Point

right

Level 5/10

Punta Carola

San Cristobal, Galapagos, Ecuador

🪨Rocks🦈Sharks

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Punta Carola is San Cristobal's most accessible wave, a right point break just minutes from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. The wave picks up NW swells that wrap around the island during the wet season. Share the lineup with curious sea lions from the nearby colony.

Punta Carola surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today3

Poor

1.1mSSW@14s

21km/h

1.1m@14s

21km/h

Wed4

Poor

1.3mSSW@15s

17km/h

1.3m@15s

17km/h

Thu5

Poor

1.2mSSW@13s

12km/h

1.2m@13s

12km/h

Fri6

Poor

0.9mS@9s

12km/h

0.9m@9s

12km/h

Sat7

Fair

1.0mSSW@16s

12km/h

1.0m@16s

12km/h

Sun8

Fair

1.0mSSW@15s

10km/h

1.0m@15s

10km/h

Mon9

Fair

0.9mS@14s

8km/h

0.9m@14s

8km/h

Tue10

Poor

0.9mSSE@12s

10km/h

0.9m@12s

10km/h

Wed11

Fair

1.0mSSE@15s

11km/h

1.0m@15s

11km/h

Thu12

Fair

1.2mSSW@14s

9km/h

1.2m@14s

9km/h

Groomed 5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's ConditionsToday's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: MorningAM 18 km/h · PM 21 km/h · High tide at 9am (1.4m)

Swell

1.1m

SSW(212°)

Score: 14/25

Period

14s

Groundswell

Score: 25/25

Wind

21km/h

S(187°)

Score: 1/25

Weather

27°C

0.5mm81%

First light 5:07amSunrise 5:37amSunset 5:46pmLast light 6:16pm

Windswell

0.8m@3s

Secondary

0.6m

Confidence

100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell1.1m @14s SSW outside window

Wind21 km/h S cross-shore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 5:07am–2:15pm · through highStrike window: 5:27–6:16pm · risingIdeal tide: 0.5–1.5m

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

°C

25°

27°

28°

27°

26°

25°

28°

29°

28°

26°

25°

28°

30°

29°

26°

24°

27°

28°

25°

28°

29°

28°

26°

25°

29°

28°

26°

29°

30°

28°

25°

28°

30°

29°

27°

25°

27°

29°

28°

26°

24°

26°

28°

27°

26°

2m1.0

sec

14s

15s

13s

16s

15s

14s

12s

15s

14s

swell

windkm/h

18g29

19g45

22g51

23g54

19g49

18g34

18g44

14g35

11g22

13g32

13g34

11g28

11g21

13g34

13g35

14g36

11g27

13g25

14g37

13g37

12g36

10g31

11g20

13g34

9g32

9g28

11g25

10g23

9g28

11g32

5g37

4g34

6g13

9g24

13g35

12g38

9g36

9g17

11g26

12g35

11g37

10g35

10g22

10g28

10g34

9g32

8g28

tidem

3:33am0.4m

9:39am1.4m

3:52pm0.3m

10:21pm1.6m

4:46am0.3m

10:54am1.5m

5:00pm0.3m

11:23pm1.7m

5:46am0.2m

11:54am1.6m

5:58pm0.3m

12:15am1.8m

6:36am0.1m

12:46pm1.6m

6:47pm0.2m

12:59am1.8m

7:19am0.1m

1:30pm1.7m

7:31pm0.2m

1:39am1.8m

7:58am0.0m

2:11pm1.8m

8:11pm0.2m

2:16am1.8m

8:35am0.0m

2:49pm1.8m

8:49pm0.2m

2:51am1.8m

9:10am0.0m

3:25pm1.8m

9:25pm0.3m

3:27am1.8m

9:45am0.0m

4:02pm1.7m

10:02pm0.3m

4:02am1.7m

10:20am0.1m

4:40pm1.7m

10:40pm0.4m

Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

3:33 am

Low · 0.40m

9:39 am

High · 1.45m

3:52 pm

Low · 0.32m

10:21 pm

High · 1.64m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Poor

Components

Swell Direction0/25

Swell Size14/25

Swell Period25/25

Wind1/25

Raw Score40/100

Adjustments

🌊💨 Windswell-5

🌊 Tide+5

💨 Gusty Wind-5

⚠️ Weak Component-15

Adjusted Score20/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score20

🌊💨 Windswell🌊 Optimal tide window

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to SCY, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

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Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell1.1m @14s SSW outside window

Wind21 km/h S cross-shore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

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Spot Details

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: NW (315°)
Direction range: 290° - 340°
Size range: 0.9m - 2.7m
Ideal size: 1.7m - 2.3m
Height multiplier: 0.97×
Ideal period: 14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: SE (135°)
Offshore range: 110° - 160°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: mid to high
Optimal range: 0.5m - 1.5m

Water temp

24°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

5/10

Crowd level

3/10

Access: Walking distance from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of wave is Punta Carola?

Punta Carola is a point break in San Cristobal, Galapagos, Ecuador, that mostly breaks right.

What swell works best at Punta Carola?

Punta Carola picks up swell from the WNW round to the NNW, and it's best when it's coming straight out of the NW. It starts working at around 0.9m and handles up to about 2.7m, with the sweet spot around 1.7 to 2.3m. Period matters too: aim for 14s or longer, as anything under 10s 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 Punta Carola?

A SE wind is dead offshore at Punta Carola, and anything from the ESE round to the SSE keeps it clean. The morning is typically the best window, roughly 6am to 11am. Light winds from other directions can still be fine; strong offshores can make it hard to get into waves.

What tide is best at Punta Carola?

Punta Carola is at its best around the mid to high tide, roughly 0.5m to 1.5m on the local chart.

When is the best time of year to surf Punta Carola?

The most reliable run of swell at Punta Carola comes Dec to Apr. There's a second window in May to Jun and Nov too. Best December-April with NW swells.

How cold is the water at Punta Carola?

The water at Punta Carola averages around 24°C, so boardshorts or a rashguard will do. It shifts a few degrees through the year, so check the season before you pack.

Is Punta Carola good for beginners?

It's more of an intermediate wave, rated 5/10 for difficulty, so newer surfers are best off sticking to the smaller days. The lineup is usually quiet (crowd 3/10). Rocky entry. Sea lions frequent the lineup.

How do I get to Punta Carola?

The nearest airport on our list is SCY, then it's roughly a 10-minute drive. Walking distance from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.

What other surf spots are near Punta Carola?

The closest breaks we track are El Canon (2.2 km), Tongo Reef (5.6 km) and La Loberia (7.6 km), handy when Punta Carola isn't working. We track 4 spots around San Cristobal, Galapagos in total.