There are a million—well, a thousand, anyway—good surfing spots in Mexico, and most of them, believe it or not, are empty most of the time. You don’t even have to go that far off the beaten path to get to some of these spots. Just fly into Puerto Vallarta or Manzanillo or Puerto Escondido or San Jose del Cabo, ask around, find a guide or the right muchacho with a semi-secret he’s willing to share, and you just might find yourself riding your dream wave. Here are a couple of possibilities.
BAHIA
This rock bottomed cove is in the neighborhood of Punta Mita. You can only get there by boat as it is inside the fence that was long ago erected to seal off Punta Mita from the outside world and render it safe for people with money or celebrity. It is very close to a world-famous point break, but usually breaks more consistently than the point break. Generally it breaks primarily with righthanders on swells from most directions, but, like most of the breaks along the north side of Bahia Banderas, it loves the north swells wrapping around the point the best. And there are lefts as well, just not as many. Get in touch and we’ll tell you how to get there, if you don’t already know.
SWIMMING POOLS
This one’s also along the north side of Bahia Banderas, but farther in towards Vallarta. Not as consistent as some of the other breaks along the bay, Pools is a faster, more shortboard-oriented type wave, perhaps problematic in that the take-off area is very tight, so even a small crowd can feel like a mob. But when it fires it’s a ball!
OLD MAN’S/ZIPPERS
For those of you on longboards, looking for something supermellow even when it’s big, you can’t beat Old Man’s. I’ve ridden it at double overhead and it is easy! Forgiving, rolling, gliding waves, perfect for longboard cruising. You’ll find along the road between the two Cabos at the south end of Baja. And if you have a kid, friend, or partner who finds the wave annoyingly slow and boring, send them down the way, a hundred yards or so, and closer to shore, where they can do battle with a small army of Mexican shortboard rippers at Zippers, a hollow little hot spot.
SALINA CRUZ
A few issues back one of my favorite magazines, The Surfer’s Journal, ran a photo on the cover of a right point break in Southern Mexico. Vividly-hued sunset, foreground cacti, and down a small bluff upon which the photographer stood, a light offshore breeze riffling the tops of waves lining up in what appeared to be one of the best right point breaks I’ve ever seen. It ain’t easy to find. The nearest town is Salina Cruz, and according to the guys at Wavehunters, there are at least half a dozen perfect rights in the neighborhood. Wavehunters.com. You might want to contact them to find your way, since southern Mexico can be sketchy. Definitely worth a look if you want some challenging Mexican surf, and real adventure.
CANCUN
Who’d a thunk there’d be waves over there? Actually, according to Wannasurf.com, there are nearly 30 surf spots on Mexico’s Gulf/Caribbean coast. Since the majority of visitors to that side are headed Cancun way, we thought we’d feature a Cancun spot. It’s called Playa Delfines Cancun, it’s near the Hilton Hotel, but there are no hotels at this spot, and not many tourists except the occasional surf crew—the state surf school has a beach hut here–and people dropping by to watch the marine life. What there are good, fun, sand-bottom beach break waves, and dolphins leaping in the air over clear blue Caribbean waters.
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Related articles
- Extreme Mexico: Let’s go extreme in the water (cuponismo.com)
- Surfing Punta Mita (cuponismo.com)
- Surfing in Chacala (cuponismo.com)
- Best surfing vacation spots in Mexico (sfgate.com)
