel guide along with more pics? Very Happy

Wind Slither · Since 04 Mar 2005 2619 Posts The 503 METAL

...gotta get there!

Thumb's Up

boardrider · Since 05 Apr 2006 1034 Posts Ventura, CA XTreme Poster

Oh man, that 1st pic .... Perfect pealing lefts & no one on them - Warm water to boot ..

trailboss · Since 08 Aug 2006 95 Posts HR

Did you kite Chicama? I was there two years ago and I tried to kite it a little, one day ago when it got super windy, but that wind is squirelly coming off the cliff, I found one little zone that kind of worked, but my kite fell out of the sky a couple of times and I kind of ran out of there with my tail between my legs. Your pictures of that Lobitos wave look so sick, I really want to get there sometime.

ROOSTER · Since 08 Apr 2009 32 Posts Mighty Columbia River

Nice pics. What size of kites were you mostly using?

kt · Since 16 Mar 2005 763 Posts Portland, Or Opinionated

Hey wu Dian,

More pics and info please. Would love to know about travel and experience outside kiting as well.

Thanks
Kt

wylieflyote · Sun Jul 17, 11 6:57 am

Awesome wave pictures. Now that I'm getting a bit better strapless I want to go.
Question: Where would you put Peru in the price of living status? Cheap like Mexico? Pricey like Maui? Put simply, in the gold standard... How much is a bottle of beer in an average restaurant? Are there lots of road-side food stalls to cheapen my food bill?
Thanks, great post.

Windian · Since 28 Apr 2008 901 Posts Newport, OR NEWPORT OG

My wife and I were only in the country for 30 days so I am no expert and can only speak from what experiences I encountered while travelling there. But, here is a quick rundown of the travel basics:

1. Cost$: 1 USD is equal to about 2.7 Peruvian Soles. The cost of things was fairly cheap in Peru and a bottle of beer at a resturant ranges from 3 to 6 soles, and meals range from 10 to 25 soles for a good seafood dinner. Hotels had the greatest range from 20 soles for dirtbag hostels to 270 soles for oceanfront, beautiful rooms, and armed guard safe accomodations.

2. Travelling around: Don't get a rental car, it is unsafe and a total waste of money. Peru has got one of the best bus systems of any country I have ever been. Cost to travel from Trujillo to Lima on a first class bus with seats nicer than first-class on an airplane was 80 soles for a 9 hour bus ride. Taxis are everywhere and were also super cheap, 3 to 6 soles for up to 3 miles of taxi ride. Getting to Cusco in the mountains it is best to fly from Lima as it is 24 hours of hairball steep and winding roads on a bus.

3. Safety: We never had any problem, but you definitely need to be your guard down there. We were told by multiple local people to never walk around alone after 10 pm at night and to take taxis back to hotels at that time. We stayed at higher-end hostels and hotels that often had armed guards at night and fenced secured grounds. When we went to Lobitos we hired an honest taxi driver to stay with our car and belongings while we were out in the water to prevent car break-ins.

4. Language: Good to be proficient, but not necessarily fluent with your spanish as very few local people speak english down there. However, there are english-speaking local guides at Macchu Pichu, Sacred Valley and other tourist spots that can be hired to show you around and explain the history of the sights.

5. Macchu Pichu, Sacred Valley, and the Andes: This is a must see if you go to Peru, the place is off the scale in terms of beauty, culture, history and natural wonder.

6. Wind and Surf: I would recommend northern Peru as it is sunny, warm, windy, and great surf spots that have peeling surfing-style waves. Mornings are generally calm and allow for surfing, and afternoons are windy and great for breaking out the kites. Mancora has got some of the steadiest winds I have ever kited in and the beach is super user friendly with nothing but sand and no downwind hazards, great learning spot to bring newbies. Lobitos and Pacasmayo are incredible kitesurfing venues, but are advanced level only with rocks, tricky launching and landing, and technical wave-riding. I brought only a 10m and 14m kites and never needed anything smaller except for one day at Cabo Blancio where we got blown off the water on 9m and 10m kites after an hour of riding. Most smaller riders are using 9m and 12m kites, and bigger riders are using 10m and 14m kites. If you are there to surf, then Lobitos and Chicama should be on your itinerary. I was fortunate to score Chicama during perfect, long-period 10' SW swell, and it was one of my highlights of my 40 years of surfing. However, it is not a kiting spot as the bluffs are too tall along the point and block the wind on the waves. Sorry, kiters it is just a world-class surfspot and nothing more! Lobitos is an area with multiple surf spots within several miles of coastline. It has rough feeling of the old-west and I wouldn't recommend hanging there with the wife and family as a vacation destination. Lots of other spots to surf and kite to the south of Mancora and north of Lobitos, and it is helpful to hire a surfing guide to show you around at first. My wife and I stayed at a high-end hotel called Samana Chakra in Mancora for 10 days and used it as base camp for doing day trips to other locations. It is owned by super nice couple (Gary and Johanna Siskar) that are also kiters and yoga enthusiasts. You can kiteboard directly behind their hotel, eat at their resturant, chill by the pool with cervesas, and do yoga sessions throughout the day.

http://www.samanachakra.com/

tonia · Since 15 Jun 2005 209 Posts The Gorge Stoked

Northern Peru... the best waves I've ever kited or surfed. I am goofy foot, so it was even more epic, but it doesn't matter.... they will still be the best waves of your life.

I completely agree with Windian... If you're going to Peru to kite/surf, do not miss out on the Andes, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and the surrounding cultural experiences. It far exceeded our expectations! We took two weeks to experience the culture via adventure in the Andes and we can't wait to go back ... mountain biking (amazing!), river rafting, hiking through the jungle up to Machu Picchu, etc. Then we took a 17-hour bus ride (First Class, better than on a plane) from Lima to Mancora, paying just $25 for three large gear bags of kites and surfboards. The bus left at about 5 pm and arrived the next morning around 10 am into completely different world from central Peru.

Go for the surf, the ceviche, Inca Ruins, and one of the most amazing places on the planet... Machu Picchu. All amazing!!

tonia · Since 15 Jun 2005 209 Posts The Gorge Stoked

A small wave day is still a good wave day in Peru.

The same day.

Empty beaches and waves.

Giddy riding Lobitos waves.

Gregg and I on our hike from the jungle to Machu Picchu.

Crossing the Urubamba River

One of the most amazing mountain biking rides ever!!

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6549 Posts Couve / Hood Honored Founder

I would go but it looks way too crowded