Head to head
Puerto Escondido vs Sayulita: which Mexico surf trip?
Pick Sayulita to learn, to longboard, or to travel with non-surfers. Pick Puerto Escondido for barrels, and know your limits.
What the data says
Puerto Escondido is best Apr–Oct, and Sayulita is best Jan–Feb.
Puerto Escondido runs bigger on a typical day in season: 6–7 ft against 3 ft. Both are surfable on nearly every day in those months.
Puerto Escondido is nearest PXM, and Sayulita is nearest PVR. The two breaks are about 1,045 km apart in a straight line. Fares move every day, so this page prints none. The app shows the live fare from your airport for the weeks the swell is on.
Which one for your dates
- Jan–Feb: Sayulita. It is at its best, and Puerto Escondido is off.
- Mar: both are worth the trip, neither at its best.
- Apr–Oct: Puerto Escondido. It is at its best, and Sayulita is off.
- Nov: Puerto Escondido. It is only OK, and Sayulita is off.
- Dec: Sayulita. It is only OK, and Puerto Escondido is off.
The two waves
Puerto Escondido (Zicatela)
Zicatela, the Mexican Pipeline: a heavy, hollow beach break on the Oaxaca coast. On a big south swell it is for experts only. La Punta, at the south end of the beach, is the gentler option.
Sayulita
A mellow river-mouth right in a bright, busy beach town north of Puerto Vallarta. It is a longboard and learner wave that comes alive on a winter northwest swell.
Side by side
| Measure | Puerto Escondido | Sayulita |
|---|---|---|
| Best months | Apr–Oct | Jan–Feb |
| Typical face in season | 6–7 ft | 3 ft |
| Surfable days in season | About 98% | About 100% |
| Suits | Advanced | First-timers to intermediates |
| Water in season | 30 C / 86 F, boardshorts | 25 C / 77 F, boardshorts |
| Nearest airport | PXM | PVR |
| Getting there | Not reviewed yet | Straight there, 43 min from PVR |
Month by month
| Month | Puerto Escondido | Sayulita |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | Off | Best |
| Feb | Off | Best |
| Mar | OK | OK |
| Apr | Best | Off |
| May | Best | Off |
| Jun | Best | Off |
| Jul | Best | Off |
| Aug | Best | Off |
| Sep | Best | Off |
| Oct | Best | Off |
| Nov | OK | Off |
| Dec | Off | OK |
Best its strongest stretch OK still worth the trip Off smaller and less reliable, often fine for a lesson
Full tables with wave size, surfable days and the wetsuit for every month: Puerto Escondido and Sayulita. Taking a board? See what each airline charges and whether your bag fits.
Or let the week decide
The right trip is whichever one is firing when the fare is cheap. BarrelFare watches both and tells you when they line up.
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Seasons rank how often great days come; wave size and surfable days are medians. All of it is from years of wave hindcast (how we score a month). Getting there is the ground leg from the nearest airport, the same figure each spot page shows.