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MAINLAND
MEXICO
MICHOACAN:
Mainland Mexico's Southern California of the Past
No major airports. A paved road along the coast
only completed in the 1980s. Many areas still
without electricity. Nobody out at many firing
surf spots visible from the main road. This is
Michoacán, probably the most consistent
surfing region in all of Mexico.
 Another
gorgeous sunrise
The term “Mainland Mexico” conjures
up a few images-the crowded barrels of Puerto
Escondido to the south, banditos, roughing it.
While Puerto Escondido has the fame and crowds,
Michoacán's surf remains virtually uncrowded
and much less known. Almost gone are the days
when bandito roadblocks were of constant concern.
Roads are well-traveled and generally well-maintained,
purified water and plenty of food is available
everywhere you go, and recently acquired internet
access and satellite TV can keep you connected
to home, even so far away. ATMs at banks in larger
cities mean you don't have to carry wads of cash.
Yet,
coastal Michoacán is still very rural and
rustic. There are no major hotel resorts. No timeshare
condo pushers. Stores still close for the afternoon
siestas. Many people still do not have cars and
use the very reliable bus system. Traditional meals
are still prepared daily, with hand-made tortillas
and fresh caught fish. Very few people speak English
and many speak with a mixed Spanish and indigenous
dialect. But, they are patient and tolerant of those
who attempt to speak their language and will usually
help you out in a very gentle way. Homes are made
of cement and brick. But also of sticks, boards,
and palm fronds. Some people sleep in beds. Others
have hammocks slung across their bedrooms. Education
is mandatory through eighth grade and basic health
care is available to virtually everyone in the region.
Food sources are abundant and relatively cheap for
the locals; very cheap for Western visitors.
What about the waves? Oh yeah. Coastal Michoacán
is roughly the size of Southern California from
the reefs of Bixby Ranch at Point Conception to
the beach breaks of Tijuana Sloughs south of San
Diego. There are point breaks, reef breaks, beach
breaks and rivermouths. Michoacán has waves
year 'round, every day. It's not a matter of “if,”
but “where.” The region faces the southwest
and connects with any south, southwest, west, and
northwest swell (except for the most extreme norths)
that come its way. Which spot is the best depends
on the time of year, swell direction, and size.
You can cover it end-to-end easily in a day, but
you can also find yourself staying in one spot for
days, weeks, or months on end, until the waves stop.
Today, more than ever, Michoacán is easily
accessible. Two major airports in neighboring states
to the north and south offer year 'round daily,
nonstop access from major U.S. cities. While most
tourists on these flights park themselves at the
hotels of Manzanillo, Colima (to the north) and
Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Guerrero (to the south), surfers
can grab a rental car and be on quality surf within
about an hour's drive from either airport. Those
who want to drive from the U.S. will find more and
more autopistas or calle cuotas (highways or toll
roads) to get you there faster and safer than ever
before.
But, once you hit rural, coastal Michoacán,
it all slows down. The main road, Highway 200, is
one lane each way. There are limited turnouts, virtually
no shoulders, and tropical plants grow to the road's
edge. Average speeds slow to about 40 miles per
hour. But, this is good, because you come to Michoacán
to slow down. You come to Michoacán to surf
the stiff morning offshores, relax with a scrambled
egg, tortilla, and fresh fruit breakfast, take a
siesta, drink a cerveza, surf in the evening, and
go to sleep early, only to repeat this over and
over again until you leave. Except for major holidays,
the pace is very slow. Ask any local why he or she
lives in Michoacán, even when many have visited
or worked in the U.S. and a common word comes out
of their mouth: tranquilo.
Sure you can go to well-known and popular spots
like La Ticla, Rio Nexpa, Playa Azul, or Pascuales
and surf or wait to surf. But, you should also consider
exploring other options. Check out Hua Hua, Villa
Dorada, or San Juan de Alima. On my last trip, I
surfed 20 days straight. On 12 of those days, I
surfed at least one session, if not the whole day,
alone. These were not blown out, junky sessions.
The winds were offshore, the water clear, and the
waves at least chest- to head-high-conditions that
would draw huge crowds at home and which most of
us crave at our home breaks on a daily basis.
So, go and surf. Go and explore. Go and experience
the coastal Michoacán that brings many people
back month after month, year after year. Oralé…
Here are a few spots we hit on our last trip:
Perfect little peeler
La Ticla (Km 183)Probably the most consistent reef
break on the coast, La Ticla produces ridable waves
almost every single day, picking up virtually any
swell. Waves break over cobblestones at the mouth
of the Rio Ostula. Rights break to the south, with
longer lefts breaking into a small bay to the north.
Directly off the rivermouth you'll find a-frames
breaking both ways. In many ways, this wave reminds
me of Trestles-a combination of both Uppers and
Lowers.
Because of its consistency, La Ticla is visited
by surfers year 'round and can get quite crowded.
Nonetheless, there are plenty of days (and times
of day) when you can get it to yourself.
Morning offshores blow hard down the rivermouth
canyon, especially in winter. This is my favorite
time of day to surf La Ticla, but for some reason
it is also the least crowded. During my last trip
(in winter, the most crowded time of year), I surfed
three mornings in a row by myself for the first
hour even though there were at least 50 surfers
in camp able to see the waves directly in front
of them. And it was easily 4-6 feet.
From what I understand, many don't like the offshores
because the takeoffs are late. You do need to get
right under the peak and really paddle hard, but
the set up is perfect for the take-off-turn-and-pull-in
type tubes. Some of the middle inside sections can
also get pretty hollow, especially as the tide drops.
Another option for surfing alone: the left up the
beach. Most surfers opt for the rights and a-frames
in front of camp and the rivermouth. But, if you
cross the river north and head into the bay a few
hundred yards, you'll see several left lineups.
Simply paddle out, line yourself up with some palm
trees and/or palapas on the beach and wait for sets
to swing your way. It can get shallow toward the
inside, so use caution there.
The best time to go is probably early fall/winter,
with November and December being good months (though
I and several friends have caught it good at least
once every month of the year). It's not necessarily
the biggest, but November offers late-season souths
and December starts to show the west/northwest from
way up north-well groomed and fun. This is also
definitely the most crowded time of year.
Much less crowded and usually much bigger is summer.
When the big south/southwest swells hit, the rights
all but disappear and the big lefts fire into the
bay. I've surfed solid 8-10 foot lefts with one
other guy out for five days in July. But it's hot,
sticky, and can be rainy. If you want to charge
big La Ticla, this is the time.
Even when it's “flat,” La Ticla will
produce small, ridable waves out front just from
wind swell. There are many days I've surfed it at
2-3 foot with only a few people out (because most
were “over it” after surfing several
days of solid swell the week before). But, if you
think about the fact that it's at least as good
as your home break, it's relatively uncrowded, and
it's warm, you can't beat it.
With as many quality breaks as there are around
the area, La Ticla is often the first and final
destination for visiting surfers. Many show up,
set up camp, and never leave until their vacation
is over. Expect to see a regular contingent of surfers
from Guadalajara and other inland cities, as well
as several Texans and Californians. Throw a few
Europeans and Aussies into the mix and you have
a typical camp setup.
For such a popular spot, La Ticla has both come
a long way and also hasn't changed a whole lot.
It has improved in that the locals understand more
and more that catering to visiting surfers is better
than stealing from them. Rip offs, including full-on
armed robbery were common just a few years past.
These days, such incidents are few and far between
and common, petty theft only usually only happens
to careless travelers who leave enticing things
out at night. But, La Ticla's rural, rustic nature
hasn't changed much over the years. The Rio Ostula
is a clear, beautiful river with tropical birds
and great wetland scenes. The town and neighboring
El Duin, also on the river, at the highway, have
changed little over the years. Big time tourism
won't be coming here anytime soon; just the surfers.
Access to La Ticla is easy. Take the dirt road turn
off at about Km 183 for about 3 kilometers to town.
The turn off is well-marked with a very large sign,
lately sponsored by Corona. It seems to change.
In the old days, it was an old, rusty, hand-painted
thing you could hardly see. Once into town, take
the second left all the way down to the beach. You
can't get lost here. The other option is to take
the turn off at El Duin, at about Km 186. As you
wind down out of the mountains, you will cross the
Rio Ostula (sometimes labeled “Ostuta”
on maps) and come to some topes. Take the first
dirt road right through town, taking the left fork
downhill. This will wind around, then back up hill
through a couple of switchbacks and run along a
cement irrigation ditch. Take the second right as
you come to La Ticla down to the ocean. This is
the lesser-known entrance, but it's faster and the
usual one taken by locals coming or going from the
north. It's also more scenic and less dusty.
Rio Nexpa and its machine like
lefts
El Zapote de Tizupa (Km 103.5)This is Michoacán's
answer to San Onofre. It is an open bay, about 1.5
kilometers across, with a large rock island in the
center, to the north, about _ kilometer out. It
has a shallow, gently sloping sand bottom that allows
you to stand up in chest-high water even at the
outside break.
An empty wave, perfect for beginners, longboarders,
and really fun on fat fish boards. It breaks right
and left on shifting sand bar peaks in crystal clear
water. It takes just about any swell, though really
big souths can close it out with a lot of water
moving. In Winter, West/Northwest swells and wind
swell produce fun surf up to head-high, but often
smaller. It has an outside/inside reform to it,
making it fun for many skill levels.
Five star accomodations
Rio Nexpa (Km 55.5)Formerly a “secret spot”
with what seemed to be the annual, unnamed photo
in surf magazines, the wave at Barra de Nexpa (known
commonly as Rio Nexpa) is a world class, left-hand
point break. On virtually any direction swell (but
not too North), this cobblestone point can fire
100 to 300+ yard lefts down the beach. Even on smaller
days, the surf potential is very clear. Rio Nexpa's
popularity these days is obvious by the number of
internet sites advertising its beach accommodations
and displaying photos of many classic days.
While known as a South/Southwest swell spot, where
its perfection lights up, even on modest North/Northwest
swells, you can surf Rio Nexpa, but it is much more
sectiony and not necessarily the classic point set
up that it's known for. On the smallest days, especially
when there isn't any South or Southwest swell running,
surfing out at the very top or on the other side
of the rivermouth (to the south, which is really
the north end of Playa Guerra) can be fun. On my
last trip in late December, the left point was only
about waist-high for about three days and was perfect
for beginners and longboarders. Meanwhile, I enjoyed
shoulder- to head-high rights and lefts off the
top, usually by myself. You can't necessarily see
these waves from the camp area and have to walk
out to the sand bar fronting the river to have a
look.
The entire break is a cobblestone reef, much like
La Ticla and Hua Hua, but more perfect. On big days,
the rocks can make it very difficult to get out
of the water, as the current not only moves north
down the point, but can produce huge closeouts in
“La Liquadore” (The Liquidator) down
the beach. Many people, including my fearless brother,
have been stuck after a long ride trying to get
in through the shore pound on the often rocky beach,
as the paddle back out through the current is next
to impossible at times.
On average 4-6 foot days, the wave is fun, fast,
hollow at times, and well worth the trip. When it's
on, though, it can be crowded. But there's a reason
for it.
(These are excerpts from Scott Valor's upcoming
book, The Surfer's Guide to Mainland Mexico: Michoacán,
which is due out this Fall. It is part of the “Surfer's
Guide” series, which includes guides to Baja,
Costa Rica, and Panama.
Check out www.surfingtravel.com for more information
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