THE SAILING
It’s pretty obvious when you have a look at the shots in this article why all this travel stress is worth the effort. Uncrowded lines, shaped to perfection. You can’t ask for much more when you are looking for pure wave riding. It may not be as consistent as Cape Town for example, but with a bit of luck, you’re able to score that one absolutely epic day that is better than anything you’ve had. That day you’ll remember for years to come. The fact that Chile isn’t windy every day all day is part of the reason why it’s so good for family time. The wind never really starts before 11:00 and usually stops in the evening. Even on the windy days you still find quality time for the little ones without sand flying around. So when that big day comes, everyone is happy with you sailing until darkness.
Matanzas itself is a powerful break that becomes more and more challenging the bigger the swell gets. When it’s small it’s quite an easy place, but when it’s big, it becomes a powerful barrel. About a kilometre down the beach is Roca, a longer Version of Matanzas with it’s own groove. When it’s small, I like to sail Pupuya, which is a 5-10 minutes drive south of Matanzas. The wind is cross-on and about one sail size stronger than in Matanzas – great for jumping. If Matanzas is quite flat, Pupuya still offers a fun wave to play with.