Just 20 minutes from the border, The main area of Rosarito Beach, near the pier, features several miles of good beach break surf. Depending on the swell direction and tide it can be anywhere from fun, punchy and rippable to fast, hollow and barreling. For this reason it can be a good spot for beginners and advanced surfers alike. Because there is a sizable stretch of beach in Rosarito you can almost always find a spot to surf without a crowd. (Unless it is Spring Break of course!)
Best Places to Surf in Rosarito and the Surrounding Area
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Baja Malibu
Wallow in connect-the-dots tube rides at this beach break 15 miles south of the border. Drop in, watch the lip heave, and fly out to the hoots of your buddies on the shoulder. Not for beginners, this potent wave works summer and winter, and it's best at medium to low tide. Take the Baja Malibu exit from the toll road and park on the dead-end street on the north side of the Baja Malibu housing development.
Calafia
Six miles south of Rosarito Beach on the free road (Old Highway 1),Calafia is a fickle right hand point break located in front of the famous Hotel Calafia that requires a sizable south or west swell in order to break. Because of the rocks in the lineup and size requirement Calafia is recommended for advanced surfers only. The paddle out can be sketchy because of the rocky shoreline so booties are definitely recommended. When it is on it can be an amazing wave…the trick is to actually be there on one of the few days it is firing during the year. If the swell is small and Calafia is not breaking, be sure to check the right hander known as Bus Stops on the inside of the bay. It can be a fun option on a medium tide and south or west swell. Because it is sheltered from the prevailing northwest wind,
Salsipuedes
Salsipuedes, which boasts a right point and a bowly reef peak, has the best camping and gnarliest access road north of Ensenada. Both waves break on any swell direction, but the point needs six to eight feet to work. Five bucks a night gets you camping in a grove of olive trees that feels like it's a million miles from the nearest fax machine. Located 51 miles south of the border on the toll road, take the Salsipuedes exit onto the tortuous dirt road to the beach. Leave if you can (sale, si puedes) when it's raining. It's not worth checking if the surf is small.
San Miguel
A crowded, thrillingly racy point break, San Miguel is one of Baja's premier waves. This right-hander is best during a west or northwest swell. It's more hollow but more sectioned at low tide. The San Miguel turnoff is immediately after the last toll booth before Ensenada, 61 miles from the border. Pitch a tent on the beach for $10 a night. For the same cost, RVs can plug into one of 30 hookups. Hot showers take the grunge out of camping here. Call 011-52-646-174-7948 for information. There's also a bar and restaurant on the point, but it's worth driving the eight miles south for Ensenada's culinary riches.
Punta San Jose
To taste its desolate beauty, spend a few days at Punta San Jose, a series of reef breaks that becomes one sweeping right when a swell fires. It's best on a south or a huge west swell, when the prevailing wind is offshore. To get there, drive south from Ensenada through the verdant Santo Tomas wine-growing valley. Twenty-nine miles beyond Ensenada, turn west onto a dirt road at the town of Santo Tomas. (If you need food or water, buy it here, because there's nothing but surf and star-filled skies at Punta San Jose.) Fourteen miles from Santo Tomas, bear right at a fork in the road and drive 10 miles to a lighthouse. Local fishermen collect $5 to camp, and will sell you fresh lobster for about the same sum.
