El Rancio Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Atacama, Chile)

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Spot Information

El Rancio Surf Guide

El Rancio in Atacama is an exposed reef break that has very reliable surf. Winter is the best time of year for surfing here. Ideal winds are from the east. Groundswells more frequent than windswells and the ideal swell angle is from the west southwest. The quality of the surf isn't affected by the tide. Beware of Ledgy Urchins - Rocks - Pollution.

El Rancio Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef	3	very consistent	17.9°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing El Rancio:

The best conditions reported for surf at El Rancio occur when a West-southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the East.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf El Rancio (for consistent clean waves)?

februaryBest Season: summer

The best time of year for surfing El Rancio with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Summer and most often the month of February. Clean surfable waves are typically found 32% of the time in February while 68% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 0% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

32%

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

68%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore El Rancio Location Map

Interactive El Rancio surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The nearest passenger airport to El Rancio is Chacalluta (Arica) Airport (ARI) in Chile, which is 18 km (11 miles) away (directly). The second closest airport to El Rancio is Coronel Fap Carlos Ciriani Santa Rosa (Tacna) Airport (TCQ) in Peru, 51 km (32 miles) away.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

El Rancio Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 5 May 2026, 09:59 Local Time

m, °C	Tuesday 05
ft, °F	11AM	2PM	5PM	8PM
Wave (m)	SW	SW	SW	SW
Period (s)	15	15	14	14
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross- on	cross- on	glass	glass

What does El Rancio look like?

Latest photos from El Rancio. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: brandon Credit: nono

Tides at El Rancio

Current tide and informaton

For Arica, Chile, 5 km from El Rancio.

Next High Water: 11:26am | 1.19m

Next Low Water: 06:26pm | 0.35m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

El Rancio Sea Temperature

Sunny with pleasantly warm air temperatures (feeling like 22.0 °C once we account for wind), yet at 17.9 °C the sea remains several degrees colder than the air at El Rancio. The majority of surfers will need a spring wetsuit though a summer suit or even a shorty may suffice for a short session.

Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 17.9°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite