Day to Day Life

About Lobitos

Lobitos is located on the northern coast of Peru in the region of Piura. It is considered a small fishing town, but has a long history of oil extraction dating back to the late 19th century, when the first enterprise here, led by Balfour Williamson & company (a Scottish firm based in Santiago de Chile) established the Peruvian Petroleum Syndicate with other partners in 1901. The first wells were drilled in 1903 but actually turned out to be uneconomic. New and deeper wells were again drilled in the northern zone of Lobitos in January 1904 and these turned out to be much more viable: Lobitos was born.

Lobitos, located in the Ecuatorial Dry Forest, has a warm, hot and dry weather all year round. Unless we are under an extreme “El Niño” event, very little to no rainfall can be expected only during the summer months (December - March). The average yearly rainfall is only 2mm per year. Nights are also warm indoors but can get a bit windy and chilly outdoors especially at night (a windbreaker light jacket is perfect for this). The coastal landscape is rocky and sandy but is home to a vital dry forest ecosystem of many endangered plant and animal species.

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Check out what a day in the life in Lobitos looks like! Paige McWade, our Volunteer Program Coordinator, made this video.

A Day in the Life of an EcoSwell Volunteer Intern

At EcoSwell, we have a strong work ethic which involves professionalism and working efficiently as a team, but also having fun and looking after ourselves and the environment. Your day-to-day tasks will vary depending on the internship/research you are carrying out, but here is a little bit more about what to expect during your time with us:

7am-9am

Wake up and maybe go for a morning surf, a walk along the beach, or get in a workout at the house while it’s still cool out. Once a week we have a planting/maintenance morning which begins at 730am to avoid the heat later in the day.

9am-1pm

Eat breakfast and begin the day’s work. Every Monday morning we have a team meeting to plan the week and to make sure everyone knows what tasks they will be working on.

1pm-2pm

Lunch time! Meche, our wonderful cook will serve lunch for everyone. We typically eat in our outdoor dining areas to break up the work space from those we can relax in (and get some fresh air!). We encourage you to go for a refreshing swim or surf to help recharge before getting back to work!

2pm-5pm

Head back to work! Depending on the projects we’re working on, we may head into the community to work on-site, or we’ll continue researching and planning our next steps at the house.

Evenings

The working day ends and you have the evenings free to relax, go for a surf, go for beers and watch the sunset or go out for dinner at one of the local restaurants. Remember that you can help yourself to any food in the kitchen and cook yourself dinner or, even better, cook as a group with the other volunteers.

Weekends

You are not required to work on Saturday & Sunday. Feel free to either relax and surf in Lobitos or go exploring on weekend trips to other towns and beaches on the beautiful northern coast of Peru, either alone or with the other volunteers. There are many tourist attractions in the region, from party-town Mancora to pre-Hispanic ruins near Chiclayo and Trujillo, and of course endless beaches and surf spots.

Surfing

Lobitos has a variety of different waves. All of the ones in town are lefts which means this is a goofyfooter’s (right foot forward on board) paradise. Most of the waves are accessible to most skill levels of surfing.

The main point is to the south end of the beach right in front of town and is known as “La Punta”. It’s a beautiful long point break with waves starting to break over a few rocks and then peeling perfectly down the line on sand bottom ideal for different kind of maneuvers and the occasional barrel. This is one of the prime point breaks in Peru and therefore also attracts many surfers.

There are over 6 world class wave breaks within walking distance and plenty more secret spots if you are willing to travel!

Yoga with Naiana Lunelli — Yoga class with Naiana Lunelli (www.instagram.com/ritmonatural.es)

Extra activities

Interns work between 9am to 5pm on weekdays, but evenings and weekends are free for you to spend as you wish. The northern coast of Peru has amazing waves, beaches and towns to go visit, with lots of different activities on offer such as:

Surf lessons with local instructors in Lobitos. Alternatively, rent one of our EcoSwell surfboards and head out to the waves by yourself
Yoga and Silks (Aerial Skills) classes
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) classes
Artesanal fishing trips with local fishermen, there might be a chance to see whales and sea lions!
Take a drawing, painting, or ceramics class in the local cultural center, Kapchay
Trekking and birdwatching in the native Dry Forest ecosystem
Eat traditional Peruvian food at local restaurants
Visits to other nearby beaches, sea caves, and towns within hours of Lobitos to explore more Peruvian landscapes, culture & history

Please note that these activities are separate and are not included in the financial contribution you make as part of the volunteer internship.