Surf: General: Las Machas is a long beach that starts in Chile and ends in Peru. It's mostly a great training ground for the young and less-experienced surfers, but during the huge winter swells it serves also as a decompression valve from the morning sessions in one or more of the bigger, gnarlier waves of Arica. Wind works like clockwork in Arica: no wind in the morning, then at around midday or 1pm, winds start to pick up and blow away the best waves in town (Gringo and Buey). Machas works pretty much all day, so the afternoons are dedicated to less-tense sessions on a few mushy waves in this nice and friendly beachbreak. Usually, the best spot on the beach is by the second pier in front of the big isolated tower. But it's a huge beachbreak and there are waves all over the place. You can also explore a mile or two up north and find another beachbreak working with less crowd. Tides: Low Size: Shoulder high Wind: South Swell: SSW Bottom: Sand Paddling: Not much. Spot Rating: An average beachbreak but makes up for it with the amount of waves it produces. Access: Just park in front of the beach. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Can get pretty crowded, but it's a mellow crowd. Local Vibe: Expect drop-ins by the local kids and bodyboarders. Environment: Not bad, can get dirty when it rains. Hazards: Hitting the pier. Season: May-July