Barra de la Cruz

Surf Guide

Barra de la Cruz is perhaps the finest (or most tragic, depending on who you talk to) example of Rip Curl's commercialization of surfing's "Live the Search" creed. Ah, see! Bet you know exactly what this world-class right-hander looks like now. Actually, the truth is Barra and neighboring right-handers along this stretch of Huatulco coast were hardly top secret before the Rip Curl Search came to town in 2006, though they were definitely well under the radar. Today, the sleepy little fishing villages clustered around these jewels are a bit less drowsy, what with all the foreign surfers running up and down the beach and about town. Barra is still the queen of right-handers in the region though, despite the rash of exposures after the 2006 WCT contest. The fang of Barra's headland points due South-East, which perfectly cleaves South swell and produces dredging tubes at the top of the point that give way to steep walls that hold their size into the bay. On a South-West, Barra isn't much less perfect, if a little less dredgey and racey. Now for the part you've been waiting for: Yes, Barra de la Cruz is insanely crowded these days. Accommodation is fairly abundant in the village above the break, and when a proper swell is running in spring, summer or autumn, be prepared to wait a very long time to catch just one good right. If you're lucky enough to be able to hang around for a couple of weeks, though, you'll be able to pick off a few sessions that aren't too mobbed.