Surf City, Chile

International Living Postcards-- your daily escape

Thursday, July 13, 2006
Pichilemú, Chile

I could see the big wave coming while it was still a long way from shore, one of those waves that reward the surfers who patiently hang around far out from the beach. I could see that one of the half dozen surfers out there had it timed just right; he paddled furiously and caught the wave perfectly while his companions were left behind.

As is true with just about all of the waves here today, this one broke from south to north, as the beach angled away from the surfer. This guy was obviously no beginner; he cut up and down the face of the wave as he rode 150 yards toward shore, and about the same distance again up the coast as he followed the break.

This is why people are coming to Pichilemú on Chile's central coast. I'm told that the surfing here is better than anywhere else in Chile. It's certainly better than anything I've seen elsewhere in my Pacific travels this year.

Unless you're a surfer, Pichilemú (pronounced pee chee lay mu) won't appeal to you. This isn't the ideal place to live, retire, or own a vacation home. This is a surfer town, despite several failed attempts to turn it into some sort of higher-end venue. Absent are the high-rises, fancy hotels, and condos. In their place are a multitude of delectable open-air restaurants, cabins, and what may be Chile's broadest, wildest, black-sand beaches and biggest waves.

I found the town kind of shabby for full-time living. The homes are mostly small and wooden--more weekend cabins than homes, in many cases--with small lots. It was more reminiscent of a Third World Latin American town than a typically Chilean town. But the beachside cabins are perfect for the surfers who are here.

Property prices are the lowest I've seen for beachfront anywhere in Chile. Some beachfront lots are for sale just down the coast from where we're staying--6,450 square feet and the asking price is 5.9 million Chilean pesos ($10,500). A larger ocean-view lot of 1-1/4 acre on Punta de Lobos will cost you 37 million pesos ($65,500). The contact for both of these properties is Propiedades Pichilemú, tel. + (56) 72 841 974 (no English spoken--Spanish only).

If you're interested in an oceanfront cabin--directly on the beach--there are several nice ones available. The one I like the best is selling for 33 million pesos ($58,500). It's a two-story that has two bedrooms and two baths. It's in a small gated development of similar homes, with caretakers on duty. The front of the house is comprised of a huge window, which allows you to take advantage of the view from both levels. I'll go into more detail about these types of properties in my articles for the print edition of International Living (see below).

Pichilemú certainly isn't for everyone. But if you're looking for a stretch of undeveloped beach where you can get away from it all, or if you'd like to try your hand at some great surfing, then it could be for you.

Lee Harrison
Roving Latin America Editor, International Living