Chicama, human settlement in Peru

Chicama is a town in the Chicama Valley of Ascope Province, La Libertad, about 33 km north of Trujillo beside the Pan-American Highway. It is the capital of its district, and its main buildings stand around a Plaza de Armas, as in Spanish colonial towns. The wave that made it known breaks along the valley's coast.

Diego de Mora, governor for the Spanish Crown and captain under Francisco Pizarro, founded the settlement originally called Chacma as a resting point linking the Chicama and Moche valleys and Trujillo travellers heading north. At the end of the 18th century it took its current name, Chicama. As in Spanish towns, the main buildings were raised around a Plaza de Armas.

The town was originally called Chacma; it took its current name, Chicama, at the end of the 18th century, after the river and valley. Diego de Mora founded it in the early 16th century as a resting point between the Chicama and Moche valleys. Its main buildings stand around a Plaza de Armas, following Spanish colonial tradition.

Chicama lies beside the Pan-American Highway, about 33 km north of Trujillo, in the Chicama Valley. The wave breaks in long sections, so riders often arrange a boat or a vehicle to return up the point instead of paddling back. Mornings usually bring cleaner, lighter wind before the afternoon breeze picks up.

A special feature of Chicama is that the wave is so long that surfers use boats to get back out quickly and spend more time riding. This makes the spot unique among surf breaks worldwide and allows riders to catch dozens of rides in a single day.