Puerto Escondido surf guide: Zicatela, La Punta and Carrizalillo, best season, schools, gear, how to get there, and safety.
Puerto Escondido has one of the most respected waves in the world, the "Mexican Pipeline" at Playa Zicatela, but it also has calm bays where almost anyone can learn. The key is to pick your spot based on your skill level and the time of year.
The Essentials
- Where: Puerto Escondido, on the Oaxaca coast.
- Big waves: May through October, peaking in July and August (some sources extend the season back to April).
- Best time to learn: November through April, when the swell is smaller and cleaner.
- Water: around 27 to 29 °C (about 81 to 84 °F). You don't need a wetsuit.
- Level: beginner to expert, depending on the beach.
The Spots, by Level
- Zicatela ("Mexican Pipeline"), advanced and expert surfers only. It's a heavy beach break with barrels, a punishing shore break, and several rip currents. A red flag is flying almost all the time. In peak season, typical wave faces run 2.5 to 4.5 meters, with sets up to about 6 meters or more in exceptional swells. It breaks over a very shallow sandbar, which is what makes it so dangerous.
- La Punta, intermediate level. It has softer waves, with lefts and rights, and is a good stepping stone before Zicatela.
- Playa Carrizalillo, beginners and intermediates. This is a sheltered cove with gentle waves. It fills up from December through March, so plan to arrive before 8:00 a.m.
- Playa Marinero is one of the lower-risk options that surf guides recommend.
- Other lesson spots: the Punta-Panima area, Tierra Blanca, and Roca Blanca, where some instructors take their students.
Season and Competitions
From May through October, the big southern swells arrive and the big-wave surfers show up. Puerto Escondido has hosted international competitions, such as the 2017 BWT Puerto Escondido Challenge, with waves of about 6 to 7 meters, and the 2019 PXM Pro. Dates change every year, so check the World Surf League or organizers' calendar before planning your trip.
Schools and Board Rentals
- Oasis Surf and Spanish School: offers semi-private lessons (maximum 2 students per instructor) at MX$1,000 per person, with about 1.5 hours in the water and board, leash, rash guard, and transportation included, in English and Spanish. Book through WeTravel.
- Check credentials. Ask your instructor for their credential from the Mexican Association of Surf Instructors (Asociación Mexicana de Instructores de Surf, or AMISurf), which certifies an annual rescue course.
- Approximate daily rental rates (they vary by shop): foam board 200 to 250 MXN, longboard 300 to 400, shortboard 350 to 500, and bodyboard 150 to 200. Shops almost always ask for your passport or 1,000 to 2,000 MXN as a deposit.
Gear You'll Need
- A board that matches your level. To start, a foam board of about 9 feet. At Zicatela, experts bring spare boards because the shore break snaps them.
- A leash, always. Surfing without a leash at a crowded beach is a hazard to everyone else.
- A rash guard for sun protection and board rash, plus reef-safe sunscreen.
Getting There
- By air: there are several direct daily flights from Mexico City to Puerto Escondido (PXM), taking about 1 hour 40 minutes, on Viva Aerobus, Volaris, and Aeroméxico.
- By road from Oaxaca: the Barranca Larga-Ventanilla highway cuts the trip to about 3 to 3.5 hours. A shared shuttle costs about 500 to 700 MXN.
- Where to stay: La Punta (a surfer and backpacker vibe, and quieter), Zicatela (the surf and nightlife zone), or Carrizalillo and La Rinconada (calm and ideal for relaxing).
Water Safety
- Zicatela is not a swimming beach. There are lifeguards, but the rip currents are strong.
- If a rip current catches you, don't swim against it: swim parallel to the shore until you're out of it.
- Respect the flags, and don't go in if the sets are closing out the beach.
- Keep an eye on your belongings on the beach. Thefts have been reported.
- Check that your travel insurance covers surfing, because some policies exclude it.
Travel Advisory
The U.S. Department of State rates Oaxaca at Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory dated May 29, 2026). Read the Oaxaca section of the official advisory before booking, and see our guide Is Mexico Safe to Travel Right Now? and the Travel Info page.
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