El Gringo
El Gringo is Chile's most dangerous wave—a left-hand slab that breaks over an impossibly shallow rock shelf in Arica, earning it the nickname "Chilean Pipeline." The wave is so heavy and the reef so unforgiving that most professional surfers wear helmets here. When solid South swells light up this section of coast, El Gringo produces perfect, death-defying barrels for those brave enough to paddle out. This is the realm of big-wave hellmen only.
El Gringo surf forecast
Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.
Today's ConditionsToday's Conditions
Find FlightsLocation & Conditions
Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows
Tide times today
Strike Score Breakdown
Plan Your Strike
Return flights to ARI, departing today with a 5-day trip window.
Search Flights on SkyscannerLocation & Conditions
Know when South America is about to fire
Get the best strike windows in South America — and worldwide — in your inbox every Monday & Thursday. Live Strike Scores, the swell behind them, zero fluff.
¿Prefieres español? Recibe el Strike Report en español, gratis →
Get the full El Gringo trip window
Pro unlocks the 10-day forecast window, unlimited alerts, and custom spot tracking that help turn a good-looking surf report into a better travel decision.
10-day window
See the trip window before flights get expensive.
Unlimited alerts
Let the app watch your score threshold for you.
Custom spots
Track the breaks that actually matter to your travel plans.
Spot Details
CustomizeCustomize this spotSwell Requirements
- Optimal direction
- SSW (202°)
- Direction range
- 180° - 225°
- Size range
- 1.8m - 3.7m
- Ideal size
- 2.7m - 3.2m
- Height multiplier
- 0.97×
- Ideal period
- 17s+
Wind Requirements
- Optimal direction
- N (0°)
- Offshore range
- 315° - 45°
Tide Requirements
- Optimal tide
- mid
Difficulty
6/10
Crowd level
3/10
Access: Beach/paddle
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of wave is El Gringo?
El Gringo is a reef break in Arica, Chile, that mostly breaks left. It's also a renowned bodyboarding wave.
What swell works best at El Gringo?
El Gringo picks up swell from the S round to the SW, and it's best when it's coming straight out of the SSW. That's a tight window, so it needs the swell direction to line up. It starts working at around 1.8m and handles up to about 3.7m, with the sweet spot around 2.7 to 3.2m. Period matters too: aim for 17s or longer, as anything under 15s tends to be weak. These are the numbers our scoring uses, so treat them as a guide rather than a promise.
What wind is offshore at El Gringo?
A N wind is dead offshore at El Gringo, and anything from the NW round to the NE keeps it clean. The morning is typically the best window, roughly 6am to midday. Light winds from other directions can still be fine; strong offshores can make it hard to get into waves.
What tide is best at El Gringo?
El Gringo is at its best around mid tide.
When is the best time of year to surf El Gringo?
The most reliable run of swell at El Gringo comes May to Jul. There's a second window in Apr and Aug to Sep too. ~31% Feb clean (May-Jul best).
Is El Gringo good for beginners?
It's more of an intermediate wave, rated 6/10 for difficulty, so newer surfers are best off sticking to the smaller days. The lineup is usually quiet (crowd 3/10). Things to watch for: shallow water at low tide and sharp, shallow reef (booties help).
How do I get to El Gringo?
The nearest airport on our list is ARI, then it's roughly a 10-minute drive. Beach/paddle.
What other surf spots are near El Gringo?
The closest breaks we track are Arenillas Negras (0.3 km), El Brazo (0.9 km) and La Lisera (1.0 km), handy when El Gringo isn't working. We track 9 spots around Arica in total.
Best Season
Peak: May-Jul
Secondary: Apr, Aug, Sep
~31% Feb clean (May-Jul best)
Getting There
Nearby Spots
Arenillas Negras
🖤 Black sand reef • Quality walls • Less intense
El Brazo
💪 The Arm • Reef/sand hybrid • Versatile waves
La Lisera
🪨 Arica reef right • Needs solid swell • Desert perfection
El Buey
🐂 The Bull • Tow-in giant • 40ft+ faces
El Laucho
🏖️ Arica mellow option • Beginner-friendly • Warm-up spot
Las Machas
🐚 Razor clam beach • Beginner waves • Consistent