Surfing in Zihuatanejo might just be the best in southern Mexico outside of Oaxaca, largely thank to the epic longboard beaches of nearby Troncones and a few uber-reliable point breaks. This guide has all you need to know…
An introduction to surfing in Zihuatanejo
Zihuatanejo has lived a life of ups and downs. Once the go-to Mexicana resort on the Pacific for US snowbirds, it hit a zenith with a mention in The Shawshank Redemption. Then the cartels came and ruined everything for a while. Now it looks like fun is firmly back on the menu, as the AK47s and open-back federales cruisers are being replaced by hip eateries and boho coffee houses in the center of the town. Great. But what about the surf?
It’s surprisingly fantastic and we can’t quite figure out why bigger crowds a la Sayulita aren’t already flocking Zihua’s way. A lot of the quality is down to the proximity of two very good surf areas: Ixtapa and Troncones. They’re on offer along the Pacific coast to the north of the city. You also get some sheltered breaks that’ll kick in when it’s really big in the midsummer, and more beach breaks without crowds to the south of town.
We hope we’re painting a picture of a very consistent, very welcoming, pretty unknown surf option on the Mexican Pacific, because that’s really what Zihuatanejo truly is. There aren’t the hefty line ups of Nayarit in these parts, and the waves can be excellent quality, with something for longboarders right up to performance riders.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in Mexico
Zihuatanejo surf at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to Zihuatanejo surf?
Where is Zihuatanejo?
Zihuatanejo hugs a huge horseshoe bay in southern Mexico. It’s nearer to Guatemala than to the US and it shows – just look up at the surrounding Sierra Madre del Sur, which are clad in lush emerald jungles from tip to toe. The resort is in the state of Guerrero, some 125 miles to the northwest of the better-known resort escape of Acapulco.
The best way to get to Zihuatinejo is to jet straight into the Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa Airport. It’s a growing arrival point that now has international links to the US and a number of domestic links to boot. You can also catch luxury long-distance buses from Acapulco and Morelia in the neighboring state of Michoacan.
Zihuatanejo surf spots
It’s impossible to talk about the Zihuatanejo surf without talking about the beaches to the south of town and the neighboring city of Ixtapa, along with a few playas that string up the coast to the north.
Barra de Potosi
The Punta Potosi offers a welcome break from the S swells at this beach south of Zihuatanejo. It pokes out just over a mile from the rivermouth at the end of the bay and forces the biggest summer groundswells to wrap around and form up again smaller and more mellow on the inside of the beach. The orientation can also mean this is the best beach in the region for those spring and autumn W-direction swells, which are head-on. Because it’s more usually those wrap-around S swells that come through, you’re usually looking at left handers that can pull neatly from the estuary towards the sand. Anything under 5 foot is better for minimals and longboards. Over that and these can be fun goofy walls to rip and hotdog on. The distance from the city center also helps to chop down the crowds.
Las Gatas
Las Gatas occupies the southern end of the Bahia de Zihuatinejo. In all frankness it’s a tricky spot for wave hunting because those dominant S summer swells have a super hard time curling into here. That means Las Gatas only really works when its HUGE elsewhere and that means you’ll almost always be contending with a local crowd looking for the only thing working. Adding to the crowds is the fact that Gatas is a quality left hander that’s really fun. It starts with a nice triangular shoulder that softens and bowls into various sections before finishing at a paddle channel towards the end of the main reef. It’s a tailor-made longboard wave but attracts all sorts.
Jetties
Jetties is the first of the major breaks in Ixtapa, a town to the west of Zihuatanejo itself that’s really where most of the best surfing happens in the region. It’s a quirky spot that’s one part The Wedge, one part classic left-hand point. Okay, so it’s nowhere as mean as South Cali’s backwash beast, but you can score some twisting, bowly barrels here on big S-SW days with a bit of offshore. It’s more of a local’s spot, with a dedicated crew of tube chasers that will usually be in the water nice and early. When it’s really big, Jetties tends to be the province of bodyborders.
Playa Linda
Loads of people feel they get skunked at Playa Linda because they happen to head to the wrong part of the beach. Don’t make that same mistake – the surfing here takes place right on the northern point of the playa, as far as you can go from the Qualton Club Ixtapa. The best guiding point we can offer is to look for the RV park and then paddle out near that. The wave there is a great one, forming nice long right shoulders off the point over a fully sand bottom. It reminds us of an east-coast Oz something, like Snappers on a medium day, thanks to the head-high walls that you can cut up or ride down the line.
Troncones
The charming beach town of Troncones is a mere 40 minutes to the north of Zihuatanejo. It’s home to some beaches of superior quality, especially if you bought the log in tow. The likes of La Saladita really stand out – longboard pros gather there to hang 10 on the peeling lefts that curl into the bay virtually all year round. There’s also a performance surf spot that we think reigns among the absolute best intermediate breaks in the whole of Mexico. This one gets its own guide because it deserves it!
We have a complete guide to surfing in Troncones
Where to stay when surfing in Zihuatanejo?
Because Zihuatanejo was once such a popular resort town and it’s now booming once more, you won’t struggle to find pretty great hotels near the beaches. Sadly, the town isn’t yet seen among Mexico’s top surf destinations, which means surf camps within walking distance of the breaks remain rare. These would be our top picks, though:
Cala dea Mar Resort & Spa Ixtapa
The Cala de Mar Resort & Spa Ixtapa is stupidly nice. Rooms are precipitously perched on the cliffs of Ixtapa, offering sweeping panoramas of the Pacific Ocean. There’s a gorgeous on-site cocktail terrace and pool. Surf breaks beckon to the north and south – 10 minutes in the car, no more.
Qualton Club Ixtapa All Inclusive
The Qualton Club Ixtapa All Inclusive is the closest that you can possibly get to the fantastic right points of Playa Linda – though you’ll still need to cross the headland and walk north for some time. It’s a classic Mexican resort hotel with its own pool and modern suites. A standard stay that’s actually not all that expensive.
Casa Romantica De Playa
The very highly rated Casa Romantica De Playa is a top choice if you want to be in the thick of the action in Zihuatanejo itself, with more bars and eateries on the doorstep. It also has big grounds and a private pool. You will need to travel by car to get to the better surf spots, though.
Step-by-step guide to planning your surfing in zihuatanejo trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the surfing in zihuatanejo…Lately, we like Omio for searching flights. It’s a nice interface and has lots of airline options. We also use Skyscanner because that sometimes offers deals that even beat going direct to the carrier!
Step two: Book your surf camp Book Surf Camps is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages on the internet right now. Then there’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check EXACTLY how close your hotel is to a surf break.
Step three: Get insuranceThis is kinda’ important. Not just for surf trips but for any trips. SafetyWing is great for nomad travelers. They offer rolling contracts that cover amateur surfing.
Step four (optional): Rent a car If you’re surf camping then you might not need wheels. If you’re not then we’ll just say this: We’ve never been on a surf trip that wasn’t improved by having our own car. Use RentalCars – they’re the best.
Step four: Enjoy!
When to surf in Zihuatanejo?
IntroThe official surf season of Mexico runs through the summer from April to March. What you’re waiting for is the Pacific swells to change from north to south. That ushers in a period of strong, long-period groundswells; the same ones that hit Cabo and SoCal with all that gusto come June. Thing is, there’s very good consistency here, and most Zihuatanejo surf breaks work just as a well on direct W and NW sets as they do on SW. We would say that winter is better for learners and beginners, while summer is the time to chase those hollow barres at Jetties and whatnot.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
