Surf in Puerto Vallarta
Surf in Puerto Vallarta? You bet. Many people often think of places north of Puerto Vallarta, like Sayulita, Punta Mita even Nuevo Vallarta. Writer Justin Henderson, an avid surfer, shows us where there are waves there are surfers even in the most unusual of places, down town Puerto Vallarta.
Vallarta’s Urban Surf Spots – Photos by Donna Day
People who come to Nayarit to surf don’t really think of surfing in Puerto Vallarta itself. Instead they head north to Punta Mita, Sayulita, and the other known surf spots. But if you find yourself in Vallarta with a board and a Jones for a wave, any wave, there are a couple of surfable waves in Vallarta. First, on the north side of town, there is a macking, close-in beach break by the Holiday Inn. I’m not sure it would work for longboarders, but for shortboarders and boogie boarders, it rocks; and who knows, maybe low tide on a big swell it would move offshore far enough to make long-boarding possible.
The other in-town wave lies at the mouth of the Rio Cuale, the river dividing Old Town Vallarta from downtown. This rivermouth bomber is also pretty much shortboards and boogie boards only, although, again, anything is possible on the right tide and swell.
Boogie Boarding in Puerto Vallarta
The day we shot these pics, half a dozen boogie boarders were having a ball zipping down these sweet little close-to-shore barrels, and given that this was a virtual swell-less day, the potential for quality surf here is obvious.
This is urban surfing, Mexican style.
Justin Henderson is the author of nine books on architecture and interior design, travel guides to Costa Rica, Los Angeles, and the Caribbean, and seven murder mysteries featuring amateur sleuth Lucy Ripken. His surfing style is much like his writing, playful, smooth and easy on the eyes.