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Sustainable Surfing in Peru

Posted by Meg Weaver on November 10, 2009
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Chicama pic 2.jpgI can’t get enough of Peru and though I’ve never been, I’m fascinated by it. I’ve fact-checked our May/June feature on taking the “High Road” to Machu Picchu, and our editor-in-chief wrote about visiting the pre-Inca city of Kuelap in our October “Places of a Lifetime” issue. So when I heard about Machapu Adventures, a new company offering environmentally sustainable, community-based surfing trips to coastal Peru, I had to find out more.

The founders of Machapu Adventures, Carlos Zuñiga and Nico Parkerson, stopped by National Geographic headquarters to tell me about their company, the kinds of trips they offer, and how travelers can help Peru’s coastal communities.

chicama pic 4.jpgCarlos’s father opened a hotel in the small town of Chicama (population about 7,000) in 2007. Having studied hospitality management, Carlos soon took over, and set out to make the destination more than a mere hotel. He recruited his friend Nico, who at the time had been working as a security specialist in Miami. Both men love to surf and have deep family ties to coastal Peru. They decided to develop the hotel in Chicama into the Chicama Surf Resort, the first upscale surf resort in Peru.

Today, they offer travelers trips to Peru’s other superstar attractions through their company, Machapu Adventures (“Machapu” means “wave” in Quechua). The 20-room resort is ten hours south of Lima; visitors must fly to Trujillo, about 45 minutes from the hotel. The Chicama Surf Resort (which has a spa, mud baths, steam room, and gym) employs 15-20 local people and serves healthy, mostly locally sourced food, some of it organic. The guys tell me it is high-energy food for active people: quinoa, fish, ceviche. Carlos and Nico are in the process of developing green initiatives beyond the low-flush toilets and other water-saving measures already in place. As the town has no recycling facilities, they’re working on finding a place for recyclables.

Machapu Adventures attracts surfers to the “wave garden” that brews off Chicama, one of the longest left-breaking waves in the world. The guys enthusiastically tell me that at this Shangri-la for surfers you can ride the same wave for two miles [video here]. The surfing is great year-round but peak season is March-November, during the South American summer.

Thumbnail image for Chicama pic 1.jpgIn addition to great surfing and comfy-chic accommodations, Machapu Adventures aims to give back to the Chicama community through a variety of initiatives. The guys tailor guests’ involvement in the community to their preferences, skills, and the length of time they have to give. For example, some Navy doctors came to Chicama during their shore leave in Lima and set up a clinic for the local people for a few days. A dentist/surfer who’d come to Chicama twice before held a dental clinic through Machapu while staying at the surf resort. Nico and Carlos are hoping to renovate and provide supplies to the local school for handicapped kids, orchestrate regular beach clean ups, preserve a section of undeveloped land as a nature area full of foxes and condors, as well as assemble a surf team for local kids to get them looking toward the future and interacting with visitors in a positive way.

Chicama was the site of sugar plantations since the Jesuits established one there in the 17th century. Century-old buildings of the W.D. Grace and Gildemeister sugar companies lie abandoned. The guys would love to renovate them and turn them into a museum or historic center. They hope to apply for an IDB

grant to salvage the Pullman train and trolley cars lurking in the yard. There are pre-Inca temples to excavate and a community center to finish. They hope local teens will perform traditional songs and dance for travelers at the community center, earning tips for their efforts while preserving their traditional culture and sharing it with travelers.

The bottom line for Machapu Adventures, Nico tells me earnestly, is to use the hotel as the focal point through which the community can take charge of its own development; to do something positive with the money generated by tourism. The guys are working with locals and the mayor to get these ambitious projects off the ground.

If, like me, you can’t get enough of Peru, check out our online photo gallery of Aaron Huey’s “Faces of Peru,” and our  Lima Destination Guide, recent City Life coverage of Lima.

Photos: Jesus “El Zorro” Florian

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Comments

  1. Jet Set Life
    November 11, 2009, 12:35 am

    This sure is an excellent place to have some fun in the sun! I have been planning to include Peru in my next travel plan. Thanks a lot for the helpful information!

  2. Milan Hotels
    November 11, 2009, 3:34 am

    What can I remember about a beach? It’s sun, warm and beautiful and also the wave to surf. Looking at the photographs, I can see, it really fascinating beach to surf. Waiting for the wave come and stand on the top of the wave, I feel like, I can touch heaven and it is so close with the sky.

  3. Gabriela Machuca
    November 11, 2009, 11:23 pm

    Hi,
    Mi name is Gabriela Machuca and I am a peruvian journalist. Actually, I´m quite interested in the story that you wrote, for my local newspaper, so I wonder if you can send me a web page or the hotel owner´s mails so I can contact them. I will aprecciate it very much.
    And to all of you … come ti Peru! It´s an extraordinary place! Check this video, maybe I can persuade you!
    http://www.livethelegendperu.com/frontend/index.php

  4. Tanie bilety lotnicze
    November 12, 2009, 9:07 am

    I must say that Peru did offer some of the best waves in terms of lenght of rides. The prices also in Peru dont seem jacked up yet for the tourists. Hope that doesnt end soon.

  5. Esteban
    November 12, 2009, 10:38 am

    What gorgeous pictures. This looks like a place of serene beauty where time can stop for a few days. I dig the attitude of these two fellows. It’s nice that “rebuilding your community” can be an actual corporate goal instead of a publicity campaign based on empty slogans. Bravo Machapu!

  6. Peter West Carey
    November 12, 2009, 3:09 pm

    It’s great to see more companies like this highlighted for what they are doing right. It’s also odd that it seems so ‘against the grain’. Thanks for sharing!

  7. Jaime
    November 13, 2009, 5:47 pm

    On my trip to Peru, I was unsure of the safety and accessibility of its culture. What I found was a country of truly warm and beautiful people eager to share their rich and incredible history and customs. Next time I go back, I plan on going to this Hotel in Chicama and give back to the Peruvians who have shared so much of their lives with me. Thank you for the information on this grassroots opportunity.

  8. Juan Valdivia
    November 14, 2009, 1:04 pm

    Seeking for an exceptional destination, we found Peru: “The Land of the Incas”, it has an incredible nature and an extraordinary historical heritage; its unique gastronomy is based on millenarian traditional recipes; moreover, its unique handicraft reflex its historical and cultural heritage which invites you to travel to Peru, to visit both Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines, two World Heritage enigmatic monuments; as well, you will have a kind and affectionate treatment by Peruvians who are proud of their history and country, and invite you to discover Peru’s tourist routes.
    In this magical country, a dream called San Agustín Hotels has come true; they symbolize the history and culture of Peru, allowing visitors to keep a special feeling when discover the ancient, gastronomical, artisan and avant-garde Peru.
    Discover “The Land of the Incas” through our hotels in Peru: In the colonial Lima, in the modern Miraflores, in the historical Cuzco, and in the magical paradise of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

  9. How to Lose Weight
    November 17, 2009, 7:06 am

    This is really a magical country. I love the beaches and resorts while I’m staying there. The peoples are nice too. I wish I can go there again for my next vacation.

  10. karen brandon
    January 2, 2010, 2:20 am

    The travel information provided about Peru will create an interest in many people, to include Peru in their vacation list. I think that traveling to Peru will be more exploratory.

  11. Davis Miller
    February 25, 2010, 6:13 pm

    I like this place! I love the idea and wish there was a place like this in Astoria, Queens. I am a surfer and found a “real surfer bar” in Point Break NYC. I am kinda jealous ;0PIts filled with surfers, people who like surfers, people who like the beach and people who don’t want to live close to town. I really like this place. You know what they have these real Proctor and Channel One surfboards on the wall. It’s nice for coming any day of the week and eating a late brunch. The food was outstanding. The brunch and sides were prefect and tasty. It is a perfect “escape” from city living. It is probably one of the only places where you can get a nice frozen pina colada or margarita. The service was on hit. They came up and checked on us so many times and made sure everything was up to par. It gets very active and the bartenders keep everybody having a good time. The bartender was very accommodating. He was nice enough to make a drink, that wasn’t on the menu, for me :0) Did I mention the bartenders are nice eye candy. It was amazing to see their “das boot” which is shaped like a boot filled with beer. Don’t get me wrong, I am not drunk…it’s an actual boot shaped beer container ready to be emptied. Try it ..You will love it!! Oh. How can I forget, they even have a wheel o’ shots where you just have to spin it and have to drink whatever shot it lands on!! Now call that bar creativity at its best!!! And when I spill a tray full of shots on myself, the bartender so kindly remakes them for me? Good music, too, and the decor helped us weather an otherwise overcast and rainy day. You know that old song “Brandy”? It goes, “Brandy, you’re a fine girl, what a good wife you would be. But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea.” I believe Brandy works here. No reason, I just do. And that song happens to be a guilty pleasure of mine, so that’s a plus in my book. You can simply waltz over to this colorful and warm establishment, enjoy some drinks with friends, and walk home. The bar is right at the center, so you can walk to either side for drinks, and the bartenders are friendly and at your service. There is a variety of seating, good music, and friendly neighborhood people to make your time more enjoyable. Not pretentious, very cozy, I think Point Break is a fabulous place to spend some time with friends.

  12. Davis Miller
    February 25, 2010, 6:21 pm

    I like this place! I love the idea and wish there was a place like this in Astoria, Queens. I am a surfer and found a “real surfer bar” in Point Break NYC. I am kinda jealous ;0PIts filled with surfers, people who like surfers, people who like the beach and people who don’t want to live close to town. I really like this place. You know what they have these real Proctor and Channel One surfboards on the wall. It’s nice for coming any day of the week and eating a late brunch. The food was outstanding. The brunch and sides were prefect and tasty. It is a perfect “escape” from city living. It is probably one of the only places where you can get a nice frozen pina colada or margarita. The service was on hit. They came up and checked on us so many times and made sure everything was up to par. It gets very active and the bartenders keep everybody having a good time. The bartender was very accommodating. He was nice enough to make a drink, that wasn’t on the menu, for me :0) Did I mention the bartenders are nice eye candy. It was amazing to see their “das boot” which is shaped like a boot filled with beer. Don’t get me wrong, I am not drunk…it’s an actual boot shaped beer container ready to be emptied. Try it ..You will love it!! Oh. How can I forget, they even have a wheel o’ shots where you just have to spin it and have to drink whatever shot it lands on!! Now call that bar creativity at its best!!! And when I spill a tray full of shots on myself, the bartender so kindly remakes them for me? Good music, too, and the decor helped us weather an otherwise overcast and rainy day. You know that old song “Brandy”? It goes, “Brandy, you’re a fine girl, what a good wife you would be. But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea.” I believe Brandy works here. No reason, I just do. And that song happens to be a guilty pleasure of mine, so that’s a plus in my book. You can simply waltz over to this colorful and warm establishment, enjoy some drinks with friends, and walk home. The bar is right at the center, so you can walk to either side for drinks, and the bartenders are friendly and at your service. There is a variety of seating, good music, and friendly neighborhood people to make your time more enjoyable. Not pretentious, very cozy, I think Point Break is a fabulous place to spend some time with friends.

  13. mens swimwear
    August 12, 2010, 2:56 am

    It’s nice for coming any day of the week and eating a late brunch. The food was outstanding. The brunch and sides were prefect and tasty. It is a perfect “escape” from city living.

  14. Sand Sock Girl
    September 27, 2010, 3:56 am

    I just definitely love surfing in Peru! One of thew best beaches I can never forget. That place is like a paradise to me!

  15. Natalie
    November 29, 2010, 9:00 pm

    I am a proud Peruvian, a descendant of the Gildemeister family. My grandmother was the last generation to be raised on the plantations and she lives in Arizona with me now. There is such history and family ties for me to learn about still but I thrilled to see other people taking interest in this also. It was her family’s plantation, also the most successful in the world, until the government chose to nationalize the sugar cane production. Once that happened, her, her husband and 6 children at the time, came over on a boat to first Canada then to the United States. I simply wonder how different things would be right now if that hadn’t happened!