When the Transpeninsular Highway was completed in 1973, surfers were among the first to explore Baja by car and bus, 
seeking out hidden beaches and long rumored surf breaks. The legendary spots were there, particularly in Baja California Sur, where great surf spots proliferated from Todos Santos around the southern rim to Los Cabos’ gorgeous East Cape.
Over the past forty-five years, however, the face of surf culture has changed in Los Cabos. Instead of trekking 1,000 miles by VW bus, today’s older, more affluent surfers are more likely to fly in and to eschew camping for luxurious surf-friendly resorts (The Cape Hotel and Cabo Surf Hotel being the two most notable) and well-appointed rental villas located near celebrated surf breaks like Monuments and Zippers.
For those who don’t like to fly with their boards, there are rental shops and guided surfaris to Cerritos and San Pedrito on the Pacific Coast, or more secluded East Coast breaks like Shipwrecks and Nine Palms. At least one local company offers lessons from a former Mexican national champion, and a famous regional five-star resort has partnered with big-wave legend Laird Hamilton on an apparel line.
Given its increasing popularity as a retirement site for former surf professionals, it should come as no surprise that there are also World Surf League sponsored surfing events held annually on the Baja California peninsula. One is a Big Wave Tour event off Todos Santos Island near Ensenada. The other is the Los Cabos Open of Surf, which is held each June at Zippers, a surf break at Playa Costa Azul in San Jose del Cabo.
When it premiered in 2013, the Los Cabos Open of Surf was a 6-star men’s event under the ASP (the forerunner to the WSL). Women joined the fun in 2014, and since 2015, the LCOS has been a QS 6000 event solely for women and junior men and women. The 2018 competition is scheduled for June 11 – 17, and like events in previous years, will be a celebration of all aspects of surf culture, from beach parties and culinary fetes to nightly entertainment featuring DJs and live musical performers.
Brazilian Silvana Lima is the defending women’s champion at the Los Cabos Open of Surf, while Hawaiian Summer Macedo and Barbadian Che Allan are the defending junior champions. The surfing action all takes place at Zippers, one of three well-known surf breaks at Playa Costa Azul (the others are the beginner-friendly Middle Break and the expert-level La Roca, which like Zippers is a right-hand reef break).
Neighboring beaches Acapulquito and Costa Azul are the center of the surf scene in Los Cabos, but Playa Monumentos (or Monuments) is also a prime attraction, with the added benefit of being the closest to Cabo San Lucas. In fact, views of El Arco and the other granite monuments at Land’s End are visible for those with enough ability to test Monuments tricky left-hand point break. It is actually one of the few left turning breaks (from the point of view of the surfer) in an area renowned for its abundance of great right-hand rides.
Surfable waves may be found on a year-round basis in Los Cabos and its environs, but there are two major seasons: summer for beaches on the Sea of Cortez side, winter for the Pacific Coast meccas near Todos Santos. To find out more about surf-friendly rental villas, or for more information about events and activities in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com .
Photo courtesy of the Los Cabos Open of Surf.
Upcoming Event Calendar
April
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – April 5, 12, 19, 26
Chocolate & Cocktails Festival at Café des Artistes – April 5 – 15
Paws n’ Claws Golf Tournament and Dinner – April 8
Sabores de Baja Festival in Miraflores – April 15
NORRA Mexican 1000 – April 20 – 26
Los Cabos Culinary Awards – April 25
2018 Taco Fest Los Cabos at Casa Dorada – April 28
May
483rd La Paz Foundation Festival – May 3 – 5
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Cinco de Mayo – May 5
Día de la Madre (Mother’s Day) – May 10
Gastrovino Food & Wine Festival – May 19 – 20
White Party at ME Cabo and Blue Marlin Ibiza – May 26
Rancho Pescadero Yoga, Surf & Nutrition Retreat – May 30 – June 2
June
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – June 7, 14, 21, 28
Pelagic Triple Crown: 5th Annual Cabo Summer Slam – June 7 – 9
Los Cabos Open of Surf – June 11 – 17
Fiesta de la Musica – June 23
Stars and Stripes Golf & Fishing Tournament – June 28 – July 1
July
East Cape Dorado Shootout Fishing Tournament – Jul. 21
Los Cabos Open of Tennis – July 30 – Aug. 4
Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore Fishing Tournament – Jul. 31 – Aug. 4
August
East Cape Gold Cup Wahoo Jackpot Fishing Tournament – Aug. 25
September
Día de la Independencia (Independence Day) – Sep. 16
October
Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 14 – 18
Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Fishing Tournament – Oct. 18 – 21
Bisbee’s Black & Blue Fishing Tournament – Oct. 23 – 27
25th Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers Rally – Oct. 28 – Nov. 10
Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – Oct. 31 – Nov. 2
November
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Life Luxe Jazz Experience at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica – Nov. 1 – 4
IRONMAN 70.3 Latin American Tri Club Championship – Nov. 4
Adidas Golf Invitational at Cabo del Sol – Nov. 6 – 11
WON Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 7 – 10
SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 14 – 18
Día de la Revolución (Revolution Day) – Nov. 20
Día de Acción de Gracias (Thanksgiving) – Nov. 22
December
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 6, 13, 20, 27
Virgin of Guadalupe Feast Day – Dec. 12
Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24
Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25
Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31
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