Best Things to do in Pichilemu and Punta de Lobos, Chile

Pichilemu is a small town with a hippie-like, care free vibe on the coast of Chile. It also offers black sand beaches, epic rock formations, a chill town to walk around in, and some of the best surfing in the world - the surf here is so good, that pros make their way down here to ride all year round. It's only a few hours from Santiago, making it the perfect beach destination for any trip to Chile. So if you want to include a little beach vacation into your trip to Chile and want to surf, here are some of the best things to do in Pichilemu.

Stay at Lodge del Mar

Lodge del Mar is located on the main road between Pichilemu and Punta de Lobos (which is the famous surf break in the area). This location is optimal, as you are about five minutes away from each of those spots by car. The lodge itself is made up of several super modern villas. Their facades are covered with rustic wood panels, black window frames, and massive windows, which you'll need for staring out at the Pacific Ocean. The inside of the units offer a cabin-like vibe, as the floors walls and furniture elements are all constructed of wood. They also offer a number of hotel rooms with amazing views of the ocean if you don't require a full villa.

Aside from the stunning architecture of this hotel, the amenities are what set it apart. They offer a pool and lounge area right by the beach, a sauna, and several hot tubs constructed of wood for post surf lounging. There is also a massive, beautiful dining hall that provides an included buffet breakfast every morning. On top of all of that, the staff at the hotel is extremely helpful, courteous and nice. One of the hotel Managers, Roberto, was especially nice to us, and made our stay in Pichilemu that much better. So, because of all that, Lodge del Mar not only ranks as one of the best places to stay in Pichilemu, but also one of the best things to do.

Eat at RACHA

Racha is right beside Lodge del Mar, placing it in between Pichilemu and Punta de Lobos. If you are staying in the town itself, RACHA is well worth the drive, as it is one of the best restaurants in Pichilemu.

The salad bowls here are massive, filled with tons of fresh vegetables, cheeses and nuts, and presented in some very cool stone bowls, the falafal burger was one of the greatest burgers I've ever had in my life (both meat or vegetarian), and just about everything else on the menu and everything else I saw ordered looked incredible.

The interior of the restaurant rocked rustic wood tables, wicker style chairs, and, as mentioned before, some really rad stoneware. The building itself is modern like the villas in Lodge del Mar. To truly make this place one of the best in Pichilemu, the restaurant offers a massive back patio that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Oh yeah, and the sun sets right in front of it. So do yourself a favor, grab one of the bowls or a falafel burger after a surf session, order a beer and take in the sunset at this incredible restaurant.

Surf Pichilemu's Famous Surf Breaks

This one kind of goes without saying. Pichilemu is home to some of the best surf breaks in the world, so this wouldn't be a proper best of Pichilemu list without this section. The most famous location, however, is in a very small town called Punta de Lobos, which is about ten minutes from Pichilemu (or five minutes from Lodge del Mar). When you pull off the main road towards the Punta de Lobos beach, you'll see cars parked along the side. Your best bet is to get there fairly early, as "parking spaces" close to the beach fill up fast.

Several surf shops call the sand here home, so finding a board to rent or a lesson is very easy. There is no electricity source on the beach though, so bring cash with you if do plan to rent or book a lesson. If you are a beginner and just looking to surf in smaller waves closer to shore, be careful of the rocks and the rip tides here. There should be some flags on the beach to indicate where you should be surfing / swimming. I would not advise moving anywhere outside of those.

If you're heading to Chile to see some of the world class waves that makes Punta de Lobos a world class surf spot, you'll need to walk down to the end of the road, climb down a cliff and swim out towards the famous rock formations that jut out of the foamy water. The trek down is a little sketchy, and the swim out to the line up is a little daunting, but I imagine it's worth it if big wave surfing is your thing. And by big wave I mean big. Some of these waves can be ginormous. When I was there, waves rolled through that were 20-30 feet in height (way above my ability).

There are a few other surf breaks along the coastline in Pichilemu itself, however the waves were small, chaotic and messy the day we went, so I don't have a real review of them. I was told that a lot of the lessons do happen in this area, making it a slightly more beginner-friendly surf area. There are tons of surf shops in this area as well, making rentals and lessons easy. The inner breaks at Punta de Lobos can be beginner friendly, and I would say it's a much more epic surf beach, so I'd check it out first. The best thing to do is talk to some of the local surf shops, tell them your skill level, and get their opinion on where you should surf that day. Either way, surfing in Pichilemu is a must for anyone's best of Pichilemu list.

Watch the Pros Surf Punta de Lobos

Now, if you're like me and love to surf, but aren't a pro, watching some of the pros at Punta de Lobos can be an incredibly thrilling experience. The massive waves crashing and foaming and thundering along the giant rock formations and cliffs along the coast looks like something out of a real surf movie (because it is). This is a real chance to watch some of the best surfers out there take on some truly gigantic, powerful and mean waves.

Even if you aren't a surfer, it's still cool to go out and see. You can easily park your car along the road into the beach, hike to the very end of it and chill out at the lookout point. You'll immediately see the famous two rock formations that Punta de Lobos is known for. And then you'll immediately see the giant rollers cruising in behind them. If you look carefully, you'll see a tiny surfer trvaersing down the cliff, hopping into the water towards the rock formations, and paddling out into the white, foamy chaos.

So, if you're headed to Chile and want to add a little beach vacation in, check out Pichilemu and Punta de Lobos. It's only a few hour from Santiago, and is well worth the commute. If you're a surfer looking to travel to Chile, then Pichilemu and Punta de Lobos is a must. So grab a surfboard, hit the beach and check out some of the other best things to do in Pichilemu.

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