Surfing

Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit spans 100 miles of pristine coastline, from Nuevo Vallarta all the way to San Blas. The northern tip of the Bay of Banderas boasts over a dozen pristine surf breaks with crystal clear tropical water. In the heart of the Riviera, Punta de Mita is an impressive 1,500-acre pear-shaped peninsula surrounded by the Pacific on three sides—and home to one of the most awe-inspiring coastlines in the entire country.

The surf in this region of Mexico is generally one-half to one-third the size of more powerful breaks to the south such as Pascuales, Nexpa, or Puerto Escondido. For average surfers, longboarders and SUP this is welcome news considering mainland Mexico’s surf can reach 20-30 feet at the most exposed spots. It is unusual to see surf over 6-8 feet face heights in this region.

What is lost in size is compensated for in quality.  The spots inside the bay are well protected and offshore in the dominant afternoon Westerlies.  The ideal swell angles are 205-230 (SW) or 280-300 (WNW). The SW swells are most common from April to October and the WNW swells from December to March. Tropical swells from storms passing to the west provide another source of swell from June-October.  Overall the surf is very consistent for longboarding and SUP and less consistent for shortboarding. For this reason, this is a great destination for longboarders, SUP, beginners and intermediates, but is potentially disappointing for Alpha shortboarders seeking larger, hollower surf on a daily basis.

The breaks in this region are a mix of coral reef and rock bottom with a few beachbreaks. There are both right and left breaks, but rights are dominant by about 2 to 1. A-frame peaks, long walls, rippable sections, and perfect lines are typical of this region – not so much big tubes, but there are opportunities to get barreled including a few ledges and reefs. The dry season is from November to April and the wet season is from May to October, although both can be lovely. The dry season is cooler and less humid, while more sultry tropical weather prevails in the wet season.

You can add this tour to your reservation during the booking process.