Palo Buque Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Tarapaca, Chile)

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Palo Buque Surf Guide

Palo Buque in Tarapaca is an exposed reef and point break that usually has waves. Winter is the best time of year for surfing here. The best wind direction is from the east. Most of the surf here comes from groundswells and the best swell direction is from the south southwest. A reef breaks left and there is a left hand point break as well. Best around mid tide when the tide is rising. Rarely crowded here. Be wary of rips - they make surfing here dangerous.

Palo Buque Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef and point	2	consistent	16.8°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Palo Buque:

The best conditions reported for surf at Palo Buque occur when a South-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 Palo Buque (for consistent clean waves)?

februaryBest Season: summer

The best time of year for surfing Palo Buque 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 18% of the time in February while 70% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 12% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

18%

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

blown out

70%

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

too small

12%

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

Explore Palo Buque Location Map

Interactive Palo Buque 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 Palo Buque is Diego Aracena International (Iquique) Airport (IQQ) in Chile, which is 21 km (13 miles) away (directly). The second closest airport to Palo Buque is Chacalluta (Arica) Airport (ARI), also in Chile, 223 km (139 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.

Palo Buque Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 5 May 2026, 16:13 Local Time

m, °C	Tuesday 05			Wed
ft, °F	5PM	8PM	11PM	2AM
Wave (m)	SW	SW	SW	SW
Period (s)	14	14	13	13
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross- on	glass	glass	glass

Tides at Palo Buque

Current tide and informaton

For Palo Buque, 0 km from Palo Buque.

Next High Water: 12:02am | 0.54m

Next Low Water: 06:34pm | 0.19m

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

Palo Buque Sea Temperature

Sunny with pleasantly warm air temperatures (feels like 21.0 °C) at Palo Buque, yet the sea remains several degrees colder than the air. Most 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*: 16.8°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite