Surf spot

Caleta Portales

Forecast conditions and map view for Caleta Portales in Chile, Central Santiago. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: Chile, Central Santiago
Coordinates: -33.0321, -71.5927

Metric
Metric	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00
Wave height (m)	1	1	1	1	1.1	1.1	1.2	1.1	1.1	1.5	1.6	1.5	1.5	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.2	1.1	1.1	1	0.9	0.9	0.9	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.9	0.9	1	1	1	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8
Wave direction	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	SW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	WSW	WSW
Wave period (s)	10.3	10.3	10.3	10.1	9.8	9.6	8.7	9.1	8.8	7.2	7	7	7	7.2	7.2	6.8	6.6	6.5	6.4	6.2	6.2	6	5.8	5.8	10.8	10.7	10.4	10.1	10	11.7	11.4	11.3	9.3	9	10.6	10.4	10.3	10.2	10	9.9	9.8	9.7	9.7	9.7	9.6	9.8	6.5	5.1	5.2	5.1	5.2	5.2	4.8	4.7	8.1	8
Wave energy (kJ)	221	221	219	218	247	237	204	213	183	227	238	217	206	178	168	164	152	138	122	100	85	67	58	54	191	209	210	221	216	296	284	274	185	175	234	210	189	176	162	153	141	127	120	108	96	93	42	44	45	48	49	49	38	31	88	86
Wind speed (km/h)	6.5	7.8	8.9	10.3	16.2	24.5	24.7	12.6	9.2	10.1	10.3	8.4	8.4	13.6	11.6	8.9	8.7	6.2	2.8	2.4	8.8	9.8	8.8	5	10.3	9.2	5.5	5.4	5.7	11.1	13.8	12.4	11.5	9.6	7.9	7.8	6.2	9	7.2	3.1	1.5	1.8	4.4	3.7	9.3	10.6	5.5	6.5	9.7	8.2	9.7	5.9	9.4	12.7	10.6	12.6
Wind direction	EOffshore	SEOffshore	SEOffshore	SSECross-off	SSWCross	SSWCross	SSWCross	SCross-off	SCross-off	SCross-off	SSECross-off	SSECross-off	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SCross-off	SSECross-off	SEOffshore	SECross-off	SEGlassy	ENEGlassy	WNWOnshore	WNWOnshore	WSWCross-on	ESEOffshore	WSWCross-on	ESEOffshore	SCross-off	SECross-off	WSWCross-on	WSWCross-on	SWCross-on	SSECross-off	SEOffshore	SEOffshore	SSECross-off	SSECross-off	SWCross-on	WOnshore	WOnshore	ENEGlassy	SWGlassy	SWGlassy	NGlassy	ENEGlassy	NWOnshore	WOnshore	WSWCross-on	SCross-off	SSECross-off	SSECross-off	SSECross-off	SEOffshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	SSWCross	SCross-off

Caleta Portales is one of the best-known urban surf spots on Chile’s central coast, located in Valparaíso—not Santiago itself, but about 1.5–2 hours west of Santiago by car.

Quick description

Type of break: Mostly a reef / rocky point-style wave with nearby sand influence depending on swell and tide.
Wave quality: Can be fast, powerful, and punchy, especially when the swell lines up well.
Best swell: Works best with S–SW swell from the Southern Ocean.
Wind: Usually wants light offshore or calm conditions; strong onshore wind can make it messy.
Crowd: Often crowded, since it’s a famous and accessible city wave.
Level: Better suited to intermediate to advanced surfers, though conditions can vary.

What it’s known for

Very accessible from the city of Valparaíso.
A classic cold-water Chilean surf spot with a strong local scene.
Scenic setting near the fishing cove of Caleta Portales.

Conditions to keep in mind

Water temperature: Cold year-round, so a wetsuit is essential.
Hazards: Rocks, shallow sections, and strong wave energy on bigger days.
Tide sensitivity: Tidal stage can strongly affect the wave shape and safety.