Cabo Blanco

Cabo Blanco was a big-game fishing destination in the 1950s, when the Humboldt and the equatorial currents meeting offshore produced black marlin of record size and the Cabo Blanco Fishing Club drew a wealthy international crowd; Hemingway stayed for a month in 1956 while filming of The Old Man and the Sea was under way offshore. The club has gone and the fishery collapsed with industrial pressure. What the village is known for now is the wave: a short, fast, hollow left that breaks over a shallow bottom when a north swell arrives, generally between October and February, producing barrels of a quality that draws surfers from across Peru and beyond - and it is a heavy wave, not a place to learn. Outside the season it can be flat for weeks. The village is small, working and rough around the edges, with oil infrastructure nearby.

Highlights

• The wave - a short hollow left breaking on north swells from about October to February.
• The fishing history - the 1950s marlin club and Hemingway's 1956 stay.
• The village - a small working fishing settlement with basic facilities.
• The currents - the Humboldt and equatorial waters meeting offshore.

When to go

October to February for the wave; the fishing season runs differently. A day or an overnight. Outside swell season there may be nothing at all.

What to expect

The wave is heavy, shallow and for experienced surfers only. It is fickle - long flat spells are normal. Facilities in the village are minimal. Oil industry infrastructure sits nearby and the shoreline is not pristine.

Nearby

Máncora and Los Órganos are north; Talara is south.

Key facts