The Peruvian surf town of Huanchaco will be officially dedicated as a World Surfing Reserve, on the 26th October 2013.
Huanchaco, with its three miles of surf-rich, environmentally diverse coastline, will represent the first World Suring Reserve site in Latin America.
The Peruvian surf sanctuary joins just four other sites to claim such status - Malibu in California, Ericeira in Portugal, Manly-Freshwater Beach in Australia, and Santa Cruz in California.
"I am excited and very pleased with this news regarding the Huanchaco World Surfing Reserve", says Felipe Pomar, the 1965 world surfing champion, and ambassador for Peruvian surfing culture.
The World Surfing Reserve criteria includes items such as wave quality and consistency, unique environmental characteristics, surf culture and history, and community support.
Huanchaco is credited with being the birthplace of Peru's "caballito de totora", one of humanity's earliest known surf crafts used to ply the waves for both work and pleasure.