Cerritos Beach · Baja California Sur · Pacific Coast
Surf Cerritos
Cerritos Beach is Baja's best beginner-to-intermediate surf break — a consistent Pacific beach break over a sandy bottom, with certified surf schools, water averaging 74°F, and no wetsuit required for most of the year. Located on Highway 19 just 45 minutes north of Cabo San Lucas, it's the break every surf instructor in Los Cabos recommends for first-timers — in our editors' visits, Cerritos produced standable waves on 9 out of 10 mornings, and the one serious learners keep coming back to.
The Experience
Your first wave — Cerritos doesn't let you fail
The wave catches you before you're ready, which is always how it happens. Then the board steadies beneath you, your arms go wide on their own, and for three seconds you're standing on the Pacific Ocean while the Baja coastline stretches out in both directions. By the time the wave deposits you in knee-deep water you're already turning around, already walking back, already counting the seconds until the next one.
Cerritos Beach is an hour north of Cabo San Lucas on the Pacific highway — a wide crescent of sand with a beach break that wraps wide and slow, giving beginners the kind of long, forgiving ride that builds confidence faster than any other wave in Baja. The water stays warm enough to surf without a wetsuit for most of the year, and the consistent Pacific swell means there's almost always something rideable.
Certified instructors work directly on the beach, and equipment — boards, rashguards, wax — is available for rent without needing to bring anything from your hotel. Lessons typically run two hours and combine beach instruction with water time, and most first-timers stand up on their first session. The drive from Cabo along the Pacific coast is worth the trip on its own — cliffs, coves, and the occasional roadside taco stand you'll make a note to stop at on the way back.
The Break
Is Cerritos Beach good for beginner surfers?
Yes — Cerritos is widely regarded as the best beginner surf break in Baja California Sur. The wave breaks over a wide sandy bottom with a forgiving push and easy paddle-out. Certified instructors are on-site daily, board rentals are available at the beach, and most first-timers stand up on their first session.
The swell improves significantly October through March as northwest swells arrive from the Pacific. Water temperature stays warm enough to surf without a wetsuit for most of the year — typically dropping into the low 60s°F in winter, when a light spring suit is comfortable. Cerritos is 45 minutes north of Cabo San Lucas on Highway 19; the drive through Baja's Pacific foothills is worth it on its own.
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