About Mexico Surf Travel
Northern Baja:
Northern Baja has never really been a secret spot — it’s just too close to the bulging surf population of Southern California to have remained any kind of supercore destination. It was likely first surfed as early as the ’40s, by daytripping San Diego surfers; the first documented surf was scored by Mike Hynson and Bill Fury somewhere just south of Ensenada in ’63, and the Windansea Surf Club boated out to Todos Santos two years later. Baja’s first surf contest, the Baja Surf Club International, was held from ’66-’69 at San Miguel. The contest, which was organized by local surfer Ignacio “Nacho” Cota –who competed in the ’66 World Championships –, was well attended by most all hot California surfers of the day. After the Trans Baja highway opened in ’73, connecting the top to the Tip, Northern Baja lost some allure for more “hardcore” travelers who loved camping out in the dirt to score long point waves like Scorpion Bay and Abreojos further down. But its proximity to the border and consistent surf insured that Northern Baja would never be an overlooked destination.
Southern Baja:
With its relatively easy, consistent, warm-water waves, an unending beer and tequila supply, beautiful desert landscape coupled with comfy condos and shopping malls and its proximity to ever-growing Southern California, it’s no wonder the area around Cabo San Lucas has become a kind of surfing Disneyland. A bit dustier, sure, but no less fun. And if you’re on it, the lines for the rides are way shorter.
Cabo is generally divided into three main areas: the south-facing East Cape, which lies to the east of San Jose Del Cabo and is most famous for its proliferation of fickle, silky right pointbreaks; the southeast-facing Costa Azul, just southwest of San Jose Del Cabo, right on the tip of the peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, which is known for its reasonably consistent – and crowded – rock reefbreaks; and the west-facing Pacific Coast, northwest of Cabo San Lucas, which is known best for its dependable beach and rock-reef breaks.
The three main towns of this region are quite different. San Jose Del Cabo, where the airport is located, is a fairly quaint little colonial town, with a big public plaza right downtown and plenty of nice restaurants and shopping and low-key hotels. Cabo San Lucas, about 20 miles west, is a giant party/port town, with drunk tourists stumbling around the streets as early as 10am and fast-blinking neon signs urging visitors to drink more. Todos Santos, about an hour up the Pacific Coast, is considered a little artist’s enclave, with groovy little galleries and plenty of ex-pat conveniences.
Riviera Nayarit Area:
The stretch of coast from Puerto Vallarta to just north of Mazatlan is one of Mainland Mexico’s most populated and accessible tourist destinations. Its proximity to the States, dependably decent summertime surf and laid-back lifestyle ensure its ongoing popularity with surfers of all shapes, sizes and skill levels. It’s easy to get here, easy to find a place to stay and most of the region’s waves are easy to surf. Sure, it’s not Indo death barrels, but after an all-day session at one of the region’s left pointbreaks, watching the sunset from a beach-side bar with a cold beer in your hand, life can seem like a damn fine thing.
Manzanillo Area:
The Jalisco and Colima regions of Mexico contain a long series of beachbreaks, rivermouths, and the occasional coral reef, stretching from Puerto Vallarta in the north to the border of Michoacan in the south. While it’s home to several high-quality waves like Tecuan, Campos Manzanillo, El Pariso, and Boca de Apisa, the jewel of this area is the infamous Pascuales. A thumping beachbreak that can accommodate 25+ foot waves, Pascuales is to Jalisco and Colima what Puerto Esondido is to Oaxaca … namely dangerous, hollow, and for experts only if there’s any hint of Southern Hemi in the water.
Lazaro Cardenas Area:
Michoacan is what people think of when they think of Mainland Mexico, even if they’ve never been here. Its southwest facing coast winds its way for almost a couple hundred miles through dense jungle, past deserted beaches, and small fishing villages – this stretch of MEX 200 was some of the last coastal road to be completed, and its lack of high-rise hotels and time-share hawkers reflect this. It is a slow, hot, quiet place that used to be semi-sketchy with drug runners, irate natives and corrupt Federales, but it’s gone on to become more accessible, safer, and more convenient to visit that ever before. (That said, one should always be careful, especially traveling at night.)
Acapulco Area:
From Lázaro Cárdenas to Tecoanapa and beyond, Guerrero has a plethora of spots to surf, though none of them are considered truly world-class since the building of the port at Petacalco, which killed the state’s best wave. The area is known more for its party/vacation scene, which rotate around the hubs of Zihuatanejo and Acapulco, though there is a wide variety of surf for those trying to escape the family. From reefs to points to beachbreaks, you’ll find a ton of different setups, but to surf them all, a four-wheel-drive vehicle will be necessary.
Puerto Escondido Area:
The state of Oaxaca (pronounced: wah-HA-ka) in Southern Mexico is home to what could be considered the most-famous beachbreak in the world: Zicatela Beach, aka Puerto Escondido. But few realize that the potentially fatal monster of a wave is flanked on both sides by incredible surf spots, many of which are well-kept secrets guarded by the kinds of people you don’t want to piss off. Some local knowledge is key to really enjoying the region, as many of the best waves are sand-bottom right points located miles from the highway down little more than bike trails.