Surfing Chacahua

The main wave starts beside the jetty and peels right along the beach, with three or four peaks strung down the line and rides that can run for hundreds of metres on a good swell. It is not usually a barrelling wave: the walls are open and easy-going, which makes it popular with longboarders as well as shortboarders. The outside peaks are steeper and more powerful, and the inside whitewater is where beginners learn. It likes south to southwest groundswell and a northerly offshore, and most guides favour low to mid tide, although it can work through the tide.

May to September or October brings the biggest, most consistent swells and is the time for experienced surfers; October to April is smaller and better for learning. Rather than face a long paddle back after a long ride, most surfers walk back along the beach to the jetty. The hazards: a strong current can make the paddle-out hard, there is a rip in the swimming area, and the channel at the lagoon mouth carries current and boat traffic, so cross to the far side by lancha.

The beach faces roughly south, and the right peels away from the jetty along the sand, so the best angle is from the beach down the line, looking back toward the peaks. In the morning the sun is behind your left shoulder and lights the wave faces; in the afternoon you are shooting toward the sun, which suits backlit spray and silhouettes more than faces. In summer the midday light is high and flat.

From the sand, a 200–500 mm (full-frame equivalent) frames riders on the outside peaks, while a 70–200 mm handles the inside. The base of the jetty offers a side-on view of the takeoff; keep off the rocks whenever sets wash over them. On small days, competent swimmers can shoot from the shoulder, but respect the current on the paddle-out. The mangroves and pelicans on the boat ride in are worth a wide lens too.

From Puerto Escondido, head west on Highway 200 via Río Grande to El Zapotalito, then take a lancha across the lagoon through the mangroves: about 30–40 minutes to the village, or a shorter crossing to Banco de Piedra followed by a shared truck. Colectivos cover the road section. The village has simple cabañas, restaurants, board rental and lessons, and camping is possible, but there are no ATMs and wifi is limited, so bring enough cash for your stay.