Los Cabos

Chances are even if you've never visited the Cabo San Lucas area of Baja Sur, you've still heard of Zippers. This is simply because - besides being one of the best waves in the region - it has been ground zero for the local surf scene since the '80s. Long exploited and developed, Zippers is certainly not a choice respite from the crowded line-ups of your homebreak, but it is a wave sufficient enough in quality that just a few good ones can make your session. Another river mouth-created wave, Zippers peaks up outside of a stand of exposed rocks gently, allowing for a smooth, easy take-off. It then quickly whizzes almost laterally along the cobblestone reef, picking up speed as it heads towards its inside section, where tubes and air sections are commonplace. The wave maintains its size all the way down the line, which makes it a backsider's dream wave, since you can really dig your heels in and snap off the top progressively harder as you go along. It's one of those waves where you can incrementally improve your turns. This all sounds dreamy except for the fact that Zippers is Cabo's most crowded wave - most of its surfers at the intermediate to advanced level. You won't have any trouble finding Zippers; it is right off the main road, visible, and with plenty of parking. Be aware that the local surfers are quite protective of this wave, often using tactics learned from bitter American ex-pats. As such, it can be really hard to get a wave, especially on an inconsistent Sunday afternoon. So if you're going to paddle out, just relax, smile, wait your turn, and you might be rewarded. And who knows? Just that one wave may make your session. Click here to download Surfline's Cabo Surf Guide pdf.

On first glance you may be a little confused at why this right-hand pointbreak east of San Jose del Cabo is called Shipwreck, considering Baja's best waves are so aptly named. Well, you're just a little late - the actual shipwreck this spot is named after was taken out by a hurricane in the 1980s. And like every break in the world that shares the same name, this one isn't too bad either. Shipwreck picks up more swell than Costa Azul near San Jose del Cabo, as it faces south, not southeast, which makes it fairly consistent, especially in the summer. And while the star wave is a zippy right point/reef, at the west end of the bay, which can connect all the wave through to the beach in a series of different sections, there's also a little reef in the middle of the bay that can produce short-but-sweet lefts as well. Both waves are steeper and faster than Nine Palms. The beach itself is beautiful, squeaky white sand leading into clear azure water; a very nice place to spend the day, as long as you bring some shade. Click here to download Surfline's Cabo Surf Guide pdf.

Again, another aptly named surf spot. Though this might be better called The Rocks (plural), because the entire line-up from beginning to end is strewn with rocks - big ones. At low tide, especially, you will be dodging boils, burps and weird, sharp sections that love eating fiberglass -- and the locals aren't much more hospitable. In all seriousness, however, both the reef and many of the regular surfers at "La Roca" are really quite gnarly. The wave itself is extremely fun, though not as good as neighboring Zippers. It is a right reefbreak that can be infected with a few difficult sections to negotiate, and it is also often a little mushy in certain parts. That said, on a strong southwest swell and a mid-high tide, you won't find anyone complaining out there (imagine a poor man's version of Upper Trestles and you're almost there). The proper takeoff area is pretty small -- right next to the rock -- so crowds become a factor pretty quick, making catching a decent wave infinitely more difficult. The Rock is just one of those waves where if you're not one inclined to getting in the mix, then you're best to just leave it be and explore elsewhere. Click here to download Surfline's Cabo Surf Guide pdf.

Well, with a name like Old Man's, you pretty much know what you're in for. Located in front of the boutique beach resort Cabo Surf Hotel on Acapulquito Beach, this lapping, yet fun, pointbreak is a few ticks better than its California namesake, and a whole lot more luxurious. It's a pretty simple wave to figure out: Paddle to the top of the point and try and pick off one that rolls all the way through to the beach, just west of La Roca. If you're frothing to break speed limits, pull into barrels, or boost airs, you've come to completely the wrong place - there are plenty of other breaks around Cabo for that, particularly at nearby Zippers. But if you're coming to do some relaxing longboarding, learn to surf, or sip cocktails in a choice pool with fellow tourists, Old Man's and the Cabo Surf Hotel are just what you're looking for. Mike Doyle runs a surf school here, so plan on sharing waves with and being respectful to newbies, too. Click here to download Surfline's Cabo Surf Guide pdf.

The Estuary - or La Bocana (rivermouth - is San Jose Del Cabo's city break. Because of this, it is quite polluted. Not to worry though, The Estuary is one of the Cabo area's most fickle waves. When it is at its best - once every few years after a big storm washes the coastal berm away - it is a perfect A-frame that tubes in both directions. This rare perfection, of course, is a double-edged sword - the heavy rains bring sewage, animal cadavers, trees, and pretty much anything else that floats, directly out to the line-up. It's not exactly an ideal surfing situation when you're sharing waves with swaths of feces and the occasional dead dog. If the health hazard isn't enough, the local contingent have The Estuary wired and are on it every time it is good. When the surf is just average, however, there are a few scattered peaks around and you can often catch a few empty ones for yourself. Also, the mediocre waves may be less polluted. If you're still interested, The Estuary is located on the east side of San Jose Del Cabo's beachline in Estero San Jose, a peaceful park that is supposed to be a protected wildlife sanctuary. Click here to download Surfline's Cabo Surf Guide pdf.

Make your way out along the coast and toward the wilds of the East Cape and you may stumble upon a cluster of palm trees. This cluster - numbering far more than nine these days - may have a long, ambling right pointbreak set behind them. You may have found Nine Palms. In reality, it's not hard to find this Baja Sur pointbreak, as it's been a high-ranking hotspot on surfers' Cabo itineraries for decades. Once there, you'll invariably find many other surfers camped out on the beach and in the dunes, as well as shacked up in the houses that are springing up around the wave these days. It's a beautiful spot and definitely one of the most popular waves on the East Cape, despite the fact that it's not world-class by any means. Under head high, Nine Palms is a bit mushy and slow - a great choice for longboarders or those on fishy alternatives. However, when an overhead+ summer south swell drains in, Nine Palms ignites into reeling wall with plenty of perfectly crackable sections. And if your timing is especially impeccable, you might even get a sneaky barrel. In all, Nine Palms is worth the drive from Cabo San Lucas or San Jose del Cabo when there is south swell in the water. The East Cape is quiet, raw, and the water is almost always turquoise and warm. Click here to download Surfline's Cabo Surf Guide pdf.

Back in the old days -- like 20 years ago -- the whole coastal zone just east of Cabo San Lucas was just one little road leading to quickly maturing San Jose Del Cabo. From the road, going for a surf meant strolling across a bunch of dirt hills leading down to the water's edge. On one particular brown, barren elbow of coast, here was a decaying concrete block by the side of the road marking the turn off to a wave that looked kinda like, well, a monument. The name stuck for this super fun left pointbreak, and today it is a must-do spot for any surfer exploring the southern tip of Baja. There is a deepwater canyon just offshore -- the same one that made Cabo San Lucas a natural, deepwater harbor, in fact -- which funnels long-interval west and southwest groundswells into steep, spinning lefts that reel along the headland and into a small, rocky bay. On a 17-second swell, for example, Monuments can be double overhead while Costa Azul just down the road is barely pushing head high. The Monuments takeoff zone is pretty tight, unfortunately, and the crowd can be pretty hungry and oftentimes made up of mostly skilled surfers. And if the crowd doesn't bite, than the robust urchin colony on the shallow rocks on the inside will. Such hazards can be frustrating for any surfer, but may make for a downright foul experience for the beginning surfer, who should focus his or her energy elsewhere on the wave-rich Cabo coastline. Afternoon west winds often blow the spot out as well. Click here to download Surfline's Cabo Surf Guide pdf.

Santa Lucia de Los Cerritos--that's simply Cerritos to most surfers--is about forty-five minutes north of Cabo San Lucas on the Pacific side of the peninsula, near the village of Todos Santos. The water is much colder here(5-8 degrees Farenheit), the days foggier and windier, and - especially in winter - the surf a whole lot bigger and better. Perhaps not quite as good as neighboring Pedrito, Cerritos is nevertheless a great option when it comes to variety and beach appeal. There are a couple different waves to choose from, depending on the swell. During a big wintertime West or North-West, there is a right that breaks off the headland at the north end of the beach. It's not an amazingly hollow or world-class right pointbreak, but it can get really fun and rippable, especially when it connects with the sandbar section farther inside. South swells make for good A-frames in the lee of the headland; the lefts dumping into the channel are perhaps a bit better. Combo swells and windswells tend to light up the whole beach in a series of fun peaks, spreading the crowd out quite nicely. Old Baja dogs will speak of the good ol' days, when Cerritos was a desolate place favored only by their dusty camping brethren. These days, Cerritos is biting off the Cabo glitz with fervor. Do-it-yourself seaside camping is a thing of the past these days; in it's place is the Los Cerritos Club bar and beach restaurant. Nearby is the Hacienda Cerritos, a posh boutique hotel up on the cliff above the right pointbreak. And a few miles south is a typically ambitions real estate development. In the end, one must view the changes at Cerritos in one of two ways: 1) There isn't a surf spot left on the planet that's not exploited; or 2) All this fresh, buzzing activity makes for a good time back on the beach, after surfing your brains out in warm, fun Mexican beachbreak. You're choice. Click here to download Surfline's Cabo Surf Guide pdf.

For those nearing the end of the great Baja road trip from the U.S., the last stop on the peninsula's west coast before plowing headlong into the glitz of Cabo San Lucas, is the dusty village of Todos Santos. Not to be confused with the little island with the big wave named Killers up north, Southern Baja's Todos Santos holds in its quaint jurisdiction three incredibly fun waves to choose from: Los Cerritos, La Pastora and San Pedrito. It's important to note that up this way -- about 45 minutes north of Cabo on the west coast -- the water can sometimes be 5-8 degrees (Fahrenheit) colder, the winds stronger, and the days much foggier. While all of these adverse conditions can make things slightly less comfortable than the sunnier, glassier points south, they do mean that the surf will always be bigger -- oftentimes a whole lot bigger. This also means that you're unlikely to score empty waves in the area's most prime spots, especially San Pedrito, which has been a favorite of Baja surfers for decades. San Pedrito's main attraction is its right-hander, which can become highly rippable and point-like between October and March, when North-West groundswells are most prevalent. However, in the summer months, San Pedrito becomes a little peakier, making for a more breathable, stretched out line-up. Most of the year, the water temperature is warm enough for boardshorts, though January through June can see some chilly upwelling, thanks to the Aleutian current, and a short-arm or even 3/2 is required. Click here to download Surfline's Cabo Surf Guide pdf.