El
Faro beach, Pacasmayo is located in La Libertad, approximately in kilometer
666 of the Panamericana Norte highway. This beach is known for its good
waves and ideal wind direction.
Wind
The beach has a land strip that goes into the sea (a tiny peninsula) where
the lighthouse is (el Faro). Next to it is where surfers ride their waves.
However, the wind is very light there and it is very rocky, so no windsurf
is practiced there. To the right of this strip is the beach that is usually
used to windsurf. The wind blows there side-offshore, usually from 14
to 20 knots in the sea. The wind can be quite different on the shore.
Sails most often used are from 4.5 to 6 square meters.Waves
Waves in Pacasmayo are long and very well formed. Sometimes, when the
swell is up, 200 meters of wave can be ridden. Wave sizes range from 1
to 3 meters most of the time. When it is really big, they can get to mast-height.
Sea
The water temperature is low in winter so a full 3/2 suit is needed. During
the summer a shorty is enough. Some people use booties because there are
sharp shells and sea urchins. There are some shallow parts that one should
be aware of. They can be easily seen when the tide is very low. Sometimes
it is necessary to walk about 100 meters to have the fin safe from rocks.
With high tide it is possible to sail a few meters from shore.
Break Points
There are usually 3 breaking points. One next to where the surfers are,
next to the land strip, the best and biggest one, another one in the middle
of the beach, and the third one to the right of the beach. Depending on
the size of the swell, these breaks can be very definite and separate
or can disappear to let a big wave roll across the whole beach.
Lodging
In town (2 km from the beach) there are several hotels and hostals. The
most known are the Pakatnamu (about $20 for a double room), the Continental,
the Caesar’s hotel and the Duke Kahanamoku hostal. The most common
place to eat is Café Café, a cheap and good chinese restaurant.
Nightlife is good, especially La Taberna (close to the market).