
Punta Cabras, Baja California, Mexico
A beautiful & magical place of peace and war.
Punta Cabras cuts the Baja shoreline and provides two very unique surf spots. Â To the north, the large cove provides high exposure to any western swell, creating the heavy waves Cabras is known for, while to the south, both the size and direction of the cove creates a magical set of circumstances that have the ability to push through some delightful little treats. Extreme Caution should be used when approaching, paddling out, and dropping in at either of these spots as the shoreline can be littered with rough boulders, rip-currents, and heavy tidal swings.
The North Cove
“A heavy wave, suitable for the most serious surfer with an inside that is fun for beginners.”
The north cove takes heavy thick waves and throws them at the shore. Where the sand dunes meet the sandy flats runs a small seasonal creek. This creek pushes out enough sand during the year to maintain a bar that divides the waves giving both a lane and some peel to the waves in this section. Waves south of the arroyo give a short left into the lane, however south of this, in front of the dunes, the heavy sets are walled out.
Waves north of the arroyo are divided again into sections. Just north of the arroyo is a heavy wave that delivers a soft right, a softer mirror of the south-side left into the lane. The next section north is generally walled out, but opens into an attenuated bottom shape which gives small swell good shape inside. It also serves to give beginner white wash in heavier swell **CAUTION** there are many rocks and boulders inside, most can be seen at low tide.
The final section of the Punta Cabras North Cove is for heavy waves. As swell begins to round the point, swell is captured and focused along the north-most edge of the cove. This author has seen waves up to 15-18 in this section. During heavy swell, the arroyo lane closes out. The only paddle out is along the north edge of the cove, meare feet off the sharp tide-pool rocks. The cove moves almost all the water south with reckless abandon. In the line up, it’s not uncommon to continuously paddle north to stay in position. However, some of the water is pushed along the north edge dragging any floating surfer with it and preventing swell from cresting. (Think Steamers in Santa Cruz)
Camping
Easy parking is along the bluffs at the north end of the North-Cove. It’s also feasible to camp just along the arroyo near the beach. Both have easy beach access. Be prepared to extricate a vehicle from sand if you’re camping along the arroyo, as there are many soft spots along the dirt road leading to the beach.
The South Cove
The South Cove is widely surfed and easy to access. There is a large house that sits atop the bluff, and sometimes there is a fee to park on the bluff. Access is a short walk down the bluff. Outside swell can keep good shape into the cove, but can also mush-out or wall-up inside. Sometimes a short left-handed peel or left-handed wall-break can be had along the South edge of the South Cove.