Surf in Puerto Escondido

The coast faces south-west into open ocean, with deep water close to shore, so long-period southern-hemisphere groundswells arrive with little lost on the way. The main season runs from about April to October, when south to southwest swells are biggest and most frequent; November to March brings smaller, often cleaner days. Mornings are usually glassy with a light north-easterly offshore, and the sea breeze tends to turn onshore around 10–11 am, so dawn is prime time everywhere.

Zicatela is a sand-bottom beach break of lefts and rights that closes out more often than it offers a makeable barrel, with strong rips and a punishing shorebreak. It suits advanced surfers; big days are for experts with safety support. La Punta is a left point over cobble and sand, smaller than the main beach and good for intermediates, but crowded and rocky at the takeoff. Carrizalillo, a cove west of the town bay, has soft lefts and rights for beginners and longboarders and is best from low to mid tide. Further west, Bacocho is an open, shifty beach break with a strong undercurrent and far fewer people.

Puerto Escondido has a working surf-photo scene: on swell days photographers set up on the sand in front of Zicatela, and several lesson providers at La Punta and Carrizalillo offer photos or video of your session. The beaches face south-west, so the morning sun comes from over the town behind you and lights the wave faces head-on, usually while the wind is still offshore.

By late afternoon the sun sits over the sea for backlit lips, spray and silhouettes, and in winter it sets almost straight out from Zicatela. For Zicatela bring 300–600 mm (full-frame equivalent); La Punta works at 200–500 mm from the beach north of the point, and at Carrizalillo a 70–300 mm covers the whole cove from the stairs or the sand. Shooting from the water is realistic at Carrizalillo on small days; at Zicatela it is strictly for experienced water photographers on moderate days.

Puerto Escondido International Airport (PXM) is about 10 minutes by taxi from Zicatela, with flights from Mexico City and Oaxaca City among others; Huatulco airport, further east, is the alternative. A highway opened in 2024 cut the drive from Oaxaca City to roughly two and a half hours. Zicatela and La Punta share one long beach, and Carrizalillo is a short taxi ride west of the town bay, down a long staircase. As anywhere in Mexico, check current travel advisories before you go.