Surfing Scorpion Bay (San Juanico)

The points run south-southwest from the village towards Punta Pequeña, each one more exposed than the last. First Point breaks deep inside, in front of town: it needs a bigger swell and then gives slow, gentle rights for longboarders and beginners. Second Point catches more swell, is the most consistent and usually the most crowded, and produces the long, peeling walls the bay is known for. Third Point, marked by the old lighthouse, is faster and can get hollow, so it suits advanced surfers; on big swells it links up with Second for very long rides.

Fourth Point and beyond are bigger and more exposed, and the wind holds the waves up less. Everything depends on S to SW groundswell, which arrives mostly from May to October; outside that window flat spells are common. West-northwest wind is offshore and mornings are usually the glassiest. Expect rock and cobble with urchins, and a scramble over lava rock below a steep bluff to reach Third. Water drops to about 17 °C in early spring and reaches around 27 °C in late summer.

The bluffs above the points are the natural grandstand. This shore faces east-southeast and the waves peel towards the village, so from the cliff top at Second or Third Point you look up the line at riders coming towards you. In the morning the sun rises over the bay in front of you: the water is often glassy, but the light is backlit, good for spray and silhouettes and hard on faces.

From mid-afternoon the sun moves behind you and front-lights the wave faces, although the wind usually rises by then. The waves break close to the rocks, so 100–400 mm covers most rides. Swimming with a housing is easiest at First and Second Point on small days; the outer points mean long paddles, rocks and no help nearby. The shot here is the long, lined-up wall with the bare desert point behind it.

San Juanico sits on the Pacific coast about halfway down the peninsula. Loreto is the closest airport, roughly 120 km away in a straight line, and the drive is much longer. The easiest route takes Highway 1 to Ciudad Insurgentes, then Highway 53 north towards La Purísima and the signed Las Barrancas turn-off; it is described as paved, but storms can damage it. The northern routes are dirt and need a 4x4. The village has small hotels, a campground on the bluff, a few restaurants, groceries and fuel.