Surf in Ensenada

San Miguel is the reference wave: a right-hand point over cobbles and rock at the mouth of Arroyo San Miguel. W to NW groundswells wrap into the bay and run down a long, fast wall with a steep takeoff and hollow sections; south swells are largely blocked by Punta Banda and the islands. Mid to high tide smooths the inside, while low tide gets sectiony and exposes urchin-covered rocks. It is best from November to March with light east or northeast wind and draws a crowd with a strong local core, so it suits confident intermediates and up.

About a mile east, 3Ms (Tres Emes) is a softer rock-and-sand reef with rights and some lefts that works on all tides, a sensible option for longboarders and improving surfers on smaller days. Stacks, by the El Sauzal port, is a more powerful wave for experienced surfers. Killers, off the north island of Todos Santos, is a right-hand big-wave reef with shifty peaks, strong currents and exposed rocks; big days are strictly for experts with boat and jet-ski support. Water runs about 15–21 °C, so plan on a full wetsuit most of the year. Pollution is a known issue near the arroyo and port, so skip sessions after heavy rain.

San Miguel is the easiest wave in the area to shoot. From the cobble shore inside the point you stand roughly level with the wall as it runs towards you, so riders stay side-on for most of the ride. The bay faces south-southwest: in the morning the sun comes over your left shoulder and lights the wave faces, while from mid-afternoon it sits over the water and turns the lineup into backlit spray and silhouettes.

A 200–400 mm lens covers the inside sections and 500–600 mm reaches the takeoff. Swimming with a water housing is possible on smaller days, but cobbles, urchins and a packed lineup make it a job for experienced water shooters. 3Ms is shot from its beach with the same light. Killers can only be photographed from a boat in the channel, which means an experienced captain and a safe distance from the impact zone; a 70–400 mm range works from there.

San Miguel is right off the Tijuana–Ensenada toll road (Federal 1D), just after the last toll booth before Ensenada and about 12 km northwest of downtown; the Tijuana border is roughly 100 km north. A paid car park and campground sit in front of the break, with basic toilets and showers. 3Ms and Stacks are a few minutes further towards El Sauzal. Boats to Todos Santos Island, about 20 km offshore, are chartered in Ensenada harbour or at La Bufadora and take around 40 minutes. The nearest major airports are Tijuana and San Diego.