The Stories of Lobitos, told by Lobiteñans

What started as a conversation around the table at our Dolphin Tank dinner has grown into an opportunity for young women in Lobitos to tell the stories of their community through their own lens.

Lesson 1: perspective changes everything.

If you've ever spent time in Lobitos, you know the version of the town that visitors fall in love with. The point breaks. The fishing boats. The desert meeting the sea. The feeling that somehow, in a world moving too fast, this place still operates on its own clock.

It's easy to arrive and think you understand a place. It's much harder to know its stories.

The real Lobitos exists beyond the waves. It lives in family kitchens, schoolyards, fishing docks, dusty streets, and conversations that happen long after the surfers have gone home. It's a place filled with people whose lives, histories, ambitions, and challenges rarely make it into the stories told about it.

So back in March, during our final Dolphin Tank dinner, a question emerged:

What if the stories of Lobitos could be told by Lobiteñas themselves?

What happens when creativity is given a camera and a little encouragement.

This week, that idea took its first real step. Together with Coast2Coast's Mujeres y Agua program, we've launched the inaugural photojournalism course in Lobitos for a small group of local girls.

Over the coming months they'll learn photography, interviewing, storytelling, and visual narrative. They'll experiment with perspective, composition, and observation. They'll learn how to ask questions, how to listen, and how to find stories hiding in plain sight.

A camera changes things, suddenly you’re paying close attention.

The real work is helping young women discover that their perspective matters. That the things they see every day are worth documenting. That their experiences, their communities, and their voices deserve space in the conversation about what Lobitos is today and what it might become tomorrow.

The best stories are still to be defined, but we suspect they will come from the fisherman who have watched the coastline change over decades. The grandmothers who remember some of the most intense El Niños in history. The oil rig workers who transitioned from a life of fishing for the more lucrative petrol business. The young women who dream big and have something to say.

Those are the stories we're interested in. Not stories about Lobitos. Stories from Lobitos. We'll be sharing their work as the program unfolds. For now, we're excited to watch what happens when a group of curious young women are handed a camera and asked a simple question: what do you see?

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Come See for Yourself

You can read all about La Onza’s wider commitment to community on our Impact Page, and if this is the kind of project you’re interested in supporting, scroll to the bottom to donate.

Then this August, we'll begin in the Sacred Valley and journey to Machu Picchu before heading north to Lobitos for a week of surfing, sunsets, and life on Peru's wild northern coast where we’ll have a chance to meet some of these amazing girls. We'll return again in November for our classic Surf & Yoga Retreat in Lobitos, for a more immersive experience in the ocean and community.

→ Explore More for August and November‍ retreats.

If you've ever felt drawn to Peru, not just to see it, but to understand it a little more deeply, consider this your invitation.

How Home Can Be More Than a Place

We checked in with Emma Baas,
co-founder of La Onza,
to continue our series
where we ask the team:

Why Peru?

Emma Baas

Emma is the co-founder of La Onza and a proud new mama to baby Rosie. As a global traveler who is starting her own family in Peru, we were keen to hear from her about what creates a sense of “home’ in Lobitos.

We asked: What does “home” mean to you now?

EB: For a long time, home was simple to me. It was the small village in the Netherlands where I grew up, my parents’ house. It was loving, safe, familiar. That’s what home is for most kids.

But even while growing up in such a beautiful home, I always felt there was something more out there.

Sacred Valley caputred in her lens

When I was 18, I left home and started traveling through Southeast Asia, Central America, South America, and Europe, and realized people define home in completely different ways. For some, home is the road. For others, it’s the smallest town you could imagine. I once met a woman in a tiny village in Miramar, even quieter than Lobitos, and somehow that was home for her.

For a while, the road felt like home to me too. But deep down, I think I was always searching for a place where my life flowed naturally. That place became Lobitos.

The community, the ocean, the culture, the slower rhythm of life — something here just fit me. Over time, it stopped feeling like somewhere I was visiting and started feeling like somewhere I belonged.

La Onza volunteers at skate class for the kids with local NGO Waves

And now, home has grown even bigger. I found home in my partner, and recently in my daughter too. This past weekend, I celebrated my first Mother’s Day here in Peru, and it hit me in a completely different way. I used to celebrate Mother’s Day with my mom in the Netherlands. Now I’m celebrating it here, with my own family, in the place that has become my home.

I still think home is fluid. Especially when you travel, you realize it can evolve throughout your life. The Netherlands will always be part of my home because my family and lifelong friends are there.

But right now, my home-home is Lobitos.

Emma leading a tour with local leaders

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A Local Guide to Lobitos, Peru

Perched along the desert coastline of northern Peru, Lobitos is a small surf town with a big personality. What was once a quiet oil town has gradually evolved into one of the country’s most unique coastal destinations, where long left-hand waves meet dramatic desert landscapes and a laid-back local community.

Surrounded by windswept cliffs, open Pacific horizons, and wide stretches of desert, Lobitos is as visually striking as it is culturally rich. While many travelers arrive for the waves, they often discover that the real magic of the town lies in its people and its slower rhythm of life.

For those willing to venture a little off the beaten path, Lobitos offers a glimpse into a different way of traveling in Peru — one that feels more connected to place, nature, and community. If you're planning a visit, our guide on how to get to Lobitos, Peru breaks down the easiest travel routes to the town.

The Waves

Lobitos is best known for its long, playful left-hand point breaks that peel across the bay. Thanks to consistent swell from the South Pacific and favorable coastline orientation, surfers can often find rideable waves throughout the year.

Several breaks sit within a short distance of each other, giving surfers a range of options depending on swell size and conditions.

Lobitos Point is the most accessible wave and often the first stop for visiting surfers. It offers long rides and relatively forgiving sections, making it enjoyable for a wide range of abilities.

Just down the coast, Baterías delivers a more powerful wave breaking along the base of dramatic desert cliffs. When the swell is strong, it can produce fast, hollow sections that attract experienced surfers.

Nearby, Piscinas is a beautiful point break that can offer long rides when conditions line up.

Together, these waves have helped make Lobitos one of Peru’s most respected surf destinations.

There are of course many, many other spots all along the northern coast, but you’ll have to visit to get more local recommendations to secret spots, not found on Surfline.

The Town

Lobitos itself is small, with a population of just a few thousand residents. The town’s history is closely tied to Peru’s early oil industry, and remnants of that era can still be seen in the wooden houses and rusting structures scattered along the coastline.

Over time, Lobitos has slowly evolved into a surf destination, drawing travelers from around the world who come for the waves and end up staying for the atmosphere.

Despite the growing interest, the town has managed to maintain a relaxed, community-oriented feel that sets it apart from more developed surf towns.

A Community That Protects the Coast

One of the most remarkable aspects of Lobitos is the strength of its local community. Over the years, several grassroots organizations and NGOs have emerged here, working to protect the coastline, support youth through surf programs, and promote environmental stewardship.

These groups play an important role in preserving the natural beauty of Lobitos — organizing beach cleanups, environmental education programs, and surf initiatives that create opportunities for young people growing up in the area. You can learn more about some of these incredible organizations in our Impact section, which highlights the groups that serve as the connective tissue of this unique town.

For visitors, spending time in Lobitos often means encountering these efforts firsthand. The connection between the ocean, the land, and the people who care for it is deeply felt throughout the town.

A Meeting Point of Cultures

Although Lobitos is small, the community that gathers here is surprisingly diverse.

Local fishing families have lived along this stretch of coast for generations, shaping the rhythms of the town long before surfing arrived. In recent years, surfers and travelers from around the world have also found their way here, drawn by the waves and the quiet beauty of the desert coastline.

You’ll often find a mix of people sharing the same lineup or café table — international travelers exploring Peru, surfers from Lima escaping the city for a few days, and local residents who know the ocean better than anyone.

That blend of cultures gives Lobitos its unique atmosphere. Despite the different backgrounds, the town maintains a strong sense of community, where familiar faces appear in the water each morning and evenings often unfold around live music, small performances, and laid-back bar nights.

Beneath the surface, Lobitos also has a surprisingly vibrant underground creative scene, with artists and musicians contributing to everything from a local recording studio to ceramics workshops and multimedia art spaces that bring the community together in unexpected ways.

Where to Eat and Drink

Food in Lobitos is deeply connected to the ocean. Each morning, local fishermen bring in the day’s catch at the pier, and much of it ends up on the tables of the town’s small, family-run restaurants just hours later. Fresh ceviche is a staple here, often prepared with fish caught that same morning, alongside simple grilled seafood dishes served with rice, lime, and a view of the Pacific.

Many of these spots are humble, mom-and-pop kitchens where the menu changes depending on what came in with the boats that day. Eating in Lobitos often means slowing down, sharing a table, and enjoying some of the freshest seafood on Peru’s north coast.

During the day, La Onza Café has become a gathering place for both locals and travelers. Known for its coffee and relaxed atmosphere, it’s often one of the first stops for visitors arriving in town — a place to get your bearings, pick up a map, and hear about some of the hidden gems around Lobitos. The café menu brings together a mix of local ingredients and global comfort food, from waffles and avocado toast to fresh juices and strong coffee before a morning surf.

Evenings in Lobitos tend to be simple and social. Some nights revolve around beach bonfires, while others gather around beers at La Onza’s bar nights, music, and the occasional spontaneous party bringing together surfers, travelers, and locals.

And when major celebrations arrive — especially holidays like Carnival — the town truly comes alive. The streets fill with music, dancing, and color as fishermen, families, and visitors all join in the festivities.

That said, most people come to Lobitos for the surf, which means nights usually wind down early. Dawn patrol calls, and mornings start with the sound of waves and the first surfers paddling out into the bay.

Things to Do Beyond Surfing

Although surfing is the main draw, Lobitos offers plenty to explore beyond the waves.

The surrounding desert coastline invites long walks along the cliffs, especially at sunset when the light turns the landscape warm shades of gold and rust. Quiet coves and empty beaches nearby offer space to swim, relax, or simply watch the Pacific roll in.

For those interested in exploring the region further, nearby Capullanas offers a chance to connect with the history and culture of Peru’s northern coast. Visiting with a knowledgeable local guide brings the archaeological site to life, offering insight into the ancient civilizations that once thrived along this stretch of desert shoreline.

Just outside of town, visitors can also experience equine therapy sessions at a local ranch, where horses are used as a way to reconnect with nature and the slower rhythms of life on the coast.

Another memorable experience is heading out on the water with a local artisanal fisherman. These small fishing trips offer a glimpse into the traditions that have sustained the community for generations — and often end with preparing fresh ceviche right on the boat, using fish caught just moments earlier.

Many visitors find that these experiences reveal another side of Lobitos, where the connection between ocean, land, and community is woven into daily life.

Respecting the Local Community

Like many small surf destinations, Lobitos thrives when travelers approach the town with respect and curiosity.

Supporting local businesses, learning a few words of Spanish, and taking time to understand the culture all go a long way in helping preserve what makes this place special.

Traveling thoughtfully not only enriches your own experience — it also helps ensure that Lobitos remains a welcoming destination for future visitors.

Experiencing Lobitos With Local Knowledge

For travelers looking to go deeper, spending time with people who know the area well can completely change the experience.

Through retreats and surf experiences organized by La Onza, visitors have the opportunity to explore the waves, culture, and community of Lobitos in a more connected way — learning not just where to surf, but how the rhythms of the town shape daily life along Peru’s north coast.

A Place That Stays With You

Many travelers arrive in Lobitos expecting great waves. What they often leave with is something more difficult to describe.

Maybe it’s the desert meeting the sea, the rhythm of the tides, or the sense of community that forms quickly in a small town like this. Whatever the reason, Lobitos has a way of staying with people long after they leave.

And for many, that’s exactly what brings them back.

Planning a Visit to Lobitos

If you’re thinking about visiting Lobitos, spending time with people who know the town well can make all the difference.

Through surf retreats and local experiences at La Onza, visitors have the opportunity to explore the waves, culture, and community of Lobitos in a more connected way, from surf sessions and shared meals to the small moments that make this place unforgettable.