Baja Malibu

Surf Guide

A quick and powerful escape from San Diego, Baja Malibu can be THE SPOT when everything aligns. This long stretch of beach loves a solid, long-period North-West swell. And thanks to the offshore bathymetry, those long winter lines get broken up and funnel in as juicy mega-peaks. Additionally, when the Santa Ana wind blows, Baja Malibu can turn into an anomaly of apexes compared to nearby Baja breaks. However, just as easily, onshore winds can shred the surf to uselessness. Parking can also be an issue at times. There used to be a gate keeper you could pay to watch your car in a nearby tienda parking lot, but these days the keeper, tienda and parking-lot are all gone. Park at designated spots for the restaurant opposite of the old parking lot, or just ask someone nearby where the best and safest places to park are. It's Mexico; things change without notice. Another element to take note of is the water quality at Baja Malibu. You won't even have to get off the main highway, Mex 1, to realize this area isn't exactly pristine in the poo run-off department. Subject to a pollution double-whammy from a nearby sewage-treatment facility and the dubious plumbing of an adjacent mega condo complex that's been recently built, Baja Malibu should be avoided in times of heavier rainfall. Nevertheless, Baja Malibu still ranks up there as one of Baja's premiere waves and is worth a snoop for any day-tripper or adventurer on his or her way to parts south.